Author: Julia Shuvalova

Salford

The church dedicated to St Philip was erected in this spot in 1825. The architect was Sir Robert Smirke who went on to design the Bank of England and the British Museum.

The church’s purpose was not limited to the spread of gospel. It was one of the so-called “Waterloo churches” intended to prevent the dissemination of the dangerous ideas of the French Revolution. Bizarrely, it was consecrated on St Matthew Day, and it didn’t go without a few hiccups.

One notices the imposing design of the church, and it is a particularly fine site, if seen from Chapel St. The commissioners wanted Smirke to place the grand porch and circular tower in the south end of the church, rather than the western end. In his turn, Smirke wanted his church in classical style. All in all, this is one of the most original buildings in Greater Manchester, and apparently boasts a copy on Leonardo’s Last Supper.

Manchester

The Queen sat in person for this statue and was delighted with the result. Unfortunately, she died before the statue was unveiled in 1901. Onslow Ford presented the monarch in stately robes, with orb and sceptre, which made some critics decry the monument as too formal and stiff.

The monument has two sides. The shape reminds one of the throne, and the Queen Vic presides over the entrance to Newton St from Piccadilly. Those of who walk or sit in Piccadilly Gardens will, however, see the other side of the monument, very romantic and intimate. There is a female figure holding a child, and someone diligent can recognise a quote from Shakespeare: “Let me but bear your love, I’ll bear your cares”. A fine depiction of the status of a mother figure the Queen Victoria had had with her subjects throughout her lengthy reign.

Atop of the throne is a small group with St George and dragon.

Manchester

The statue of the victorious hero of Waterloo has been standing in approximately the same place (near the corner of Portland St) since 1856. These days it can be found just outside Kro Piccadilly. This is an impressive standard of consistency, and one can only wonder if this is a reflection of the status the Grand Duke had as a man-of-arms and a statesman.

The statue by Matthew Noble is sumptuously decorated. The Duke is surrounded by the figures of antique deities personifying Wisdom, Valour, Victory, and Peace. The pedestal plates depict the pivotal moments in Duke’s career: the Battle of Assaye, the victory of Waterloo, the Duke’s receiving the thanks at the House of Commons in 1914, and the mediating the peace resolution at the Congress of Vienna in 1815.

Manchester – Eating & Drinking – Cafes & Coffee Shops

If the Queen of Chinatown could have a residence anywhere in Canal St, it would certainly be Via Fossa (that’s Canal Street in Latin, if you didn’t know). Amanda Lear should definitely love the place. And if you’re wondering as to what the atmosphere is like, then I can tell you that “it’s just a noisy hole where there’s a nightly brawl, and all that jazz”. (Any puns are unintentional.)

The truth is that Via Fossa is one of the best and characteristic places in the Gay Village. There are three levels to sit at, you enter the middle level from the street and go straight to the bar. From there you can either go to a cosy sitting room on the same floor, or walk along a small loggia to the well-hidden seating area above, or plunge in the depths of the place by taking the steps downstairs.

There is a plenty of cheese and kitsch all around, starting from dark velvet curtains through to themed pop evenings featuring a Whitney Houston double. From what I’ve seen, the double does a better job at being Houston, and there was no annoying talk about God. Needless to say, the place is very popular, is nearly always crowded, and is particularly packed during the annual Pride parade.

The old fans of Canal St and Via need no persuasion to visit the place. And if you’re new to Manchester, regardless of whether you are gay or straight, Via Fossa should be a must on your “to visit” list. In the best sense, it epitomises the Gay Village to me.

Manchester – Arts & Entertainment – Museums

I hope that Manchester patriots will not loathe me, but Manchester Art Gallery is a bit of hit-and-miss for me. Taken on its own, it’s great, but in comparison to collections in Liverpool or Birmingham it is just another local art gallery that happened to have a good selection of Pre-Raphaelites, plus some paintings by Modigliani, Bacon, Freud, and Lowry; to stand just across the road from the Town Hall; and to be massively hyped as one of Manchester’s biggest attractions.

…I’m not saying that MAG is not good. The collection is great, there is no doubt about it. But it is a fact of life that if you’re after truly impressive collections of Pre-Raphaelites you do need to take a train to Merseyside or Midlands.

I’ve been visiting MAG since 2002, and in the recent years, thanks to funding, the gallery has hosted a number of exhibitions that undoubtedly upped its status. Back in 2004 a newly-found painting by Raphael made a stop in Manchester; 2008-2009 saw the exhibition of works by William Holman and of a few Leonardo’s works from the Windsor collection. Modern artists regularly drop in for a seasonal exposition at the gallery. And if you’re into local history, the ground floor has a regular exhibition of artifacts from all over Greater Manchester, including some displays for footie fans.

They also place a grand emphasis on families and children. Understandably, this helps to attract funding, but at times I have felt this compromised the integrity of the gallery as an educational institution.

The cafe has survived a striking improvement of the menu, and now boasts an Italian chef. It does get crowded now and again, but it is deservingly popular with visitors and even those looking for a cuppa on a lazy afternoon.

I guess my only complaint is about how special exhibitions are handled. In 2008 they dedicated a small, if not obscure, room to the exhibition of buttons of all times and nations. Considering Manchester’s passion for fashion, it made sense to shout louder about the exhibition to the museum visitors with the help of special leaflets and big displays in the entrance area. Instead I only found the exhibition by chance. Fascinating as it was, it was probably too well hidden for many visitors.

