I have written about my love for Vietnam, Las Vegas and New York on several occasions. I have even written about my experience in St Louis and compared it to my own home town. But I have never actually written about my city of birth: Manchester.
Manchester will always be home to me. No matter where I travel to or where I may live in the future, Manchester will always be the place I was born and raised and will therefore forever hold a special place in my heart.
In the wake of the UK riots last week, Manchester was one of the cities which were displayed in a bad light in world press coverage due to a small group of angry and unprovoked individuals. It is publicity like this that deters international visitors from experiencing certain parts of the world and invokes snap judgments about the inhabitants of an area. I wanted to write a post that showed how friendly, welcoming and downright wonderful Manchester is and to encourage people to visit the city at least once during their travels in Britain.
We have the second largest shopping centre in Europe.
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| The Trafford Centre – Photo: Steve Fareham |
It may not be Milan. It may not be Paris. But it’s bloody big. And full of fabulous shops and grand marble staircases, statues and water fountains. Plus, if you’re lucky enough to catch him on a workday, there’s a little bear that drives around in a red car singing for your entertainment. Add to this the fact that there are more restaurants, cafes and bars than you could shake a stick at, a mini golf course, LaserQuest, bowling and cinema all packed in there too and it’s pretty much guaranteed to give you a great day out. Not really for the budget travellers this one, as the temptation to spend will probably overcome you.
We play host to a Christmas Market big enough to rival some of Europe’s finest.
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| The Town Hall Santa Claus – Photo: Alan Heardman |
I cannot stress how much I love the Christmas Markets. They have grown so much in popularity over the last several years that they now pretty much cover the whole of the city. Stallholders travel over from Germany, Austria, Italy, France, Spain and the Netherlands to set up wooden huts and tents and sell their produce for a month in the run-up to Christmas. Never has a year gone by without me heading down there for a glass of glühwein (hot mulled wine that comes in a variety of flavours) or to grab a bratwurst, flamküchen or waffle. The atmosphere (particularly at weekends) is wonderful and there is usually some live music provided in some form by local buskers or a singing moose (see video below for enlightenment) which just adds to the atmosphere. If it starts to snow while you’re there, particularly in the evening, you’re in for a treat.
We are home to one of the world’s most famous football clubs
Come on, City, you know I’m not talking about you. Sorry. You can go to the furthest corner of the world and still find a Manchester United fan lurking somewhere wearing an old replica scarf. I have lost count of the amount of times I’ve been abroad and a local has asked me where I’m from, only to reply with “Ahhh, Manchester United!” supplemented with a big grin. My Dad even once engaged a poor tuk-tuk driver in Thailand in a lengthy discussion about defenders after he exclaimed that he was a fan, probably to the confusion of the driver, who had in all likeliness only heard of Wayne Rooney and Eric Cantona. But still, it’s cool to be part of something so universally well-known. And just to clear up any confusion – yes, I am a Red.
Some of the best singers, actors and comedians in the country (if not the world) have come out of our fair city
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| Oasis – Photo: freschwill |
There’s a little-known band called Oasis who were born and raised here. But I personally don’t think they’re going to hit the big time. Having said that, if you live in Manchester, you are guaranteed to hear at least one Oasis song on a night out, if not several. We’re not stuck in a time warp, honest. We just really like Champagne Supernovas *ahem*.
We were also the birthplace of the famous Hacienda nightclub (think of the film “24 Hour Party People”), as well as comedians such as Peter Kay, Johnny Vegas, the actress Victoria Wood, the supermodel Agyness Deyn, the boxer Amir Khan, the opera singer Russell Watson and probably the biggest and most famous….Sir Ian McKellan.
And as if all that wasn’t enough, we also have some amazing architecture, museums, fabulous restaurants, bars, nightclubs, shopping, beautiful parks, a canal and last but not least……friendly Northern charm. What more could you want?
I am proud to be from Manchester. I love my city and I love the people that live here. When I travel, I travel with the pride of my roots. I hope many other people can say the same.
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