Try a little raw onion on your chips. Trust me, it's far nicer than it sounds.
Also, a sprinkle of aramat with your salt & pepper. This, along with the onion, is chip heaven for me.
I'm not gone on vinegar, myself. If it's on already, I'll eat away but I wouldn't go for it by choice.
What's big, here in Ireland, are taco chips (basically, taco filling spilt on your chips - not for me as I'm ambivalent about Mexican food) & also garlic & cheese chips (creamy garlic sauce with melted, grated cheddar... Mmmmm). I don't think I've seen either in Manchester but that's probably because I usually go straight for the gravy chips when I'm there. Gravy chips aren't unheard of around here but you'd have to know where to look.
Supermacs, a very large fast food chain all over Ireland, claim to have invented the curry chip, in the 70's. Could they be right? I'd have thought someone in the UK, given the large Asian population would be more likely.
I refuse to eat "fries". A man who'd be satisfied on a skinny chip is liable to do anything.