Edwina McEachran

We all love a good cheese board or cosy nights in putting up the Christmas tree, but chaotic December shopping crowds can put fear in even the most festive of people. No need to scramble around trying to find the true essence of your loved one - if you're looking for hassle free, personalised Christmas presents then here is a last minute Christmas gift guide for those in love with this beautiful city.  For the Corrie lover The Coronation Street set has seen over 750,000 people walk its streets since the site became open to the public in April 2014. Most die hard fans will already be aware that the tour is ending on the December 31, but if you don't, it's your last chance to get your picture taken behind the bar of the Rovers Return before demolition in the new year. If you've been before, it may even be worth going around again to see the Christmas-themed set. Coronation Street Tour   For the art lover First Street's HOME is a thriving cultural hub that has been promoting innovative theatre, art and cinema since the grand opening earlier this year. For the art-lover in your life, you can purchase a gift card to use in the whole building, or you can purchase a HOME gift subscription that includes a load of benefits including 10% off the food and booze bill, plus exclusive invites to meet artists and creative teams behind the art. If you're looking for a cheaper alternative, The People's History Museum offer a similar subscription service to use in their museum and cafe. Alte

It's cold, dark and rainy so what better way to spend these wintery nights than inside and curled up with a book? The John Rylands Library on Deansgate was recently named as one of the world's most beautiful libraries - but it's not the only stunning library tucked away in the city, so here's a look at seven places book lovers need to visit in Manchester. Portico Library Easy to miss if you've never seen it, the door for the Portico Library is tucked away on the corner of Mosley Street on the side of the Greek revival-style building. Once you have walked up the winding staircase, the library is waiting for you at the top. It may be a fraction of the size it used to be - most of the building is now The Bank pub - but it still holds accents of its past with beautiful dark leather seats in the private reading rooms. It's one of those places where you can imagine gentry puffing on their pipes, reading about the memoirs and findings of 19th century travellers. The library, which was founded over 200 years ago, was set up as a newsroom and made accessible to both men and women to read the shipped-in news as, back in the 1800s, this was the only place in Manchester where you could read London papers. Now it is subscription only but you can sit inside for lunch between 12-2pm Monday to Friday, or stroll around their temporary exhibition space which sits under a beautiful dome ceiling.  Manchester Metropolitan University's Special Collection  Hidden away from the hustle and bustle o

Manchester-set novel 'The Drowning of Arthur Braxton' is to be adapted into a film which will be made in the city after a Kickstarter bid by YouTuber Luke Cutforth recently reached more than £80,000 to fund the project. After releasing a few clues with the hashtag #whoisarthur and with the help of social media, the project has passed its original £75,000 target - with £10,000 going towards securing Victoria Baths, where the novel is set, as its prime filming location. The grade II-listed baths will be the backdrop for the scenes in which school runaway Arthur finds a naked woman swimming in the old deserted Edwardian building. This sensitive modern fairy tale depicts the trauma and pain of adolescence and features the baths as an integral part of the narrative. Cutforth on his Kickstarter page talks about how it would be a 'disservice' to the story if the film was shot anywhere else and would be worth every penny of the £10,000 hire fee. Victoria Baths have been a popular location for filming in recent years due to its relatively unscathed Edwardian interior, with scenes from BBC’s 'Sherlock Holmes' and 'Peaky Blinders' filed in the venue. As seen below on the 'Peaky Blinders' set, one of the baths was transformed into a horse fair by laying down wooden planks and filling the space with saw dust. An interview with production designer Grant Montgomery revealed that when looking around the building it reminded him of Horse of the Year shows, but they had to make sure that they

If you went to Domestic in 2013 you’d have seen a one-woman show set in a shower, an immersive theatre piece in a garage and a whole load of potatoes scattered across a kitchen floor. Organisers Word of Warning are back with Domestic II later this month, exploring immersive art in a three day site-specific performance event set in a tower block in Salford – Matthias Court is in the middle of being transformed from student accommodation into homes for affordable rent.  Domestic II explores the intimacy of conversation and the small-scale drama of domestic relationships while playing with the normal constraints of a traditional theatre setting. Poets Cheryl Martin and Louise Wallwein will perform across the three day event as well as 'anti- imperialist, anti-supremacist, anti-capitalist, anti-patriarchy' artist Ria Hartley. Also on the bill are Tin Can People with their immersive performance Audio Caff, which sees a 'traditional English café amplified, reverberated and delayed'.  Saturday promises to be a hive of activity with a five hour performance window allowing the public to walk in and out freely and experience the building as an innovative host to over ten artists. Joining them is queer and feminist performer Doris La Trine, whose past work has explored her recovery from bulimia though the personification of a toilet called Len.   Doris La Trine   With the unusual setting and some thought-provoking performances, Domestic II seeks to be a weekend of art not to be missed

We've all heard of rap battles but now there's a new scuffle in town with the microphones swapped for brushes and spray cans. The last Art Battle Manchester of the year celebrates street art culture; a section of the art community usually hidden amongst the shadows - but not any longer. In a venue that allows the use of spray paint, a whole new group of artists that normally decorate our streets are invited to the grade II listed building Hope Mill in September. Art Battle promises an energetic, live art experience with ten renowned artists going head-to-head, with a 400-strong audience deciding who wins. The art will be auctioned off with the proceeds going to the artists and the charity of Art Battle’s choice. Some of the participants announced so far are US tattooist Loren Fettermen, Manchester-based illustrator David Gee and artist Carlotta Allum. Allum, who admits to being a convicted drug trafficker, now uses her experience to change the lives of prisoners with art. More artists will be announced closer to the event date.  As Art Battle's reputation grows, so does its audience; tickets are being sold from all over the UK to witness these artists sweat it out in front of a rowdy crowd so whether you're wanting to see a car being sprayed up or you're just looking for a fun alternative night out, then Art Battle is definitely worth a go. Art Battle, September 26, 7-11.30pm, Hope Mill, Pollard Street, New Islington. Tickets £10. See more things to do in Manchester from Time