There\u2019s a lot in Manchester! I have lived here for over 20 years, although I am not a local. I appreciate its compactness (in comparison to sprawling London!), the friendliness of its people, the richness of its intellectual and industrial history and the diversity of its cultural life. It possesses a youthful vibrancy which uniquely offsets it dull grittiness. An influx of 85,000 students spread across its four Universities does much to contribute to this.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s where I take people when they haven\u2019t been here before:<\/p>\n
This is an extraordinary neo-gothic building housing a remarkable collections of manuscripts, including an early fragment from St John\u2019s Gospel. The building alone is worth the visit, and the reading room is one of the most beautiful secrets of the city. Free entry.\n<\/li>\n
Whilst on the subject of libraries, a visit to Cheetham\u2019s library is also recommended. A medieval library in the heart of Manchester is hardly expected, and this one is important because it is where Engels spent much of his time in the City, sometimes sometimes meeting his friend Marx. They really felt the revolution would kick-off here! Free entry \u2013 but ask at the porter\u2019s lodge.\n<\/li>\n
A testament to more recent creativity in the city, this building in the central shopping district used to be the \u2018corn exchange\u2019 which lay at the heart of Manchester\u2019s cotton industry. Abandoned in the 1970s, it was decided to turn the space into a unique theatre-in-the-round in a kind of space-age \u2018pod\u2019. The theatre company of the Royal Exchange ranks as one of the leading companies in the country.\n<\/li>\n
The Castlefield district provides a breathtaking glimpse of Victorian engineering, with its giant Viaducts weaving their way over the Bridgewater canal, the world\u2019s first industrial canal. Now there are plenty of places to eat and drink, and the canal walks provide a very different view of the city.\n<\/li>\n
Next to the canal is the building complex of MOSI which includes the world\u2019s first passenger railway station building for the Liverpool to Manchester railway. The museum is very large. There are frequent talks and demonstrations of the machinery (the Power Hall is thrilling \u2013 great for cyberneticians with some remarkable governing mechanisms on display!) Free entry.\n<\/li>\n
This is Manchester University\u2019s museum, which includes extensive anthropological collections, Egyptian collections, natural history and a vivarium. Free entry.\n<\/li>\n
This is my favourite gallery in Manchester. Also belonging to Manchester University, it contains a remarkable collection of watercolours, textiles and wallpaper. Don\u2019t be fooled by the Victorian cladding of the building. The inside is a Scandinavian-styled open space with lots of wood and clean lines. Currently undergoing expansion and so not quite as much on display as usual, it always manages to surprise the visitor. Free entry.\n<\/li>\n
Perhaps more \u201cstandard fare\u201d for a city gallery: famous for pre-Raphaelite art. Personally I prefer Liverpool\u2019s Walker Gallery \u2013 but don\u2019t let me put you off \u2013 it\u2019s free.\n<\/li>\n
The Imperial War Museum North is in a remarkable building designed by Daniel Lieberskind representing a \u2018fractured globe\u2019 situated on the banks of the Manchester Ship Canal. It has some fascinating objects, and although the museum is not large, it has a powerful trick up its sleeve. Every half-hour, the exhibition space is blacked-out and a giant audio-visual presentation is given on different themes, projecting images on the asymmetric walls of the building. The immersive effect is unforgettable and slightly disturbing. To get there, take a tram to \u2018Media City\u2019. Free entry.\n<\/li>\n
To me, this is what Manchester is all about. The socialist movement began here. The Labour party has its roots here. The battle for equal rights for women came from here. Industrial revolution went hand-in-hand with social revolution. Free entry.\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Highlights of Manchester There\u2019s a lot in Manchester! I have lived here for over 20 years, although I am not a local. I appreciate its compactness (in comparison to sprawling London!), the friendliness of its people, the richness of its intellectual and industrial history and the diversity of its cultural life. It possesses a youthful … <\/p>\n