Take a city-break, in your own city…
It’s obviously a difficult time to get away at the moment. Foreign travel is unpredictable - all three of my summer trips have been cancelled. Simultaneously, British cottages and caravans have become very expensive, as seemingly everyone has been looking to have a ‘staycation’.
So why not explore your own city, as if you are a tourist?
Last year Manchester surpassed Edinburgh as the second most-visited city in the UK: even currently without our great music, nightclubs and football, there are lots of options beyond eating and drinking.
Here are my 5-top suggestions. These are just my personal preferences! I don’t get sponsored. If you feel there are any great places that should be included, or if you’d like to see a specific recommendation list, then please do send me an email.
1) Visit a Museum:
People’s History Museum.
Some of Manchester’s museums have partially reopened. These include the National Football Museum, Imperial War Museum, and our Museum of Science and Industry. Some of these now have restricted opening hours, and you will usually need to book in advance.
We recommend above all the People’s History Museum, which sits by the River Irwell on Bridge Street. It’s no surprise that the ‘national museum of democracy’ and ‘ideas worth fighting for’ is based in the region that gave the world the suffragettes, trade unionism, the co-operative movement, and Chetham's Library where Marx and Engels researched their communist manifesto.
Don’t be put off if that sounds heavy - the People’s History Museum includes art installations, dress-up kits, over 1500 historic objects, and the largest collection of Trade Union banners in the world!
2) Get Lost:
Castlefield.
When I visit a new city, the first thing I like to do is wander, look-up, get lost, and try to get a feel for what a city’s like today, and imagine how it might have once been.
If you want to get lost, there are a number of great starting points I’d recommend. You could explore the streets of the Gay Village, surrounded by enormous palatial warehouses, and perhaps stumble across our seated statue of Alan Turing. Or, there’s the Northern Quarter and Ancoats, with its high density of grade-listed buildings, and backstreets covered in street art.
I’d also recommend Castlefield. This area was the site of the original Roman fort (which has been partly reconstructed), the terminus for the Bridgewater Canal (the world’s first industrial canal), and it is where the world’s first passenger railway station was (part of which is still on display). So there are lots of great contrasts - including with the new neighbouring modern buildings - which show you the different stages of Manchester’s change.
3) Outside The Centre:
Levenshulme.
There are plenty of articles online about the quaint and now-gentrified suburbs of Chorlton and Didsbury. In these neighbourhoods you can find a water-park, The Edge Theatre, a vegan supermarket and plenty of hip coffee shops and restaurants.
Here though, I’d like to recommend the area of Levenshulme (AKA Levy). Often described as ‘up-and-coming’ (my Dad tells me it’s been called this since around 1997), it’s a crossroads of Mancunian culture and activity. Great takeaways and old-school boozers sit next to newer craft ale houses, and potentially Manchester’s best bakery ‘Trove’. And then there is Levenshulme Antiques Village. Located in a former Victorian town hall - even if you’re not looking for a bargain antique fireplace or cowbell, you’re sure to have a great time exploring this emporium of the weird and the wonderful. And finally, there is Levenshulme Market, which takes place on the 1st, 2nd and 4th Saturday morning of each month. With live music and DJs, local produce and street food, vintage clothes and quirky gifts - it’s genuinely a really lovely way to spend a few hours.
4) Shopping:
Affleck’s Palace.
Not Affleck’s pictured, but some of the great independent shops opposite Port Street (Northern Quarter).
I really hate shopping. Or do I? Perhaps I just hate shopping in places like the Manchester Arndale, and The Trafford Centre. Whilst these ‘malls’ have their place, there are many more interesting places to browse in Manchester.
There is Barton Arcade, housed in a beautiful Victorian iron and glass structure, with shops for high-fashion spectacles and vintage football kits. For more expensive shops - that are perhaps more for browsing than buying - there is New Cathedral Street, King Street, and The Avenue in Spinningfields.
But for the most interesting shops, you must venture into the Northern Quarter. Some of the most interesting independent fashion shops lie by Port Street. And, of course, there is Affleck’s Palace - or now officially known as ‘Affleck’s’. A Manchester institution since 1982, it is a maze of ever-changing eccentric shops, often acting as a springboard for new aspiring businesses.
5) A Walking Tour:
Free Manchester Walking Tours
I’m sure many of you, when you’ve visited other cities, will have enjoyed the ‘free tour’ with great companies such as Sandemans or Strawberry Tours. Well why not try Manchester’s answer to Sandemans, with Free Manchester Walking Tours.
Our tours are fun and interesting walking-adventures for visitors and Mancunians alike.
On the daily free tour, we tell the story of Manchester. There’s something for everyone, including history and architecture, football and music, politics and vimto. We’ll see all elements of Manchester, from canal walkways, palatial warehouses, backstreet street-art and underground tunnels.
The daily free Manchester walking tour begins at 11am from the Alan Turing Memorial in Sackville Gardens.
You do not need to book for our weekend tours (Friday/Saturday/Sunday). You can simply show up! For midweek tours (Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday) you can book by sending us an email: josh@fmwt.co.uk
The free Manchester tour works on a tips-basis: you can pay what you feel it was worth at the end.
We also run the Alternative Manchester Walking Tour, which focuses on the Northern Quarter. This is £10pp, and can be booked online: www.alternativeMCR.com
We also offer private tours that can be tailored to suit your interests. We’ve run tours for all sorts of groups including businesses, U3As, stag and hen parties, special interest societies, as well special treasure hunts and school visits. Private tours can be provided in other languages. To enquire, simply email: josh@fmwt.co.uk