Let's hear it for Manchester.

I love Manchester, it's vibrant, friendly and fun. We live 12 miles from the city centre and for me, that's the best of both worlds, we can be in to Manc in half an hour (ok hours if it's rush hour) but have moorland and beautiful open countryside on our doorstep. Manchester has great social/political/economic history, art galleries, museums and theatres. I remember than bank Lona mentions, which is now a Jamie Oliver restaurant. I love Manc

WhenI'm I am glad you qualified what exactly you did while working on the corner of Canal street in Manchester! My mind was Boggling there for a moment.

We left the Greater Manchester area in 1977, looking for nicer pastures. We lived about 8 miles from the city itself, hubby was born and bred there, but I wasn`t, and I hated it. Where we are now isn`t perfect, but we wouldn`t ever want to go back to Heywood.

My school 'houses' were named after famous Mancunians: Peel, Dalton, Joule and Rylands when. I still remember how awed I was on my first visit to the Rylands library. When I was at Uni I used to get waitressing jobs at all the big hotels, including the Midland and now I think it would be quite nice to visit again as a guest.

Manchester born and bred and for many years I fell out of love with the city centre, after working on the corner of Canal Street (probation office and crown court). The back streets of town aren't so nice, but like many large cities it has a lot to offer. I like it now I don't go there as often. The galleries, museums and places like the Rylands library and Exchange theatre are fabulous. The Midland for afternoon tea is a treat - glass of madeira on arrival, background piano not stultifying conversation, no rush, wafer thin cucumber sandwiches. It's like therapy!

I was born there and as my mother is quite ill I'm going up there at least once a month at the moment to see her. It's a great place to visit and spend a few days. I love the tram system (extended just in time for me to catch the tram from my sister's house to my mum's on my recent visits) and can't believe how relatively cheap and accessible the public transport is. There are some wonderful theatres too and there's plenty going on in the city centre.
But, I am always glad to come home to my quiet and peaceful little town where I regularly bump into people I know and where I feel safe and comfortable.
A friend of mine visited Manchester for the first time recently and confirmed what I've been telling him for a long time; that, on the whole, Mancunians are extremely friendly. He said the people he met went out of their way to talk to him and be helpful.

Never been but its also on my list to visit when OH retires this year.

Only been there overnight for a conference but friends who wee at Uni there love to return and speak warmly of it. I should go and see for myself!

It's got some nice old bits. That come upon you unexpectedly.

I seem to remember it's got daytime drunks as well. And the trams/trolley buses sound like steam engines.

I'm a Manchester girl and I worked in a large city centre bank for ten years (it's now a Jamie Oliver restaurant!)
Then I was a police woman for a while, on the beat.
Manchester was a great place in those days, but now it's much too crowded for me, and too much walking about is involved usually.

Haven't been to Manchester for years but we used to love going up for Chinese New Year. My brother lived in Timperley at the time so we could visit whenever we wanted.

DS and DDiL used to live in Styal. Handy for the airport because DDil is a senior flight attendant but they've now moved over the border to Staffordshire.

Haven't been to many northern cities, just Manchester, Sheffield and York.

I lived in Manchester for about 2 years and now about 10 miles away for 48 years and I visit about every 2 years. I think that often happens to places on the doorstep.They are too familiar. Some lovely buildings though if you seek them out.

Having worked there for 15 years, I now rarely go into Manchester, except to the Royal Exchange Theatre with a coachload of U3A members. I have nothing against the city, but if I need to go shopping, there are closer and less congested places.

I have only been once, to a civil partnership ceremony. In the evening the happy couple took us ( about 30 people) to the Canal street area. It was a great time! x

Sunday lunch at the Midland Hotel - I used to make a point of getting to Manchester early if I was doing a Sunday gig there, just to go to the Midland for a real old-fashioned Sunday roast!

Only ever been to Manchester once but that was to visit a cousin on the outskirts but have never been to the city centre. It is on my list of places to visit. I would be interested to see if I like it as much as Liverpool which we have visited a few times and is a lovely city IMHO.

I used to go there frequently as my DD was at uni there but she now lives out in the country in Cheshire.

I no longer have to go there, so don't - see my post on the thread about London!

That would go down well in the Home Counties, Nik.

Never been but it's on my list - it looks like a great place.

Personally I think it would be a good idea if Parliament moved there. It'd be much more central to the whole UK and they could sell off Westminster for expensive flats and save the fortune it's going to cost to do the place up. (Building a lovely new edifice with the profits - like wot Scotland has)