Manchester

At a glance

Manchester is looking up. Gone are the Dickensian days of grinding poverty. Gone too the gloom'n'doom of the 1980s indie punk scene and its Joy Division pessimism: over the last 15 years the city has developed a champagne-for-breakfast insouciance and an almost giddy attitude toward fun.

The town that started the industrial revolution is stepping out of the steam-and-sweat age and into a swanky, partying juvenilia. But 'Madchester' is more than just froth-at-the-mouth football and high-class party jinks - there's also museums, fine dining and excellent shopping.

When to go

April-September is the optimal period weather-wise to head up north, though bear in mind that July-August is peak tourist time. Visit at the end of August and you can join the 500,000 revellers kicking up their heels in Manchester's GayFest parade. The marginal months of March and October are worth considering; it can be cold and wet, but then again so can July. November-February is grim, cold and dark, and best left to its own devices.

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