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There are two types of people in this world when it comes to Christmas: those who’ll happily put up their tree at Halloween (my sister-in-law) and those who refuse to speak its name before December 1 (bah humbug).

In this job, I don’t have much of a choice. I live and breathe the C-word from about August onwards, when tickets start to go on sale for festive events around the north west .

I’ve been lucky enough to cover dozens of them over the years, from established favourites like Christmas at Dunham Massey to newcomers like last year's Winter of Wonder at Jodrell Bank . I’ve tried just about every food stall at Manchester Christmas Markets and even did a stint as a Christmas elf at Manchester Arndale . Cut me and I bleed mulled wine.

But of all t

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