Inflight Magazine of Brussels Airlines

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United Kingdom : Manchester - November 2007

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Manchester’s a great place to go if you want to forget those wintertime blues. You might need to wrap up carefully before you venture out, but the welcoming locals and electric nightlife will ensure you feel warm inside. Michael Scott makes a start on his Christmas shopping, gets distracted, and ends up on the dancefloor

Getting around

Manchester Airport is 15km from the city centre.

Train: During the day there are seven direct trains an hour to Manchester Piccadilly, which take 20 minutes. The service operates less frequently at night. Many trains also stop at Deansgate and Oxford Road. Tickets cost about €4/£3.
Taxi: A taxi from to the city centre costs about €25/£20. The journey generally takes between 20 and 30 minutes.
Tourist information: The main office is in the Town Hall Extension Building, Lloyd Street (tel. , visit manchester.com).

Trafford Park

A decade ago, all that Trafford Park had to offer was a football ground and a cornflake factory. How things have changed...

Culture vultures – If shopping’s not your bag, sneak off to the Manchester United Museum and Tour (Sir Matt Busby Way). You can peek at the dressing rooms and sit in the dug-out. Also make time to visit The Lowry Centre (Pier 8, Salford Quays). Alongside the two theatres, you’ll find a gallery housing both original Lowry works and some fresh local pieces.

Must eat – If you’re taking in a show at the Lowry, dine at the Terrace Restaurant (Pier 8, Salford Quays, tel. ). You can even pop back for dessert during the interval.

Shop til you drop – The Trafford Centre (M60 Junction 10) is one of the UK’s largest shopping centres. You’ll find everything you need under it’s gigantic domed roof – it’s packed with big-name designers and high-street favourites.

Deansgate

The latest addition to Manchester’s skyline is the striking Beetham Tower, a 47-storey man-made glacier that dominates Deansgate. In its shadow, you’ll find some great places to eat, drink and shop.

Sleep soundly – For spectacular views, check into the Hilton (Beetham Tower, 303 Deansgate, tel. , hilton.co.uk/manchester, rooms from €151/£104). Up on the 23rd floor, the hotel’s bar has a vertigo-inducing glass floor. If heights aren’t your thing, catch forty winks at the elegant Radisson Edwardian (40 Peter Street, tel. , radissonedwardian.co.uk, rooms from €167/£115).

Must eat – Panama Hatty’s (43a Brown Street, tel. ) does great value Mexican food while Dmitri’s (Tunman Street, tel. ) serves fabulous tapas.

Shop til you drop – Once you’ve hit the shops on King Street and Exchange Square, head straight to Andrew Collinge (11 Chapel Walks), whose chain of hairdressing salons are widely acknowledged to be the best in the north-west.

Northern Quarter

Manchester’s thriving Northern Quarter has been alternately described as ‘quirky’, ‘bohemian’ and ‘alternative’.

Must drink – As the evening draws in, move onto the sci-fi themed TV21 (10 Thomas Street). The bar’s crammed with space-age memorabilia – look out for the Dalek and the space shuttle nose cone. Odd Bar (30-32 Thomas Street) is equally… well… odd, but has a good range of beers and a lively atmosphere.

Shop til you drop – For everything from fashion accessories to fetish gear, explore Affleck’s Palace (52 Church Street). The area’s also got several great record shops like Vinyl Exchange (18 Oldham Street).

Piccadilly

Piccadilly is Manchester’s main transport hub, making it a great base from which to explore the city.

Sleep soundly – If life’s become a whirlwind of planes, airports and hotels, why not try relaxing in one of Manchester’s many serviced apartments? Silverdoor (tel. , silverdoor.co.uk, apartments from €73/£50) offers a broad selection of boltholes.

Must drink – Kro Bar (1 Piccadilly Gardens) does a wide selection of Danish beers. Linguists will spot that ‘kro’ is actually the Danish word for ‘bar’. Everyone else will just enjoy the warm, continental atmosphere.

Dance the night away – The Warehouse Project (Shore Street) makes a triumphant return to Manchester this autumn. With some of the world’s top DJs spinning everything from hip hop to house, you’d be mad to miss it.

Compiled by Michael Scott