Winter in New York: tips for a great holiday

This week family festive extravaganza Silcock’s Winter Wonderland opened for the 2021/22 Christmas season at EventCity in Manchester, and we were lucky enough to be invited along as guests to review...

Silcock's Winter Wonderland is organised by Kingpin Events, who are back in charge after a 3 year break, and EventCity is an ideal location, right beside the M60, 3,000 free car parking spaces outside, and with tram and bus links nearby... 

The building itself is massive, with high ceilings and plenty of space for over 50 rides and attractions under 1 roof.  EventCity is right beside the Trafford Centre, so it's also handy if other people in your party would also like to go shopping...

I home cook a lot, and I use a good variety of different seasonings for different meals. Schwartz asked me if I'd create some dishes using my favourite seasoning from their extensive range, and as I use it in potato dishes, pasta dishes, curries, stir fries, barbeques, mayonnaise dips, chilli and a host of other meals, I chose Smoked Paprika.


I love Smoked Paprika because it adds depth of flavour and a little heat to your dish really easily, as well as adding colour, throughout the food, or sprinkled over the top. It's ridiculously versatile. It goes very well with potatoes, pasta, rice, beans and vegetables, as well as your protein - chicken, fish, or a substitute. Just don't burn it, or it'll taste bitter. Unless you are roasting, add it during cooking or afterwards...

Last weekend we were invited over to Media City in Manchester to try out the recently installed Manchester Ice Rink. A temporary ice rink set up as part of the Winter Village at Media City, it's completely under cover and family-friendly, with plenty of seating and space for spectators.


Manchester Ice Rink is very easy to get to, a couple of minutes walk away from the Media City Tram Stop. You can see it on the right hand side, just before your tram pulls in.


When you go inside, the ticket office is to the left, and the Retreat bar area is to the right, with lots of benches for changing footwear in the middle. It's a really big space and wasn't at all cramped, even though loads of people were changing at once. It is understandably noisy though.

Winter is approaching fast and the zero temperatures mean a change of clothes. Some of the best ways to keep yourself warm are by wearing sensible shoes and layers, and fabrics have become so clever that this is far more comfortable than ever before...