Contents:
- Editor's welcome
- Stunning replica of planet Earth comes to Rochdale
- Cycling Without Age: Connecting with the great outdoors
- GEM Appeal funds Tecan machine for Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital
- Keep your festive shopping local this Christmas »
- Hairdressing Trend - Smoky Charcoal
- Do you speak ‘Manc’, ‘Lancashire’ or ‘posh’? Findings from largest ever study of Greater Manchester accents and dialects revealed
- New exhibitions at Touchstones explore Rochdale heritage and identities
- Gym owner’s World Record
- Make a difference this Christmas by choosing Fairtrade
- Toad Lane Concerts: Music at Lunchtime
- Busy Beans Coffee celebrates Good Food award
- Russell’s Café moves to Yorkshire Street
- Rochdale Riverside: Award-winning flagship shopping & leisure development transforms town centre
- Little Amal visits Rochdale
- Barton Kendal wins The British Property Lettings Award for Rochdale
- Step-by-step guide to buying a new house
- Rochdale powerlifter wins bronze at International World Championships
- Chocolate Orange Yule Log recipe
- Beauty Feature: Skin supplements; working from the inside out
- Independent optician Stephen Holt celebrates 50 years of business
- Beware the coming winter of discontent
Winter 2021Keep your festive shopping local this Christmas
Christmas in Rochdale is a magical time of year and there’s no better place to get all your festive shopping sorted in one fell swoop – and support your high street at the same time.
Rochdale town centre is a thriving hub of shopping outlets, offering well-known brands and local independent stores, making our beautiful town perfect for finding those unique gifts.
From that tricky-to-buy-for dad to the sister who has everything and great gifts for little ones, the town centre boasts a huge variety of options across fashion, health and beauty, food and drink, lifestyle and so much more - read on for our suggestions on Christmas shopping in Rochdale.
For the fashion-conscious relative in your life, there’s plenty of inspiration to be found in fabulous independent stores such as Buckley Menswear, End Boutique, Chantilly and Okeechobee – as well as large retail chains including River Island, New Look, M&S and H&M.
After the last two years, we all deserve some pampering! Pick up a voucher for a spot of ‘me-time’ at beauty and hair salons like The Retreat, The Hairdressing Room, Couzens Hair Studio and Simply Special. Don’t forget to top up on a vast range of beauty products at Boots or Superdrug – perfect for stocking fillers.
For those conscious of their wellbeing, Rochdale has a wealth of businesses offering everything from nutritional or mindful gifts and experiences, including the Health Food Centre, Ladies Only Gym and JD Gym.
Not forgetting the youngsters who make this time of year so magical, Rochdale has lots of toy shops with gifts for all ages. If you’re looking for games, books, outdoor toys or educational items, make sure you visit The Works and WHSmith.
Rochdale centre also houses a plethora of quirky and individual small businesses providing something truly unique: visit Cheetham Street or the Baillie Street Quarter for a vibrant community of independents.
After your Christmas shopping list is ticked off, treat yourself to a pit stop at one of the town’s tantalising cafes or restaurants. There is an array of options to tempt everyone’s taste buds with a trip to Petit Bistro, Medicine Tap, Bombay Brew, Bean, Brown’s Cakes, The Flying Horse Hotel, The Baum… You’re spoilt for choice!
You can even bag further bargains with the help of ‘LoyalFree’ – an innovative loyalty app which helps you to find all the deals in town and loyalty schemes straight from your smartphone. App users can save money when they choose to shop local as you can save money in over 60 of your favourite town centre businesses – and it’s free to download!
In addition to exclusive deals, LoyalFree also provides useful information including a local guide, fun local events and interesting trails – such as a walking tour of all the amazing street art in the area.
Download the app for Android or iOS by searching ‘LoyalFree’.
Santa’s Post Box at the Wheatsheaf Centre
Santa’s elves have once again installed a special interactive postbox for Christmas letters at the Baillie Street entrance of the Wheatsheaf Centre – we must have been good!
Letter-writing kits can be collected from Bean at Riverside or you can get creative and prepare one yourself.
Letters are sent via special elf magic to the North Pole and you may even get a response from Father Christmas himself…
Dates for your diary
- A Christmas Fair will be at the Exchange Shopping Centre on Saturday 20 November.
- The Christmas Food and Artisan Fayre will be at Riverside on Saturday 4 December.
- Santa will return to Touchstones on 11,12,18 & 19 December. The magical Christmas grotto will feature festive storytelling, fun craft activities and a meeting with the man himself. Book early to avoid disappointment. • A family festive tea with Father Christmas is taking place at the Medicine Tap on Tuesday 7 December, with Christmas crafts, a photo opportunity with Santa and a gift for every child. Booking is essential.
- The Vegan Market returns to Rochdale Riverside on Saturday 18 December.
- There’s no need to wish for a white Christmas this year, when you can step into a Winter Wonderland in an inflatable snow globe! Large enough to fit up to eight adults, it’s the perfect setting for a festive photo. With a bespoke backdrop, take some selfies inside or have a full snow globe photo from outside. The globe will be at Riverside on Saturday 4 & 18 December and at the Exchange Shopping Centre on Saturday 11 December.