What is Manchester to you?

[manimanc]

Love the place, I'm a whitefield lad so manchester was only a 10 minute drive away, from an early age I was in Manchester nearly every other week making the trip to my grans in Clayton so I got great memories of walking up past the arndale and the minging smell coming out the vents and the fruit and veg guys shouting and selling their stuff near Afflecks palace.
Then when I started following city and was old enough to go our little gang would get the bus into town and walk to the ground down oxford road so as a youngster I was in Manchester quite often.
There's just something about the place that's different to other cities in England.

 

[Ban-jani]

it's a graveyard in my ancient eyes, hundreds of thousands of "real jobs" never replaced, industries gone for ever. The very reason for it's existence, textiles and heavy engineering just memories. Christies and the University are world renowned, Chethams and the Halle as well, even the Manchester graun , but like other major conurbations, we have been hollowed out by the domination of London, which shows no sign of abating, in fact the government don't admit there is a problem. Sadly, the best is behind us, imo of course :(

Yeah no offence mate but you don’t have a clue what you're talking about.

Economically wise, Manchester is absolutely flying and without starting a Brexit argument, that’s the only thing that can stop it depending on what happens next.

 

[Barcon]

I might have a different opinion if I hadn't have left in 1978 but Manchester is the place I always come to when given a choice.

 

[jimharri]

The term manc was first coined by scousers in the 80s...as derogatory and derived from manky...it covered anyone from wigan to Wythenshawe regardless of accent. I don't use the term, mind you I'm ancoats born so should probably consider myself an Anc....

If you were from west Ancoats, would that make you a w Anc?

 

[tommo74]

Your thread is Manchester to me, well Manchester to me is now a shit hole,full of spiced up idiots and coked up gangster wanna be,'s with no respect for anyone

 

[Deleted member 77198]

Your thread is Manchester to me, well Manchester to me is now a shit hole,full of spiced up idiots and coked up gangster wanna be,'s with no respect for anyone

The contrast between when you look up and look down is stark. If the council, contractors and investors can bring up the foot level of the city to the standard of the growing GDP and skyline (and the football team in sky blue), then we will have one hell of a city!

 

[The perfect fumble]

What is Manchester to you?

A memory....

 

[tommo74]

The contrast between when you look up and look down is stark. If the council, contractors and investors can bring up the foot level of the city to the standard of the growing GDP and skyline (and the football team in sky blue), then we will have one hell of a city!

Not until they cull the little coke dealing pricks we wont, Manchester has gone to shit, the days of don't steal off your own are long gone

 

[Deleted member 77198]

Not until they cull the little coke dealing pricks we wont, Manchester has gone to shit, the days of don't steal off your own are long gone

During the Industrial Revolution we had gangs of lads running around the city in clogs and carrying weapons including coshes and large brass buckle belts, beating the shit out of each other and mugging rich people and old women. They are glamourised as the Scuttlers.

Some good books on that and the other darker sides of Manchester from back then:

 

[Beswick Prize Bands Big Drum]

All a shit hole, subject to contract with houses selling me & Mrs Moon are off to the lovely countryside of Lincolnshire in the next month or so. I've had enough of 'this cesspit of a city'. Ready to check out.

Looking forward to clean air, no scroats, no sirens, no constant sound of rumbling traffic, going on holiday and feeling happy the house is safe & no traffic lights in the village we're off to.

Only downside is that after this season I'll be turfing my seasoncard due to time/travel after just short of 50 years.

Born in Blackley and moved to Lincolnshire many years ago when I met Yvonne who was born in Skeggy and is now my wife, my mother still lives in Blackley and my two sisters live not that far away from her, I go back to see them now and again but would never want to go back and live there again.

 

[blue b4 the moon]

Born in Blackley and moved to Lincolnshire many years ago when I met Yvonne who was born in Skeggy and is now my wife, my mother still lives in Blackley and my two sisters live not that far away from her, I go back to see them now and again but would never want to go back and live there again.

Really looking forward to it, off to Kirton Lindsey the legal people can't do their stuff quick enough.

