My Manchester – I’m Mad For It by Sally Down

 However, my experience of living in Manchester has been very mixed. Of course living life as a student is completely different from being one of the great employed. The students are extremely well catered for in Manchester, in terms of Universities, transport, housing, pubs, clubs and shops. There are expensive designer shops on King Street for those with their image to consider as well as numerous pound shops and one of the biggest Primark’s in the UK (where I considered pitching a tent if only they’d let me).   

As in a lot of cities some of the best shops are slightly off the beaten track and worth the extra effort to find. If you are into vintage clothes then Rags to Bitches on Tib Street is a great place to find some one-offs without too much rummaging. Oxfam Originals is also a favourite with the fashion and socially conscious as it offers a selection of the charity’s retro and designer donations.  

 

Affleck’s Palace just behind Piccadilly Gardens is a unique shopping centre over four floors that is home to a collection of shops/stalls including vintage clothes, new clothes by undiscovered designers, funky jewellery and even a tattoo parlour. However, there have been talks earlier this year that this institution is under threat of redevelopment. This would be a great shame and if Manchester was to loose this iconic piece of its history it is in danger of becoming like every other city.   

From the middle of November to the middle of December a Christmas market takes place in the city centre, over several locations, mainly St Anne and St Albert’s square. This market is considered on of the best in Europe and many people flock there to get a few Christmas gifts or just to enjoy a glass of mulled wine and soak up the Christmas atmosphere.  

For those culture vultures out there a visit to the Manchester Art Gallery, the Imperial War Museum North, the Lowry or even the Museum of Science and Industry should be enough to satisfy your cultural urges. The Whitworth Gallery on Oxford Road is also worth a look as it has a good mixture of classic and modern pieces and isn’t a daunting size so you don’t find yourself walking around in endless circles.   

There are so many bars and clubs in Manchester that all tastes are catered for. Some of my personal favourites include Glass in Fallowfield (the student village) as it has a relaxed atmosphere with comfy sofas and an upstairs bar where they have great DJ’s and live music at the weekends. Tribeca situated just on the edge of the gay village is also a classy chilled out venue. This is an open plan space with a bar in the centre and booths and comfy sofas as well as a downstairs area ‘Bed’, where you can recline on full sized beds whilst listening to open mic night on Wednesdays. If you want to hang out with the crowd then Deansgate Locks is the place to be. Here you will find Loaf, Revolution, Baa Bar and Sugar Lounge all within stumbling distance of each other.  

In terms of clubs, Pure is a good all-rounder, situated in the Printworks with a 2,600 capacity and has two clubrooms, a chillout area and two VIP areas. An old favourite among Mancunians and students alike is the famous Sankeys which is a converted mill and is home to some superstar DJ’s playing house, dance and trance and is not for the faint hearted!  

Manchester truly is a multi-cultural buzzing city and since it housed the 2002 Commonwealth Games it has taken great pride in becoming one of the most popular cities in the UK. The people of Manchester are passionate about their city and even more so about their football!   

One thing is certain – I’m mad for it!  

By Sally Down

salgd84@hotmail.com