People from Manchester...Tourism

[Deleted member 4260]

I'm overdue for a vacation so this New Jersey girl (and her boyfriend) are gonna fly out for the Manchester birthday show if I can score tickets today at 5 am (10 am your time)...so....

for the 2 extra days I will be there, can you recommend some things to do in or around Manchester? (Morrissey and non Morrissey related)
I'm researching Manchester online right now, but I'd like to hear points of interest from locals.

I think I'll be staying at the Holiday Inn near the airport since that's the most convenient. I'm assuming there isn't anything good around the hotel since it's around an airport, but I can't hurt by asking. I just hope there's a good bus/train system around there because I'm not going to attempt to drive. That would a horror for you and a horror for me. haha...
If anyone else is flying in and also has no sense of direction, PM me on here. We can wander around and get lost together


Also, Apollo is mainly general admission correct?


Monique

 

[Jukebox Jury]

I'm overdue for a vacation so this New Jersey girl (and her boyfriend) are gonna fly out for the Manchester birthday show if I can score tickets today at 5 am (10 am your time)...so....

for the 2 extra days I will be there, can you recommend some things to do in or around Manchester? (Morrissey and non Morrissey related)
I'm researching Manchester online right now, but I'd like to hear points of interest from locals.

I think I'll be staying at the Holiday Inn near the airport since that's the most convenient. I'm assuming there isn't anything good around the hotel since it's around an airport, but I can't hurt by asking. I just hope there's a good bus/train system around there because I'm not going to attempt to drive. That would a horror for you and a horror for me. haha...
If anyone else is flying in and also has no sense of direction, PM me on here. We can wander around and get lost together

Also, Apollo is mainly general admission correct?

Monique

Staying at the airport??? Convenient??
Yes there are trains every 15 minutes during the day to the airport, but it would be cheaper and more convenient to stay in the city centre.

As for things to do, you could invest in this book and see all the Morrissey / Smiths related places. I've heard it's a good book
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Panic-Stree...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1228478390&sr=1-1

The Apollo is standing downstairs and seating upstairs

Jukebox Jury

 

[sweetness522]

Depeche, are you flying out of Kennedy or Newark?

 

[Gagiesotherhalf]

As for things to do, you could invest in this book and see all the Morrissey / Smiths related places. I've heard it's a good book
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Panic-Stree...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1228478390&sr=1-1

It's rubbarsh! (only jokin, don't want to upset on my first post, but been lurking for many years...don't hit me, I'm a blue as well )

The very least you could do is perhaps organise a proper guided tour then!

There is tons to do in Manchester, and I agree, don't stay near the airport, nothing there (unless you want a guided tour of Wythenshawe...hehe)

 

[Deleted member 4260]

Depeche, are you flying out of Kennedy or Newark?

Newark probably, since it's the easiest to get to from me...I'm exit 74 on GSP so it's only about under an hour drive..

 

[Brel]

If you are planning to stay at the airport, look at the Bewleys Hotel. It's next to the small train station there, so getting to the city is effortless. Better still, stay in the city centre.

The Holiday Inn is 2 miles from the airport.

 

[Walter Ego]

Staying at the airport??? Convenient??
Yes there are trains every 15 minutes during the day to the airport, but it would be cheaper and more convenient to stay in the city centre.

There is tons to do in Manchester, and I agree, don't stay near the airport, nothing there (unless you want a guided tour of Wythenshawe...hehe)

You are both wrong. Staying near the airport is a good idea. Firstly, it is in south Manchester where all of the Smiths grew up. And the airport is only about 1 mile from Altrincham (Morrissey's mum lives here and this is his UK base).
The much maligned Wythenshawe is also close by. This was once home to Marr & Rourke and is still the spiritual home to Manchester's best talent; Smiths, Slaughter & Dogs, Billy Duffy, Poors of Reign, Caroline Ahearne... erm..Eddie Large etc.
The airport has a great train link to the city centre and beyond, and it's very cheap for a return ticket.
So to sum up, most of the top Manchester talent comes from south of the city. All the successful people who stay in Manchester choose to live in the south of the city. I live there/here, so do my friends.
p.s. a guided tour of Wythenshawe as mentioned by someone or other is available on request.
p.p.s if you want to experience the cold, grey, decaying Manchester of the 80's you can get the bus a couple of miles up Rochdale Road to where little has changed....

