The author seems so conflicted about her roots.
Seems like a nice enough place.
Don’t know anything about it, have never been there, but I have a friend who lived there for a while (>6 months, <1 year) and grew to hate it. She moved to Bristol and was really happy there, so happy that for a while she appeared to be thinking about going back to the UK as soon as she could arrange it. I still wouldn’t be surprised to see her head back there in the next two years.
I’m not sure exactly what it was about Manchester that got to her, but she was very unhappy there.
I really dislike Manchester. Unfortunatly, my boyfriend wants me to live there. (I finish uni a year before he does. He goes to… you guessed it! Manchester university.)
I just spent the weekend in Manchester. It only served to remind me how much I dislike the place. I feel unsafe there, and nothing seems to work there.
I worked in central Manchester for 3 years about a decade ago. It wasn’t that bad, apart from my office being in Chorlton Street, adjacent to the red light district near the Bus Station. I was regularly proposition by prostitutes (“Do you want business, luv?”) on my way to work at 08.00 - who the hell wants sex at that time of the morning? - and again on my way home at 17.00, often by the same woman.
Apart from that, and the small matter of the Arndale Centre bomb in 1996, Manchester had a lot going for it. A huge number of pubs serving decent local beers (Boddingtons, Robinsons, Lees, Hydes, Holts etc), good transport, good shops, good hospitals if you needed them, reasonable tolerance towards homosexuals. And the Moors weren’t too far away if you wanted to escape the city.
Not too hot in summer, not too cold in winter. Rain, yes, but not excessive. Friendly locals. Some really dodgy bits but if you didn’t go there you were OK. Far too many students, though (Paul Calf).
I lived there for four years. I’d love to go back.
Sure, it’s dirty, it’s rainy and grey, the bus system is dreadful and the trams overpriced, I got mugged three times, Manchester Council is thoroughly incompetent, there’s serious problems with racism in areas, parts of the nightlife are truly scary…
But…it’s a fantastically fun, friendly, lively, self-deprecatory yet proud, community-minded place.
One person I know who’s local summed it up simply - “after three months in Manchester, you’ll either run away screaming, or you’ll never leave.”
Well i’ve neve been in Manchester itself more than driving through but my Grandma lives in greater Manchester, well Bolton and bolton has always seemed a great place to me.
Never lived there but i’ve had to spend time there on business on multiple occasions.
I have to say that its one of the few places up north that i haven’t liked - the transport was crap and i found the people to be seriously unfriendly and downright condescending.
Your mistake was probably to admit being from London Village 
Bolton is great - the bit I live in anyways.
I used to live in Manchester (Whalley Range) and it was ok, nothing special. Also used to live on Salford Quays - that was quite good. On the whole I like Manchester. Good nightlife, lots of shops.
Just remembered - the endearing way that the letter C on the street signs for Canal Street, where there is a concentration of gay bars etc, was crossed out …
Last time I saw it, the sign was still there. :rolleyes:
Actually i think that was pretty much it. And i thought it was us Londonners who were meant to have the superiority complex. :rolleyes:
Too many liam and noel galagher types. Not to mention Man-U fans. eugh.
Nahh, I bet it’s nice to live there. I’ve been a couple of times. But I don’t like that accent many of the younger manchunians have.
And doesn’t Bernard Manning live there? I wouldn’t want to be in the same county as him.
I adore the place. It’s a perfect size for a city, IMHO. The architecture is often stunning (ok, it’s not to everybody’s taste, but I love the Victorian stuff in particular), it’s the birthplace of some of the world’s best music, I love the people (mostly), the weather is exactly as weather should be…
Maybe it’s a case of romanticising the place of your childhood, but I’m passionate about the place, as a city and as an area. My favourite place in the world used to be a bench in Albert Square, where I would sit and look at the buildings and watch the people go by. There are a hundred places around the city so dear to me, and when I went back into town days after the bomb hit I was shocked at how affected I was.
It will always be home to me, no matter where I am.
*slogan on a t-shirt c.1989. It was funny the first 3 times, honest.
I GET TO BE THE FIRST ONE TO DO THIS!!!
“Oh, Manchester, England, England~
Across the Atlantic Sea!
And I’m a genius, genius!
I believe in Gaawwwd!
And I believe that Gawd
believes in Claude~
that’s me! that’s me! that’s me! that’s me!”