Having said this, one of the treasures of the MAG is their shop. They have a great selection of art books, catalogues, and postcards, as well as diverse and sundry souvenirs, from magnets to rings and neckerchiefs.

Manchester – Shopping – Department Stores

The 1938 Modernist building by J. Beaumont impresses on the outside, as well as inside. A mix of brands, from MaxMara to Phase Eight, is spread across the floors. The ground floor dazzles you with what looks like a fragrance and cosmetics paradise. But for someone like me who loves kitchen and all cookware upper floors are the magnet. Even browsing their range of funky little kitchen tools makes me feel hungry. In her own words, Nigella Lawson always buys these kitchen “things”, and it seems I’m almost following in her footsteps.

The cafe upstairs looks somewhat bland, compared to the status of the store and the brands that trade here. I certainly expected something on a grander scale, although it is cosy.

Last but not least come HoF’s shop windows. Somehow those on the sides of the building often seem to be more impressive than the one that faces Deansgate. Needless to say, a lot of effort is put into these frontal windows during Christmas season, but it does not always spills over to festiveless times.

Manchester – Eating & Drinking – Pubs & Bars – Pubs – Eating & Drinking – Pubs & Bars – Pubs – English Pubs

For a start, The Moon under Water has free wi-fi. If you are staying in town close to Deansgate but have no Internet and don’t know where to get online, this is the place to go. Their Cloud network supports o2 mobile Internet, but you can get on the web even if you only have an email.

The Moon under Water is as huge as it gets – apparently it is in the Guinness Book of Records as Britain’s largest pub. Originally, however, it was a picture house, and one of the photographs you will find hanging on the wall shows the entrance with “Oklahoma” listing. The original building dates back to 1916, and the initial purpose dictated – and now explains – the size of the building.

I’ve been to the pub at different times. On a Saturday you may well be in for some dance floor action and loud music. Thursday is a fix for curries. In the day it is not uncommon to find old respectable ladies sitting and chatting over a meal, while at night the public is younger, merrier, and “dressed to impress”.

Being a Wetherspoons pub, Moon under Water will be serving specialty ales, so if you are a lager or bitter fan always ask for their seasonal drink lists. They presently take part in the UK-wide Real Ale Festival.

It may sound bizarre, but their WCs are something of an artwork. Forget the traditional tile-and-glass interiors of today: here you will be walking on the soft carpet and looking at century-old wall tiles. You can vividly imagine those ladies in long dresses with high-neck collars trailing down the washroom’s aisle or powdering their noses in front of the mirrors.

Manchester – Transportation – Public Transport – Stations

There was the time when Victoria station was one of the most important in Manchester – along with the Great Northern Railway in Deansgate. It was opened in 1844 and named Victoria after Her Majesty’s permission. The Great Northern now houses an entertainment complex, and Victoria’s wacky glamour consists of the “remains of the day”: an impressive (if somewhat obscure) war memorial, ticket offices, the Victoria Good Life shop (which seems to be shut), a cafe and a bar under the roof of the former bookstall, and tiled and rather dim interior. The elaborate green canopy lists the names of popular 19th c. destinations, including Blackpool, London, and Belgium.

The station reminds me of Blackpool, sadly: the memories of the bygone days haunt the room of disrepair and decline. This especially comes to the fore when a certain art teacher brings the kids here for an open lesson in drawing…

There are 6 platforms in the station, and these days Victoria is connected with the MEN Arena: you can get to the Arena either from within the station, by following the stairs, or from the street. Like Piccadilly, Victoria is a stop on the metrolink route, no. 2 bus goes past it towards Shudehill or Deansgate, and the station is served by a small taxi rank. There are only two traffic lines, so on certain days or at certain hours the Station Approach gets extremely busy.

Manchester – Transportation – Public Transport – Stations

I love travelling by train. I cannot say exactly what I find so fascinatingly attractive about trains or watching the fields and hills flying past my window, but here goes: I love travelling by train.

Because of this, Piccadilly Train Station has constituted an important part of my life since 2004. I travelled to London, Wales, Sheffield, Leeds, Liverpool, and many other places in the North of England, departing from, and arriving to, Piccadilly. It is delightfully easy to navigate: the usual WHSmith and Boots lie to the right of the entrance, followed by Monsoon, Threshers, and Sainsbury’s. Tie Rack welcomes you immediately as you enter the station. And on the left there are Superdrug, a bar, and a Burger King. Go to the top floor, and there will be Marks&Spencer, Caffe Ritazza, and another couple of bars. Caffe Ritazza is an ideal place to spend time waiting for a train: there is something pleasant about overlooking the station concourse where people bustle to catch their trains.

There are 12 platforms on the ground level under the roof, and two more on the open platform, accessible by lift from Fairfield St. Facilities abound, as well as rather helpful staff and reliable ticket machines. On the underground level is the entrance to metrolink, a taxi rank in Fairfield St, and no.1 and no.3 bus stops by the main entrance.

Over the years Piccadilly has served a few times as a place to organise exhibitions and to stage performances. 2009 has seen a collaboration of the train station and the Royal Northern College of Music on a successful mass event: a one-hour long modern opera, The End of the Line (A Brief Encounter). Singers and the orchestra took places between spectators, delivering an exciting performance on the subject of love, chance encounters, and meaningful relationships. In short, if you always thought that a train station is just it, Piccadilly will surely prove you wrong.