 

[meat_is_murder19]

U could go visit Wythensawe,its a loverly place

 

[Walter Ego]

U could go visit Wythensawe,its a loverly place

ggggrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

 

[Brel]

South Manchester is so last week!

 

[Deleted member 4260]

Manchester Airport

I'm OCD and can't deal with not having all my ducks in a row.
I'm booking my trip to Manchester and I need to be sure I have a way to get to the hotel from the airport and a way back to the airport.

Does the Manchester airport have reliable transportation into the city 24/7?
I looked at their website and I see lots of options, but none say how long they run or the price.
Can anyone offer me up some details?

Monique

 

[Walter Ego]

Re: Manchester Airport

Train and bus stations at the airport.
Lots of taxi cabs.

Trains and bus are cheap.
You'll have no problem getting back to the airport after a gig.

 

[Sore Lips]

Re: Manchester Airport

Don't worry. One of the wonderful thing about UK cities is that they actually have an infrastructure in and out of airports, usually in a painfree way. I remember taking some sort of train to Manchester airport, last time I was there. Relatively inexpensive and not very long...at least from what I remember...

 

[Jukebox Jury]

Re: Manchester Airport

Don't worry. One of the wonderful thing about UK cities is that they actually have an infrastructure in and out of airports, usually in a painfree way. I remember taking some sort of train to Manchester airport, last time I was there. Relatively inexpensive and not very long...at least from what I remember...

Trains run every 15 minutes in the day and every 30 minutes throughout the night. Trains take 10 - 15 mins if direct, a few mins longer if stopping at about 5 stops on the way. Day returns are something like £5.80 (after 9.30am)

There are buses in the day but not direct and take a lot longer.

I still say you are better staying at a hotel in the city centre.

Jukebox Jury

 

[Ben Budd]

South Manchester is so last week!

And North Manchester is so nineteenth century.

 

[little stripey socks]

Re: Manchester Airport

I still say you are better staying at a hotel in the city centre.

personally, I'd agree, though staying at the airport is certainly workable. It's just a lot more awkward to get to places outside the city centre- like the Apollo for instance. To get from the city centre to the Apollo would take about half an hour tops- to get there from the airport might take over 90 minutes, depending on how long you had to wait for your train, whether it was a fast one or a slow one that stops at all the stops. You're basically adding unnecessary time onto your journey by having to come into the centre and then travel out again to your destination.

There's quite a pleasant travelodge on Great Ancoats Street, at the top end of the fashionable Northern Quarter.

 

[little stripey socks]

things to do- well, if it's a nice day, a walk round Southern Cemetery is a lovely way to spend an afternoon. You can get a bus from the city centre that stops right outside the, er, cemetery gates That'd be my top recommendation from the list of Moz-related landmarks.

If you are a fan of the TV show Shameless, you could go and have a drink in the pub on the estate where it's filmed. It's called the Wellington in real life- I can try and get directions for you if you're interested.

Also, Central Library is a lovely old building to visit, and one of Moz's old hang-outs. Pop up to the dome on the first floor and 'accidently' drop some books, and listen to the noise bounce round the room, disgruntling the academics! They also have plays on in the evenings. If you stay at the travelodge, it's a pleasant 15 minute walk through the centre of Manchester.

I haven't read JJ's book yet- I only found out about it yesterday while catching up on the Eggheads episode on youtube, but I'm sure there's more than enough in there to keep you going

If you do end up staying at the airport, it might be worth a trip to Alderley Edge, which is on the same trainline. There are some beautiful walks, and the place is steeped in wizardy legend.

Oh, and you simply must pop into Rusholme for a curry- it's very beautiful at night, and the food is marvellous. I think it stays buzzin til about 2am, and there's buses back to the city centre all night.

 

[Brel]

And North Manchester is so nineteenth century.

Sod off. We can get Channel 4 on a good day!

 

[Jukebox Jury]

Sod off. We can get Channel 4 on a good day!

Yes agree.... but not Channel 5

Jukebox Jury