#Crueltyfree #vegan #Christmas fair at Cross Street Chapel #citydailyphoto

There is a great vegan Christmas fair at Cross Street Chapel M2, in Manchester CIty Centre today, next Friday 16th and Saturday 17th December. It runs from 11.00 am to 8.00 pm. 

Food and gifts such as books, jewellery, cosmetics, booze, craft, loose leaf teas, tote bags. Also some anti-cruelty campaigning groups. Pop in and buy something (entrance £1). 
I was there yesterday and recommend the lovely hot pot and dumplings, pictured above and the bookstore run by my new friend, Tony Tofu.

#SkywatchFriday : Will you find a neater street than Anita Street?

Symmetry, apart from the last of the leaves, can be found on Anita Street in Ancoats.

One for Skywatch Friday. 

I noticed this week that it's at the start of a current TV ad for Covonia cough syrup, complete with fake bus stop. the rest of the ad was filmed in Ancoats and Northern Quarter it seems.

The Met on Hilton Street #CityDailyPhoto #autumn

The last of the autumn leaves cling on outside The Met on Hilton Street. This 1930s building is one of my favourite apartment blocks in the city, as I may have said 5 years ago, back in 2011!

Winter Gathering on London Road #icerink #Manchester #CityDailyPhoto

Great to see the London Road Fire Station in use for some Christmas food, drink and an ice rink too. Yup, it's time for my annual Manchester ice rink photo!

Under standing Santa

Over the years I've shown you the Albert Square Santa Claus, a.k.a Zippy, from every angle: above, front and sides. Even in bits and pieces and reflected. This year I thought I'd go undercover for you in order to find a new take on a familiar theme :-)

Ok, I know he's sitting and not standing but I was lured by the pun in my title...

Taking part in Our World Tuesday.

#MondayMural: #Shaft by day and night #blaxploitation

This week's Monday Mural is of the John Shaft character from the 1971 film Shaft, currently on display on Tib Street. I'm unsure of who the artist is?

I should really watch see this American blaxploitation film at some point. I remember being impressed by the Isaac Hayes soundtrack when I heard it eons ago but t5hat was before I realised the film was exploitative.

Frost fair... unfair #CityDailyPhoto

The Frost Fair at Whitworth Art Gallery is on today (and yesterday). A nice, if small, collection of local craft makers and street food. Here's a section, it looked rather wintry in the park yesterday. Brass band and kids crafts inside as well. 

Meanwhile, the Spinningfields craft market is on today. I'm heading there just as soon as I've done some admin and baked a loaf of bread. 

After last night helping the homeless I have plenty of emergency foil blankets to give the dozens of frost-enduring homeless people in doorways and street corners on city streets along the way... It's a shameless society that we live in.

Bejouled slipper

Mancunian John Prescott Joule sits, looking bored, in the Town Hall. I've always liked the way the marble slipper looks like it's about to slip off with a quick flick of his toes.

Pi eyed in Alty

Altrincham has improved a lot around the old market place. I was there on Sunday and there were two new places we'll have to explore more fully: Portas tapas bar and The Con Club. 

I was also back there on Tuesday night for a drink at Pi (above) on another side of the square. Nice to see the busy bees of Manchester's famous Boddingtons Brewery on the wall.

#CityDailyPhoto #December Theme Day: Transitions

Transitions is the City Daily Photo Theme Day this month, which could actually apply to my blog. 

I am in the process of moving from marvellous Manchester to hipsterville Hastings on the south coast. I'll be back in Manchester at least a week a month though, even once I've gone! It'll be a couple of months yet. I'll start a new City Daily Photo blog from the south coast but will maybe post the occasional thing to Mancunian Wave as well. 

Here we have Manchester Cathedral and a Christmas fun fair and, on the right, Hastings Pier... Maybe it's also the ghosts of my 31 Christmasses past and present and the ghost of Christmasses future?..

Thanks to Tanya of Around Roanoke .. A Daily Photo Blog, for this month's theme.