Over the weekend the skies over Greater Manchester were lit up as spectacular firework displays too place across the region ahead of the annual celebration on November 5.

There’s nothing like wrapping up warm and immersing yourself in the sights, sounds and smells of Bonfire Night. For families this weekend, it was a chance to enjoy the night sky glowing with pyrotechnics, while sparkles provided mesmerising fun on a smaller scale.

Bonfire Night is celebrated every year on November 5. Also known as Guy Fawkes Day, its history begins with the events of 5 November 1605, when Guy Fawkes was arrested while guarding explosives which had been placed beneath the House of Lords.

READ MORE: The best fireworks viewpoints in Greater Manchester for Bonfire Night

This year, Manchester City Council once again cancelled its public Bonfire Night events, which included the huge display at Heaton Park. Bosses blamed ‘rising costs’ and ‘pressure on budgets’ for the decision.

Because the way the dates have fallen this year, a number of bonfires and displays were held a little earlier than Bonfire Night (November 5). However, across Great Manchester there are still some events set to take place over the coming days - and on the big night too.

Here you'll find details on the fireworks displays and public bonfires taking place this week across Greater Manchester.

Stockport

The annual Woodford Community Centre bonfire and fireworks display will take place on Tuesday, November 5 with gates opening at 6pm.

The bonfire will be lit at 6.30pm, and the children’s display begins at 7pm. The main display will be at 8.00pm, with the event closing at 9.

Burgers, hot dogs, Thai food, wraps, soft drinks, tea and coffee will be available as well as the bar and a fairground. Organisers do not permit any personal fireworks (including sparklers) or alcohol to be brought onto the premises.

Tickets are available online - £10 for adults (16yrs +), £5 for under 16yrs, and family ticket (2 Adults and 3 under 16s) are available for £30. Under 3 years go free, and booking fee applicable.

Tickets can be bought here.

Chester Road, Woodford, Stockport, SK7 1PS

Rochdale

The local authority is bucking the trend of councils opting out of running bonfire night events with three separate ones across Rochdale, Heywood and Middleton. Just as last year, Bowlee Community Park, Queens Park Road and Cronkeyshaw Common will all be dazzled by pyrotechnics once again.

No booking is required for any of the events and they are all free to enter. Those planning to head to one of the organised displays have been urged by the council to walk or use public transport if possible due to limited parking availability.

Here is the details for each event planned for the borough:

As an added bonus for those who enjoy a fire-fuelled display, the end of November will also see Rochdale welcome a fire festival. The return of the spectacular Ignite Fire Festival is expected to spark excitement in the build up to Christmas.

Oldham

Oldham council may not be lighting a pyre this year, but they’ll still be putting on a party. The family-friendly town centre celebration will include ‘crafts and entertainment’ from 4-6pm, offers of food and drinks from local eateries and a fireworks display from 6pm.

Tuesday, November 5 - Oldham Town Centre

Free admissions, not ticketed. Accessible.

A fireworks display with a difference will take place in the city centre this Bonfire Night. Manchester’s Printworks is set to light up the city with a 'ground-breaking' series of digital firework displays.

On Tuesday, November 5, Printworks' digital ceiling - the largest of its kind in Europe - will transform into an 'immersive masterpiece', capturing the grandeur of a traditional fireworks show.

As part of the experience, families will be able to unwind in a cosy chill-out zone, complete with beanbags and blankets. From 5pm to 6pm, CBeebies’ presenter Nigel Clarke will host a special “relaxed hour,” sharing campfire stories with an option for children to listen through headsets.

Then, from 6-8pm, a DJ will take over with pop classics, and families can enjoy complimentary toffee apples and pick up free fibre optic wands while watching the spectacular digital fireworks. These treats will be available on a first-come, first-served basis, so guests are advised to arrive early.

27 Withy Grove, Manchester M4 2BS

This week sees the start of the Greater Manchester Foster Care Fortnight when we will be joining in with the rest of the region to raise awareness of the vital support our foster carers give to our children and young people and to thank them for the magnificent role they play in their lives.

Taking place Monday 4 to Sunday 17 November, the fortnight aims to encourage residents across all ten boroughs to foster with their local council. Throughout the two weeks, the Foster for Greater Manchester campaign will focus on dispelling fostering myths! Across their social media channels, they’ll be de-bunking some of the most commonly held misconceptions about fostering, including videos of existing foster carers and staff at the Greater Manchester Fostering Hub.

