The world’s first industrialised city, a city that
worships its sport and a metropolis that’s got a throbbing pulse rate,
Manchester has a list of epithets that try their best to define it. A day about
town, however abbreviated, is a fantastic way to get orientated to this dynamic
city, neatly tucked away in England’s northwest.
By Raul Dias
Manchester
Cathedral
If you happen to be in the city on a Sunday morning, prepare to hear the almost deafening tolling of this magnificent cathedral’s 10 bells during mass service. As the seat of the Bishop of Manchester and the city’s parish church, this gothic edifice is on Victoria Street, slap bang in the middle of the city centre. With its tall bell tower, stained-glass windows and intricately carved wooden benches and pews, the cathedral is one of the most beautiful in all of the UK. Interestingly, the cathedral has a church within a church, when it was discovered that the same spot housed a Saxon church dating back to 700AD. Today, all that remains of its previous avatar is an ‘angel stone’—a small carving of an angel with a scroll that’s been preserved with other minor relics of its past.
If you happen to be in the city on a Sunday morning, prepare to hear the almost deafening tolling of this magnificent cathedral’s 10 bells during mass service. As the seat of the Bishop of Manchester and the city’s parish church, this gothic edifice is on Victoria Street, slap bang in the middle of the city centre. With its tall bell tower, stained-glass windows and intricately carved wooden benches and pews, the cathedral is one of the most beautiful in all of the UK. Interestingly, the cathedral has a church within a church, when it was discovered that the same spot housed a Saxon church dating back to 700AD. Today, all that remains of its previous avatar is an ‘angel stone’—a small carving of an angel with a scroll that’s been preserved with other minor relics of its past.
Old
Trafford
Home to one of the world’s most iconic football clubs—Manchester United—since 1910, the equally popular Old Trafford football stadium is hallowed ground for all die-hard footie fans. But even if you’re not one, this stadium’s sheer volume, with a capacity to comfortably contain a whopping 74,994 people at any given time, will leave you speechless. Partially destroyed during the German blitzkrieg of December 1940, the stadium was painstakingly reconstructed to its original glory by an army of fans and supporters two years later. Today, on non-match days, one can purchase a spot on the many tours that the stadium has on offer. Now, here’s one piece of interesting Old Trafford trivia: they even allow fans’ ashes to be sprinkled on the pitch!
Home to one of the world’s most iconic football clubs—Manchester United—since 1910, the equally popular Old Trafford football stadium is hallowed ground for all die-hard footie fans. But even if you’re not one, this stadium’s sheer volume, with a capacity to comfortably contain a whopping 74,994 people at any given time, will leave you speechless. Partially destroyed during the German blitzkrieg of December 1940, the stadium was painstakingly reconstructed to its original glory by an army of fans and supporters two years later. Today, on non-match days, one can purchase a spot on the many tours that the stadium has on offer. Now, here’s one piece of interesting Old Trafford trivia: they even allow fans’ ashes to be sprinkled on the pitch!
The
Quays
Bestowing a certain, futuristic Venice-like cache onto a small section of Greater Manchester are the Salford Quays, 15 minutes by tram from Manchester city centre. Better known simply as ‘The Quays’ this is a great place to just ‘hang-out’ at. With everything from impromptu live theatre on the weekends in summer to trendy restaurants and high-end shopping opportunities, there’s a lot this modern waterfront development destination has on offer. Football and cricket fans can pick up merchandise from the well-appointed Manchester United and Lancashire County Cricket Club official superstores that can be found in The Quays.
Bestowing a certain, futuristic Venice-like cache onto a small section of Greater Manchester are the Salford Quays, 15 minutes by tram from Manchester city centre. Better known simply as ‘The Quays’ this is a great place to just ‘hang-out’ at. With everything from impromptu live theatre on the weekends in summer to trendy restaurants and high-end shopping opportunities, there’s a lot this modern waterfront development destination has on offer. Football and cricket fans can pick up merchandise from the well-appointed Manchester United and Lancashire County Cricket Club official superstores that can be found in The Quays.
Manchester
Museum
Done up in the neo-gothic style of architecture, this museum is a rare one. In that, it is one of the few museums in the world to be owned by a university. In its case, the University of Manchester which established it in 1888. With galleries that range from ancient and natural history to ones documenting Manchester’s remarkable industrial prowess, the museum showcases over four million objects. Acquired in 2004, Stan, the reproduction model of a fossilised Tyrannosaurus rex is one of the museum’s most popular exhibits, as is the relief of Pepi II from the temple of Menes and Isis in Qift, Egypt.
Done up in the neo-gothic style of architecture, this museum is a rare one. In that, it is one of the few museums in the world to be owned by a university. In its case, the University of Manchester which established it in 1888. With galleries that range from ancient and natural history to ones documenting Manchester’s remarkable industrial prowess, the museum showcases over four million objects. Acquired in 2004, Stan, the reproduction model of a fossilised Tyrannosaurus rex is one of the museum’s most popular exhibits, as is the relief of Pepi II from the temple of Menes and Isis in Qift, Egypt.
