Hi Rik - I don't know a lot about these, but I would have thought Manchester was too far north for them to survive without some sort of protection, like fleece. This winter has been pretty hard again and now we've got this drying wind too - not good for any plants really. Try and have a look right in the middle of the plant to see if there is any sign of green where the new leaves grow out from. Otherwise, it might just be a case of wait and see if they send out new growth in the spring. Good luck...

It sounds as if the planters have been frozen Rik...it would have been safer to have protected the pots or planted the palms in the ground. The other thing is to tie the branches up around the crown of the plant....they do this in the mediteranean regions from October to March....it protects the crown from the winter winds. Deep in the stem of the palm is water which keeps the palm alive during the hottest driest months. It could be that this has frozen.