Information about Manchester
Facts | Shopping | Places Of Interest | Things You Must Do | Eating Out | Nightlife
The Mancunians (name for the locals) pride themselves on being friendly and helpful. It is widenly regarded that people up north are much more friendly than those down south.
Facts About Manchester. Second biggest city in England after London. Manchester has a large Asian community, who have been very successful in bringing their culture and food to England. According to Food Service Intelligence the most popular national dish in England is 'Chicken tikka masala'.
Information for airline crew: When arriving in Manchester airport head for the 'crew channel'. Make sure your ID card is visible for inspection, then after collecting all your baggage proceed through customs.
Crew Allowances:
Tobacco: 200 cigarettes or Cigarillos 100 or Cigars 50 or smoking Tobacco 250 gm's. Alcoholic Beverages: Any beverages with strengths over 22% volume - 50cl or 1 litre when less than 22%. Or 1 Litre of fortified/sparking wines. Or still wines (other than fortified wines) 2 Litres. Perfume - 60cc/ml.
Those airline crew who exceed this allowance will be heavily fined.
Shopping in Manchester is without doubt a shoppers dream. In a recent study, Manchester was found to be the UK's second most popular location for fashion retailers outside London. During your shopping experience, crew will find such a large selection of choices each offering the highest standards of products and services, all served with a typically Mancunian touch.
Airline Crew staying near the airport, will have to journey out to find the best shopping locations. Buy a train ticket for Piccadilly station, this train ride will take you to the main shopping centre for the North West of England, called the 'Manchester City Centre'.
The prime retailing area is based around the pedestrianised Market Street and one of Europe's largest shopping malls, the Arndale Centre. You will find most of the major 'chain stores' here. Not far from Market Street is Deansgate, King Street, St Ann's Square and the Victorian Barton Arcade. This is where you can find top names in high fashion such as Armani, Boss, Vidal Sassoon, Westwood and DKNY.
The Northern Quarter is stacked full of independent shops. During your layover you must visit and experience the famous Afflecks Palace, which is a multi-storey market inside a wonderful historic building. Here you will find many fashion stores, second hand treasure troves, clubbing outfitters, hair salons, record stalls and cafés - you should be able to grab a bargain. The Quarter also boasts the Manchester Craft and Design Centre, the former Smithfield Victorian fish market that houses two floors of shops ranging from jewellery, ceramics and textiles to furniture and clothing design. Located just behind Debenhams on Market Street.
Another shopping choice is the 'Trafford Centre', opened in September 1998, this enormous shopping mall has over 280 shops. Here you will find other facilities all under one roof, which includes cinemas and restaurants. Crew who are staying near the airport, get some of your colleagues together and hire a taxi, it's only 20 minutes away.
Some free attractions in Manchester: The Lowry, Imperial War Museum and Manchester Art Gallery are just some of the freebies you can do. Castlefield often has live street entertainment and music, particularly in the summer. And if the footy's on you can watch live on the big screen in Exchange Square.
MANCHESTER UNITED FC
Immerse yourself in the history of the world’s most famous football club, arguably the most popular football club in the world, with over 330 million supporters worldwide; 5% of the world's population. Experience the magnificent trophy room and enjoy the atmosphere inside the ‘Theatre of Dreams’.
The stadium is located approx. 3.5km South-West of the city centre.
Metrolink: Station 'Old Trafford'
THE TRAFFORD CENTRE (SHOPPING)
Enormous shopping mall has over 280 shops. Here you will find other facilities all under one roof, which includes cinemas and restaurants. Get some of your colleagues together and hire a taxi, it's only 20 minutes away.
CANAL STREET
Canal Street is spiritual home of gay Manchester. You will find it stylish and full of very dishy men and women. Clubs to try, Velvet (don't miss the fabulous fish tank in the staircase) or AXM, perfect for whiling away the hours sipping chic cocktails. Or perhaps you fancy reclining the night away on a bed (yes, a bed) at the uber-trendy Tribeca. Good night out for both straights and not.
DEANSGATE LOCKS
One of the most popular areas of Manchester at night. The railway arches under the G-Mex Metrolink station are now the home of several bars including Loaf, the Sugar Lounge, Fat Cat Café, Baa Bar, Revolution and the Comedy Store.