Northern
Quarter
With its profusion of quirky bars and restaurants, this boho-chic neighbourhood of Manchester—wedged between Piccadilly station and Victoria station—is where the hip-n-trendy Mancunians go to party. During the day, casual diners like Alabama’s All American Eatery offer great brunch deals, while at night the more sophisticated vibe of places like Cane & Grain and 63 Degrees kicks in. But it’s not all about food and drink here. The Northern Quarter has an excellent selection of art galleries, boutiques and salons to indulge at.
With its profusion of quirky bars and restaurants, this boho-chic neighbourhood of Manchester—wedged between Piccadilly station and Victoria station—is where the hip-n-trendy Mancunians go to party. During the day, casual diners like Alabama’s All American Eatery offer great brunch deals, while at night the more sophisticated vibe of places like Cane & Grain and 63 Degrees kicks in. But it’s not all about food and drink here. The Northern Quarter has an excellent selection of art galleries, boutiques and salons to indulge at.
National
Football Museum
Ensconced in a shimmery glass façade, this free museum located in Manchester’s city centre may be one of the city’s newest attractions having been set up only in 2012. But it’s fast gaining a reputation of being a repository of all things wonderfully football, spread over four floors. One of the most popular exhibits is The Global Game on level one that’s dedicated to world football and includes the ball that was played with in the first ever world cup final.
Ensconced in a shimmery glass façade, this free museum located in Manchester’s city centre may be one of the city’s newest attractions having been set up only in 2012. But it’s fast gaining a reputation of being a repository of all things wonderfully football, spread over four floors. One of the most popular exhibits is The Global Game on level one that’s dedicated to world football and includes the ball that was played with in the first ever world cup final.
Castlefield
Imagine being at THE place where the city of Manchester got its name? Yes, Castlefield is at the very heart of the city where the Roman fort of Mancunium once stood proudly in defence against the marauding Celtic tribe of the Brigantes. Today, this largely traffic-free artsy haven is where stressed out Mancunians go to wind down and chill out at. This, thanks to the fact that in 1982, the area was designated as the UK’s first Urban Heritage Park. Pop into the Castlefield Gallery, a contemporary art space that hosts works of both established and upcoming artists many of whom study at the Manchester Art School which partners with the gallery.
Imagine being at THE place where the city of Manchester got its name? Yes, Castlefield is at the very heart of the city where the Roman fort of Mancunium once stood proudly in defence against the marauding Celtic tribe of the Brigantes. Today, this largely traffic-free artsy haven is where stressed out Mancunians go to wind down and chill out at. This, thanks to the fact that in 1982, the area was designated as the UK’s first Urban Heritage Park. Pop into the Castlefield Gallery, a contemporary art space that hosts works of both established and upcoming artists many of whom study at the Manchester Art School which partners with the gallery.
Sea
Life Manchester
Line up at 10am outside its mighty doors and enter an aquatic paradise where you can spend an entire day being enchanted by the creatures of the deep. The aquarium plays host to over 5,000 species of sea life, ranging from great white sharks to the more benign-looking seahorses. As one of Sea Life Manchester’s newest attractions that was launched this year, Liar of the Giant Crab is where you can encounter the 3 meters-long Japanese spider crabs in all their spiny glory.
Line up at 10am outside its mighty doors and enter an aquatic paradise where you can spend an entire day being enchanted by the creatures of the deep. The aquarium plays host to over 5,000 species of sea life, ranging from great white sharks to the more benign-looking seahorses. As one of Sea Life Manchester’s newest attractions that was launched this year, Liar of the Giant Crab is where you can encounter the 3 meters-long Japanese spider crabs in all their spiny glory.
Heaton
Park
The perfect setting for a typically English picnic on a balmy day, this free municipal park is Manchester’s de facto ‘green lung’, if you may! With a coverage area of over 600 acres, the park houses an 18-hole golf course, a boating lake and even its own tramway circuit. And if you’re lucky, you can even find yourselves attending a free summer concert, movie screening or play on its greens as Heaton Park has hosted some open-air theatre productions including Shakespearean treats like Midsummer Night’s Dream and Macbeth in the recent past.
The perfect setting for a typically English picnic on a balmy day, this free municipal park is Manchester’s de facto ‘green lung’, if you may! With a coverage area of over 600 acres, the park houses an 18-hole golf course, a boating lake and even its own tramway circuit. And if you’re lucky, you can even find yourselves attending a free summer concert, movie screening or play on its greens as Heaton Park has hosted some open-air theatre productions including Shakespearean treats like Midsummer Night’s Dream and Macbeth in the recent past.
Museum
of Science and Industry
Perhaps one of the best places in all of Manchester that pays rich tribute to the city’s industrial past, is the Museum of Science and Industry (MSI). With no entry fee charged, visitors are free to have a wander around its many galleries that include the permanent Air, Space and Power Halls, the Revolution Manchester and the Textiles Gallery that tells you why Manchester also had another nickname in the 19th century—Cottonopolis. Interestingly, the MSI is housed in the same site where the world’s first railway station called Manchester Liverpool Road was located. What’s more is that, every weekend and public holiday, the museum offers you the chance to sit back and enjoy a short ride in a train lead by a good old-fashioned steam engine!
