Local Information

In the North West of the country Manchester is considered by many to be England’s 2nd city.Its routes can be traced back to Roman times but it wasn’t until 17th century that Manchester began to grow into a major city. As Britain embraced the industrial revolution Manchester became a major centre for the cotton industry and soon developed a reputation as the engine room of the North. Its rapid growth continued through out the 18th and 19th centuries as Manchester’s textile industries expanded and more diverse industries continued to spring up.The railway line linking Manchester and Liverpool was the world’s first and provided a rapid channel for bringing in raw materials and exporting finish products through out the World.

Whilst Manchester suffered along side many of England’s industrial cities in the latter half of the 20th Century it has blossomed in the last decade as Manchester used the devastation of the IRA bomb in 1996 as impetus for regenerating the city centre.The once run down Castlefield area on the bank of the cannel has now become one the premier residential areas of the city and it is only in recent years that Manchester saw the sale of its first £1 million apartment.

Manchester now has one of the largest student populations in Europe with over 80,000 full time students and this coupled with Manchester’s long standing reputation as a hot bed of musically creativity out outstanding fashion designers has made it into one of Europe’s most fashionable, vibrant cities.

Things to do…..
Shopping – The Trafford Centre on the outskirts of the city is one of Europe’s largest covered shopping malls with a great range of shops and plentiful parking

Manchester United- The richest and most famous football club in the world. In the last 10 years Manchester United has consistently been the most successful club in Britain and its Old Trafford home is the largest club stadium in England

Imperial War Museum North – Opened in 2002 the museum is situated in the recently renovated Quay’s by the Lowry centreand Manchester United Museum. The museum focuses on showing its visitors how war shapes people lives.

How to get there….
Manchester International Airport is situated at Ringway 10 miles to the southwest of Manchester city centre. Officially opened in 1938 the airport pre-dates both Heathrow and Gatwick but closed for passenger flights in 1939 due to the Second World War and didn’t restart passenger flights until 1946 where in its first full year of operation it carried 34,000 passengers.Manchester Airport now has three terminals, Terminal 1 and 2 which both handle international flights and Terminal 3 handles mainly domestic flights. With a second runway added in 2001 the airport now handles over 20 million passengers per year and is the 3rd largest in England.The airport is easily reached from both the M56 and M6 providing access to England’s motor system and planning has been approved for a Metrolink from the city centre to the airport.