 

[goat boy]

Ive only ever lived in manchester, proper, for a little over a year. I live further away now than ever. But when I put a child in my wife, a few years ago, a decree was issued. Like his grandad, in the 50s, and his dad, in the 80s, he'd be born at St Mary's, in manchester. So wherever he goes and whatever he does to find happiness in his adult life, the boy will always be a Manc, as his birthright. Im deeply proud of that.

Its a shit hole in places, some of the people are a disgrace, and travelling around it is fucking dreadful. But it's also the greatest place on earth.

 

[urban genie]

Part of Manchester city centre is in Salford.

No it isn't Manchester city centre ends at the Irwell and then salford starts, name one main party of the city centre past the border spiningfields, bridge st, the cathederal and black friars, in fact that side of the city centre ends at deansgate and castlefield, then you pass into salford where bar a number a few pubs you may go in on a crawl, no part of salford is in the city centre.

Ask anyone from Salford Trafford Manchester or Tameside where “Town” is and they’d all say “Manchester city centre”

I work with a fair few people from droyslden and tameside area and the majority use Ashton as their 'town' and go there most weekend to shop.

A lot of these people also haven't set foot in the city centre for years and when we arrange to go out don't even know the basics geography of the piccadilly area, same with some friend sin bredbiry who consider stockport town and raley make the trip to manc.


Admittley they are all 30yrs+ and I expect the younger generation consider town as town not their respected town cntres

it's a graveyard in my ancient eyes, hundreds of thousands of "real jobs" never replaced, industries gone for ever. The very reason for it's existence, textiles and heavy engineering just memories. Christies and the University are world renowned, Chethams and the Halle as well, even the Manchester graun , but like other major conurbations, we have been hollowed out by the domination of London, which shows no sign of abating, in fact the government don't admit there is a problem. Sadly, the best is behind us, imo of course :(

You are missing the point of the original post, as have many since this is bumped, it wasn't about if Manchester is a shithole or an oasis, but where in Greater Manchester are you from and how Mancunian do you feel based on that, or do you relate to your town/city more or identify with your traditional county not GM

 

[TheRemainsOfTheDave]

Manchester? It's that big place next to the Etihad.

Even living just 7 miles away I only go in occasionally, perhaps twice a year, and see a bit of improvement each time, but there's not much need for me to go.

 

[yerwot?]

Yeah no offence mate but you don’t have a clue what you're talking about.

Economically wise, Manchester is absolutely flying and without starting a Brexit argument, that’s the only thing that can stop it depending on what happens next.

Without even trying I can justufy my opinion that manchester peaked in the aftermath of ww2, by listing the major employers that have disappeared. The biggest of them, Metropolitan-Vickers had nearly 30,000 full time employees, and supported hundreds of smaller suppliers, it's apprentice school turned out highly skilled fitters and engineers.
Down the road, Superheaters, ICI, Ciba-geigy, Rubber-regen, Carborundum Massey-ferguson, Cowburn and Cowper, the infamous Turners Asbestos, Manchester Liners, Crossley Engines,
that were loosely in Trafford Park. The word "park" is the salient point, it doesn't mean it was the biggest industrial area, it would fit about ten times into the Ruhr, but anyway...The east side where the Etihad stands lost thousands of jobs with the demise of the railways, Br, Bayer-Peacock and subsidiaries. Craven Bros, Storeys, Ferrantis, British Steel, Mirrlees, Union Carbide, Linotype, Miele, Dorma, Dunlop, Fairy Aviation, Vickers-Armstrong, English Electric. When Shell closed it's "cat-cracker" at Carrington, it took 100,000 pounds a week out of the local economy, apply that across the industrial waste land that is left, and i stand by my opinion that the future, with zero-hour contracts, robotised everything, the housing that replaced the slums now slums themselves, is grim for the vast majority.
But then, i haven't a clue, I only lived through it, FFS :(

 

[Deleted member 77198]

No it isn't Manchester city centre ends at the Irwell and then salford starts, name one main party of the city centre past the border spiningfields, bridge st, the cathederal and black friars, in fact that side of the city centre ends at deansgate and castlefield, then you pass into salford where bar a number a few pubs you may go in on a crawl, no part of salford is in the city centre.