Perhaps one of the best places in all of Manchester that pays rich tribute to the city’s industrial past, is the Museum of Science and Industry (MSI). With no entry fee charged, visitors are free to have a wander around its many galleries that include the permanent Air, Space and Power Halls, the Revolution Manchester and the Textiles Gallery that tells you why Manchester also had another nickname in the 19th century—Cottonopolis. Interestingly, the MSI is housed in the same site where the world’s first railway station called Manchester Liverpool Road was located. What’s more is that, every weekend and public holiday, the museum offers you the chance to sit back and enjoy a short ride in a train lead by a good old-fashioned steam engine!
Detours
Beyond Manchester
Where About
64 km northwest from Manchester
Why While it may seem just like any other English sea side resort town with its salt water taffy kiosks and weather-beaten wooden board walk, Blackpool has a distinct charm of its own. Perfect for a day trip, this town that hugs the Irish Sea with all its might is home to the famous Blackpool Tower, the much more diminutive doppelganger of Paris’ grand Eiffel Tower. Also located on the sea-facing Promenade is the legendary Madame Tussauds with waxworks of famous British celebrities like Ed Sheeran and David Beckham. And if all that beach action simply isn’t enough, Blackpool has more. Pleasure Beach is one the UK’s most popular amusement parks with its two iconic roller coaster rides—Big One and Valhalla to get your adrenaline racing!
Why While it may seem just like any other English sea side resort town with its salt water taffy kiosks and weather-beaten wooden board walk, Blackpool has a distinct charm of its own. Perfect for a day trip, this town that hugs the Irish Sea with all its might is home to the famous Blackpool Tower, the much more diminutive doppelganger of Paris’ grand Eiffel Tower. Also located on the sea-facing Promenade is the legendary Madame Tussauds with waxworks of famous British celebrities like Ed Sheeran and David Beckham. And if all that beach action simply isn’t enough, Blackpool has more. Pleasure Beach is one the UK’s most popular amusement parks with its two iconic roller coaster rides—Big One and Valhalla to get your adrenaline racing!
Where
About 47 km southwest from Manchester
Why Replete with its black and white Tudor-style, half-timber buildings and cobblestoned walkways, the charming Roman town of Chester is the only completely walled city in all of Britain. Chester Cathedral with its medieval past and hundreds of years of history is the perfect orientation to this town with its Victorian organ and its mighty tower that you can climb via 200 steps. And speaking of towers, make sure to visit the Shot Tower, which is the only surviving tower of its kind that dates back from the 18th century, where lead shots for guns were made the old way by dropping molten lead from the top of the tower. A wonderful way to see Chester is by taking a Roman-style walking tour that’s led by a ‘Roman soldier’ who’ll regale you with spooky tales and even guide you on a boat ride down the River Dee that languidly courses its way through Chester.
Why Replete with its black and white Tudor-style, half-timber buildings and cobblestoned walkways, the charming Roman town of Chester is the only completely walled city in all of Britain. Chester Cathedral with its medieval past and hundreds of years of history is the perfect orientation to this town with its Victorian organ and its mighty tower that you can climb via 200 steps. And speaking of towers, make sure to visit the Shot Tower, which is the only surviving tower of its kind that dates back from the 18th century, where lead shots for guns were made the old way by dropping molten lead from the top of the tower. A wonderful way to see Chester is by taking a Roman-style walking tour that’s led by a ‘Roman soldier’ who’ll regale you with spooky tales and even guide you on a boat ride down the River Dee that languidly courses its way through Chester.
Where About
139 km north from Manchester
Why With its fecund natural beauty and bucolic surroundings, the Lake District is the perfect getaway from a city like Manchester into the lap of Mother Nature. Magical little towns like Windermere, Ambleside, and Bowness-on-Windermere have everything you’re looking for—from quaint English countryside cottages to tiny little gingerbread shops. No surprise then that the Lake District had such a profound impact of the works of literary greats like William Wordsworth and Beatrix Potter. In fact, celebrating the latter’s life and works is the wonderfully appointed The World of Beatrix Potter Attraction in Windermere where all your favourite characters like Peter Rabbit and Mrs Tiggy-winkle come alive in a picture-postcard-perfect setting that’s nothing short of magical.
Why With its fecund natural beauty and bucolic surroundings, the Lake District is the perfect getaway from a city like Manchester into the lap of Mother Nature. Magical little towns like Windermere, Ambleside, and Bowness-on-Windermere have everything you’re looking for—from quaint English countryside cottages to tiny little gingerbread shops. No surprise then that the Lake District had such a profound impact of the works of literary greats like William Wordsworth and Beatrix Potter. In fact, celebrating the latter’s life and works is the wonderfully appointed The World of Beatrix Potter Attraction in Windermere where all your favourite characters like Peter Rabbit and Mrs Tiggy-winkle come alive in a picture-postcard-perfect setting that’s nothing short of magical.
- By Raul Dias
(An edited version of this article first appeared in the July 2018 issue of Jetwings Domestic in-flight magazine of Jet Airways http://www.jetairways.com/EN/IN/jetexperience/magazines.aspx)
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