Across the fortnight, there are also a number of events taking place in all ten boroughs- from information stalls to Christmas light switch-ons, there’s plenty of opportunity for you to pop along to speak to members of our friendly fostering teams and find out more about starting your fostering journey.

Councillor Wendy Meikle, Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Education says, “Our foster carers play such an amazing role in our young people’s lives and there is no typical foster carer. We welcome people of all backgrounds, nationalities, religions, genders and ages. It's important that our foster carers come from a variety of ethnic backgrounds to reflect the diversity of the children and young people in care. We have more than 340 children and young people needing a foster home in Stockport. If you think you could foster and change a young person’s life please get in touch to find out more.”

Across the fortnight, there will be a number of events taking place and there’s plenty of opportunity for you to pop along to speak to members of our friendly fostering teams and find out more about starting your fostering journey and how you could become part of Stockport’s fostering community.

The following fostering information events are happening in Stockport:

You can follow our fostering service on Facebook, X and Instagram or visit our website or call us on 0300 303 0321.

It's been a tricky year for Manchester's food and drink scene. In the last few months alone we've said goodbye to some fine establishments including Simon Wood's city centre spot and Simon Rimmer's second Greens site in Sale.

They're not the only casualties of the last few years though, and this week's budget has been labelled a 'blow' to the sector that is still grappling with the aftershocks of the pandemic, Brexit and the cost-of-living crisis. But Manchester's restaurants, pubs and bars are resilient.

Just last week, Northern Quarter staple, Common, celebrated 20 years in business. And while it's not easy out there, operators plough on, keep adapting, and continue to come up with fresh new ideas. Last month for example, we welcomed a new burger takeaway from the team behind Almost Famous, dug into pizza slices at Detroit Slims and sampled tapas from Manchester's 'first' pintxos bar.

READ MORE: Top restaurant that serves smashed burgers with martinis to open in Manchester

This month, some hospitality veterans are keeping things fresh with new restaurant concepts using fire cooking, plus there's new foodie hangouts coming to Stockport, Oldham and Trafford. So, let's dig in with the latest restaurant and bar openings in Greater Manchester for November 2024.

The owners of a much-loved Northern Quarter staple, Trof, are set to open a brand new restaurant and cocktail bar on Manchester’s Bridge Street this autumn. Dishes will be cooked entirely over fire, while there’s also a standout French wine list and short selection of both classic cocktails and their own takes.

Using local produce, cooked simply using a custom-built grill from Firemade in Somerset and fuelled by locally produced wood and charcoal, guests can expect simple, delicious food in a laid back and welcoming setting. A small, regularly changing menu will revolve around a selection of meat and fish together with a thoughtful list of veg-centric sides and snacks.

62 Bridge St, Manchester M3 3BW

The boys at Trof are awfully busy this autumn as they prepare to not only open Stow but also The Trading Route over at the St John’s development next to Aviva Studios. Joining forces with Manchester Union Brewery and Monton’s Wandering Palate, it will offer a spread of hot chicken, cold beers and a selection of ‘upscale’ pantry items from the deli.

Operating from dawn to dusk, the new bar will boast a purpose-built rotisserie offering freshly carved crisp whole and half chickens along with porchetta, complemented by an array of pickles and dips. The menu has been designed by the Trof team, and other menu items will include focaccia, fresh salads and homemade sweets.

The Trading Route will double as a lager house for the Manchester Union brewery. Their lagers will be served using a continental-style pouring technique and presented in bespoke Tübinger glasses.

1 Goods Yard St, Manchester M3 3BP

Exciting news for Stockport foodies as Cantaloupe, a new, wine-focused restaurant opens this month. A neighbourhood spot serving up wine from small European producers and mostly Mediterranean dishes, the aim is to celebrate the regional cooking of the continent.

Founders and chefs Josh Reed-Cooper and Mike Thomas first met whilst working just up the road at the acclaimed Where The Light Gets In and have built up their experience in restaurants including Mana, Sterling, Tine and The Creameries. Inspired by the likes of Wtlgi, Yellowhammer and Runaway Brewery they’ve taken a punt on a unit by the former air raid shelters - and it’s fair to say Manchester’s food and drink community are particularly excited about this one.

71 Great Underbank, Stockport SK1 1PE

The London bakery continues its croissant-fuelled conquest of the North this month as it prepares to open its next branch in Greater Manchester. The bakery, which has gained a cult following for its fresh, handmade breads, pastries and cakes, will open in Sale on November 14 on the former Slater Heelis unit on School Road.

The chain, which first started life in London in the early 1990s, is now part of more than 140 different neighbourhoods across the UK, including sites in the city centre, Altrincham, Didsbury and Wilmslow.

