What is Manchester to you?

[Stoned Rose]

I'm from inside the official Greater Manchester map, therefore, I am a Mancunian.

However, although I am proud of the fact, I dislike any associations in the media of "Mancs" being a Neanderthal race made in the image of Liam Gallagher mooching about in a pair of Gazellels, with mandatory Adidas top, bucket hat and clicking their fingers saying "top one mate, top one".

TOTAL CRINGE!

@manimanc shuffling uncomfortably in his seat ;)

 

[Stoned Rose]

I have consistently argued with Salford RLFC fans from Salford that many people from Salford consider themselves Manc. They argue that pretty much everyone from Salford regard themselves as Salfordian.

Based on your experience, who is right?

Salford are staunchly Salford and very much dislike being referred to as Manc in my experience.

 

[Stoned Rose]

Failsworth has a Manchester postcode M35, and the vast majority of Failsworthians would say they are from Manchester. We do however pay our council tax to Oldham, and our MP represents Ashton.
I would say any place with a Manchester postcode is part of Manchester.

Failsworth isn’t in Manchester and the postcode is irrelevant mate.

 

[asahartford1]

in the last couple of weeks had to visit Leeds and Sheffield and yesterday went to Manchester and it seemed very shabby and neglected in comparison. Maybe it was just the areas we had to travel through but Leeds and Sheffield both looked nicer and tidier places to live.

That is just going off appearances though of course and I'm sure there must be some nicer areas of Manchester too but I certainly would never want to live there again.

Which Manchester districts did you visit ?

 

[lazerblue]

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 :(

fuckin spot on mate, for someone who aint got clue!

 

[Stoned Rose]

Born in St Mary’s, grew up 2 minutes from Maine Rd.

I sound Manc, I walk Manc, I dance Manc and I think Manc.

I worship MCFC and ‘Manchester’ music.

I’m about as Manc as you could ever find.

I live outside the area these days but always take great pride in replying ‘Manchester’ whenever anyone asks me where I’m from.

I love ‘going home’ for home games and nights out in town.

Manchester is the greatest place on the planet.

 

[AliBobbyJ]

Swintonian, Lancastrian, Mancunian in that order. All years ago as now living far away.

 

[Stoned Rose]

Some really interesting answers to the tgread and I think it shows what my question was aimed at asking.

Has, 40 odd years later the formation of GM changed opinions of where you consider to be from?

I tend to agree with @Cheadle_hulmeBlue as Stockport along with Salford, Bury, Boltin etc are proud independant towns and cities of tgeir own with strong identities, and I have never considered places like Heywood or Eccles for example as Manchester because of their centuries old histories of their own before Manchesrer was even a major City and part of the Salford 100.

I remember in my younger days when even refering to Salford as Manchester to someone from there would get you an earful now not so much so, though it was streesed when the beeb moved to media city that is was Salford not Manchester by some.

Post cides mean nowt to be fair, but it does feel that GM 40 years on has brought areas together as a place that has so much in common.

To me though this map shows what compises of Manchester north, east and south (as there is no west mcr). the rest in the surrounding areas is Greater Manchster.

On the othe hand you tell someone from abbey hey or north gorton, they are from south Manchester, are we balls East or North, ;-)

Little old Ladybarn is missing from that map.

 

[AliBobbyJ]

The palatine, historical geographical borders, changing the administrative boundries doesn't change the fact everything north of the mersey is Lancashire and the areas south are cheshire, including parts of GM.
Some people like to still consider themselves lancastrian and mancunian

Yes. "Greater Manchester" is an administrative convenience which has never had a place in the cultural identity of either Lancashire or Manchester people or of folk who call themselves both. It's a horrible term.

 

[urban genie]

Little old Ladybarn is missing from that map.

Because ladybarn is part of burnage, bit like how some abbey hey folks consider themselves seperate to gorton even though we/they are