The boundary between the boroughs of Manchester and Salford is the Irwell. But the bit of Salford inside Trinity Way is in the city centre. Greengate, Deva City, Manchester Tennis & Racquet Club, Manchester Hub Drama Company, Lowry Hotel, AO Manchester, Salford Central Stn, Manchester Salford Central Hotel, even an escort agency called Manchester Incalls... all in Salford, all in Manchester city centre, some with Manchester in their names.

 

[urban genie]

The boundary between the boroughs of Manchester and Salford is the Irwell. But the bit of Salford inside Trinity Way is in the city centre. Greengate, Deva City, Manchester Tennis & Racket Club, Manchester Hub Drama Company, Lowry Hotel, AO Manchester, Salford Central Stn, Manchester Salford Central Hotel... all in Salford, all in Manchester city centre, some with Manchester in their names.

Nope not for me the irwell is where the city centre end always has in my 43 years alive and for me always will, I know many salfordians that are rightly pissed off those things mentioned have manchester in thier name.

Trintiy way, greengate, the lowry, salford central are not in the citry centre, just as ancoats, the marble arch, ardwick green etc are not the city centre.

Just because you are 10 minutes walk away doesn't mean you are in the city centre.

Salford is rightly a different and proud city of it's own to call it Manchester insults the place in my opinion and not part of the city centre, that how it was when I was brought up in the 80s and I see no reason to change my view now

 

[The perfect fumble]

Nope not for me the irwell is where the city centre end always has in my 43 years alive and for me always will, I know many salfordians that are rightly pissed off those things mentioned have manchester in thier name.

Trintiy way, greengate, the lowry, salford central are not in the citry centre, just as ancoats, the marble arch, ardwick green etc are not the city centre.

Just because you are 10 minutes walk away doesn't mean you are in the city centre.

Salford is rightly a different and proud city of it's own to call it Manchester insults the place in my opinion and not part of the city centre, that how it was when I was brought up in the 80s and I see no reason to change my view now

I'm from Salford and I'm 62 and with the greatest respect and it is with respect, you sound like my late dad. When I was growing up in Salford it was a dump and Manchester was a bigger dump, so I went to the bigger dump to drink and chase girls, I went to Moss Side to see City and that was it.

Salford proud? Really? I don't remember feeling pride growing up in Lower Broughton and when I was old enough I left.

 

[urban genie]

I'm from Salford and I'm 62 and with the greatest respect and it is with respect, you sound like my late dad. When I was growing up in Salford it was a dump and Manchester was a bigger dump, so I went to the bigger dump to drink and chase girls, I went to Moss Side to see City and that was it.

Salford proud? Really? I don't remember feeling pride growing up in Lower Broughton and when I was old enough I left.

Yeah both areas were dumps and some areas of both are still dumps and underfundedn the point wasn't about that I was answering that I don't consider the areas mentioned across the river as b
part of manchestet city centre and have never met a salfordian that considered themselves mancs over being salfordian.
We used to spent sundays in salford when me dad visited his brother and have family from salford who all think of themselves as salfordians not mancs, and as I said I doubt this is the case with most under 30s, but personally you cross the Irwell and you leave the city centre, if others feel different then fair fucks to them.


As for pride I am talking of the subject, when asked they proudly say salfordian over saying mancunian, they don't deny where they are from is pretty crap

 

[yerwot?]

You are missing the point of the original post, as have many since this is bumped, it wasn't about if Manchester is a shithole or an oasis, but where in Greater Manchester are you from and how Mancunian do you feel based on that, or do you relate to your town/city more or identify with your traditional county not GM
[/QUOTE]
Apologies, got distracted by the tone of the majority of responses.
Tbh, i believe this city is mimicing the country, in as much the gap between the well-off and the majority is widening faster than at any other time. Ignoring the odd enclave of new-build half-a-million plus estates, north of city centre seems to be on the way to be a giant ghetto, south of city centre less so. easy to find exceptions, but overall that's my opinion fwiw. Decent jobs set the tone, zhc create ghettos and social collapse. Brought up in Withington, when you could realistically decide where you wanted to live and what career to pursue, the contrast for todays teens could not be greater. For me manchester's biggest attraction is "it's not f'kin london thank christ" , unless you are a "crane-spotter" in which case yer in clover