It will be the second bakery for the chain in Trafford, following the opening of its Altrincham store in March last year on Shaw’s Road, next to Altrincham Market. As well as serving up its selection of baked goodies, there will be an eat-in area as well as a pantry and fridge selling jams, spreads, biscuits, cured meats, eggs and other fresh produce to takeaway. Another branch is set to open in Prestwich too, although an opening date hasn't been confirmed for that location.

Giovanni's, formerly known as Don Giovanni's, situated on Oxford Street near St Peter's Square, it set to reopen its doors after a three-month closure this November. Manchester's 'oldest independent restaurant' will return with an 'elegant' new refurbishment, freshly developed menu and new branding this November.

First opened in 1984, the restaurant is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year and the refurbishment will come as the venue looks to the future. It will reopen its doors on Saturday, 2 November.

In terms of the new food offering, the team have said that each culinary experience is designed to 'engage all the senses', from breakfast through to dinner. Dishes will span spicy nduja sausage on sourdough for breakfast, fresh pasta for lunch, and a carefully curated a la carte offer come evening.

1, Peter House, Oxford St, Manchester M1 5AN

The brothers behind popular Porta Tapas bars are about to take over the former Greens restaurant site in West Didsbury. Vegetarian restaurant Greens had been a mainstay of Didsbury life for over 30 years, before celebrity chef Simon Rimmer announced its shock closure in January.

Brothers Ben and Joe Wright say diners can expect "fresh, vibrant tapas and infamous good vibes" when they open the site this month. The double fronted site over the road from The Metropolitan pub has been completely refurbished.

Announcing the news a few weeks ago, they said: "Porta is well known for its super-authentic, flavour packed menu (everything is homemade to Joe’s exacting standards) served in a relaxed, totally informal environment. True to the ethos of the tiny Spanish bars that inspired it, Porta is ardently ‘no bookings’, but with an ice-cold sherry in hand, the occasional short queue is all part of the experience!"

41-43 Lapwing Ln, West Didsbury, Manchester M20 2NT

A long-awaited food hall is due to open its doors to the public this Friday (November 1). The Egyptian Room in Oldham will become the latest addition to the region's food market scene, promising a contemporary dining experience in the luxurious restored halls of the borough’s Grade-II listed town hall.

From tea time on November 1, up to 150 diners will be able to enjoy a choice of six eateries surrounded by beautiful vintage architecture ‘set to rival Mackie Mayor’ in Manchester city centre.

The restaurants include Manchester favourite Ply Love Pizza, Seacoles - a vendor promising ‘authentic Caribbean vibes and mouth-watering dishes’ - plus burger and Greek gyros experts, The Last Stop, along with Wings of Power and Tuk Tuk, an off-shot of the hit Cambodian restaurant Kambuja in Stockport. And for the sweet-toothed among us, another Stockport favourite, Sticky Fingers, will be on-site to offer an irresistible selection of cakes and pastries.

Unit 7, The Old Town Hall, Yorkshire St, Oldham OL1 1PA

Ok, so it technically opened in October, but it's worth mentioning that Manchester's 'first ever' sauna and ice bath cafe has recently opened its doors. The concept is inspired by the success of similar stores in Finland, Denmark, Taiwan and Japan, and the hubs are designed to bring people together through contrast therapy.

Kontrast Manchester sees the blend of high-tech saunas, ice baths, yoga with snacks, juices, teas and coffee all in one place. Tucked behind Angel Meadow Park, the venue will feature three high-tech saunas, including an infrared option, and three ice baths, each with varying temperatures to cater to different preferences.

Open Wednesday to Sunday, 6.30am to 10pm, Kontrast also offers a curated menu of healthy snacks, juices, teas, and speciality coffee from Blossom Coffee. The venue will host regular breathwork workshops, yoga sessions, and other wellness events, aiming to make wellness both accessible and educational.

A row is brewing in Stockport over plans for an 'eye-catching' block of flats expected to be given the green light.

Manchester-based firm Promised Way Ltd has submitted proposals to turn a Grade II-listed engine house built in 1877 into two properties, alongside building a block of 52 apartments on the land. Bosses behind the scheme want to bring the site back into use and create an 'eye-catching' development on a site to the south of Stitch Lane in Heaton Norris, close to the town centre, with the building designed in the shape of a cylinder.

The engine house was once used to transport goods at the height of the industrial revolution when Stockport took its place as a centre of industry in the north west. But today it is at the centre of the borough's housing dilemma, with a councillor left in "despair" that the plans do not include any affordable homes.