Deansgate train station is just across the road.
Manchester has a large diversity of cultures, which makes it a great place to eat out. No matter what sort of cuisine you're looking for, you'll probably find it here. You can choose any kind of cuisine from African to vegan food. Scattered around the city centre you will find expensive restaurants owned by chefs such as Gary Rhodes, Paul Heathcote and Marco Pierre White.
RUSHOLMES CURRY MILE
If you love 'Indian currys', then get together with your colleagues and tell any taxi driver to take you to Rusholme's 'Curry Mile'. This area attracts 15,000 diners every week all enjoying the best currys in all of Britain.
CHINATOWN
Excellent Chinese food can be eaten in one of the many restaurants in Chinatown, the area is behind Picadilly Gardens.
One of Mancunian's favourite pastimes is to have a Pub lunch, most will offer good daily menus that you can enjoy with a pint of Boddingtons bitter (named cream of the north).
Also look out for the famous Harry Ramsden's Fish & Chips and order a large portion of fish and chips. If you happen to be hungry after you're experienced the exciting nightlife of Manchester, you can always grab a cheap kebab on your way back to the hotel.
Difficult-to-get-into Manchester venues our the Cocoa Rooms and the Sugar Lounge (at opposite ends of Deansgate). Also on the list is Cloud 23, halfway up the Hilton / Beetham Tower (also Deansgate), which limits numbers for safety.
No other city can rival Manchester's unique mix of laid back late night bars, live music venues or its eclectic mix of dance, indie, pop and alternative clubs. One of the most popular areas of Manchester at night is Deangate Locks (strip of bars and clubs built into railway arches and sat alongside a canal). The railway arches under the G-Mex Metrolink station are now the home of several bars including Loaf, the Sugar Lounge, Fat Cat Café, Baa Bar, Revolution and the Comedy Store.
BAA BAR
Very popular bar, their speciality is shooters, of which there are far too many varieties to mention. They're lethal but a lot of fun and ultra cheap. Dont drink to many, as you will suffer badly. Nothing worst than a bad head on a plane. Glitter–balls on the ceiling, which could fool you into thinking that every night is disco night. Sunday is gay night.
Manchester city centre Deansgate Locks
"Try these nightclubs on your next layover".
BOOGALOO @ LABEL
Label, is a the trendy bar cum club found on Deansgate. They recently launched 'Boogaloo' which runs every Friday night. Upstairs you've got beats, with deep and funky house grooves to carry you into the weekend, whilst downstairs in the club space you'll find DJs playing club and dance floor grooves from the 70s up-to the latest tunes.
(0161 833 1878) Deangate 9pm-2am. Free admission best night Fridays.
CLIQUE
ONCE the city's best kept secret in clubland, Clique, over the last few months has at last become an institution. Many serious clubbers will be seen and not heard, just moving to the beats.
(0161 273 7336) Princess Street 10pm-3am. 4-5 pounds admission best night Friday
ESSENTIAL
Is the biggest gay club in Manchester. Three-floored clubbing metropolis, the bottom floor includes cage dancers and the latest dance music.
(016123600778) Minshall Street / Bloom Street Corner
THE PRINTWORKS
The Printworks contains the famous Hard Rock Café, which is a lively restaurant filled with musical memorabilia from the likes of Michael Jackson and Pink Floyd. The complex also contains the trendy Tiger Tiger, which is a favourite amongst local celebrities, serving oriental cuisine and transforming into a sophisticated late night venue with a full entertainment experience. Also houses the Odeon cinema, hosting 20 screens and a gigantic Imax screen.
City Centre near M&S.
M.Aslam (Dubai Based) October 2007
I love Manchester, mainly because my cousins live there so I often used to visit before I joined an Airline in Dubai. For the shoppers you must visit the Trafford Centre, amazing facility. Also a really nice place to grab a bargain for your apartments is the Car Boot Sale on Sunday mornings from 6am to 2pm. It is the biggest in the region held at Bowlee every week.
Worth a visit is the Museum of Science and Industry. My favorite is the Dr Who stuff when I had a layover couple of years back.