READ MORE: Shuttle buses could ferry guests to curry house in Stockport Pyramid amid traffic fears

The application has come up at a time when Stockport is facing major difficulty to create enough new houses to keep up with demand.

People on the housing register face a 12-year wait for a social home, and there are at least 8,000 who have put their names down.

One resident named Lucy Canavan told the Manchester Evening News this week that her family of five is stuck in a two-bed flat and has been waiting eight years for an appropriate house.

Others around the borough have been left living in similar 'overcrowded' conditions according to a report from Stockport Homes, a social housing provider which manages the council's housing.

The town hall's leadership has made the case for building new homes on brownfield land, and has plans to create 8,000 homes over the next 15 years.

But opposition councillors in Stockport say planning applications such as Stitch Lane are an "incredibly frustrating" example of the lack of affordable homes in the borough.

The council has also been criticised for the lack of a local housing plan, which it had to delay again this year after the new Labour government brought in new house building targets for town halls.

At the Heatons and Reddish area committee on Monday (October 28), Coun Claire Vibert shared her frustration over Stockport's housing problems.

She said: "We've got a relatively large application here and there's no affordable housing proposed within it.

"It's a feeling of despair really that we're in the situation that we're in, with the housing crisis that we've seen reported in the press in our borough, and we're looking at an application here that isn't going to meet the needs of Stockport's residents."

Council officials said there are plans to include a section 106 agreement as a condition of the application - often used to ask developers to make contributions to affordable housing or other facilities.

But they added that the chances of getting that are doubtful because of the "substantial" cost of developing the homes.

The application will be decided by the council's planning committee and is recommended for approval by town hall officers.

Plans to expand the huge regeneration work in Stockport with thousands more homes have been approved by Andy Burnham.

The Greater Manchester Mayor gave his blessing to triple the area of work in the town centre during an event to mark five years of Stockport's Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC) on October 29.

The decision will create a total of 8,000 homes in the town over the next 15 years, double the previous target, and include the re-development of a 280-acre site known as Stockport town centre east.

READ MORE: Shuttle buses could ferry guests to curry house in Stockport Pyramid amid traffic fears

More shops and food and drinks venues are in the pipeline for the town's future, as well as space for businesses and infrastructure, and new schools and healthcare facilities.

The move follows on from major work that has taken place in recent years as part of a £1bn regeneration of the town centre, creating a new transport interchange, the Stockport Exchange business hub based around the train station, and green spaces such as a new public park.

Mr Burnham, who used devolved powers to set up Stockport MDC in 2019, said: "We're the first that I can think of to come up with a plan for how to regenerate a proud English town."

He added that the work taking place in Stockport will help "to change many other [towns] across the next decade."

The MDC's interim chair Eamon Boylan told the Manchester Evening News (M.E.N) the 8,000 new homes are a mixture of town houses and apartments, and that around 30 percent of these - 2,400 - will be classed as "genuinely affordable."

Mr Boylan admitted that the number of affordable homes "may not be ideally enough," but said the plans have to be "realistic in what we can deliver."

Council leader Mark Hunter said expanding the town's regeneration work is a "crucial step" in Stockport's ongoing transformation.

The town can offer residents the chance to live a short train ride from Manchester city centre but pay "a fraction of the cost" for properties, he explained.

Mr Hunter added: "This expansion will allow us to speed up the delivery of much-needed homes and build on the incredible progress we've already seen.

"We're more confident than ever in our ability to deliver 8,000 new homes and create a Stockport that stands out as a leader in town-centre living, benefiting everyone who lives, works, or visits here."

Stockport Labour deputy leader Christine Carrigan welcomed the widened regeneration plans, but said they have to make sure local people are not left behind.

Social housing is a major issue in the town, which has a 12-year waiting list and its main social landlord Stockport Homes currently under review after criticism from councillors over issues such as the speed of repairs.

Fears are also growing over the rising cost of renting in Stockport, and whether the town can remain affordable to residents from the area.

Coun Carrigan told the M.E.N: "I see the benefit [of the plans], but I question what benefit the regeneration in Stockport has had for Stopfordians such as the people living in Hollywood Towers and on Castle Street in Edgeley.

"One of the driving forces why I became a councillor is that I do not know if my kids will have the opportunity to stay here. We are effectively being priced out of the borough.

"I’m in favour of more housing, but I will be much more concerned that anything that goes on in my ward is done for my residents rather than to them, so they can feel the benefits of regeneration in the town centre in places such as Brinnington and the estate on Hillgate that feel left behind."