| | | | | But Manchester is not just about football and returning |
| “I’m off to Manchester”. | | | | to my Manchester hotels; The Midland, I grabbed some |
| “City or United?” | | | | lunch from the hotel’s restaurant and headed out to |
| Or so ran a popular one liner of the late 60’s and | | | | see some more of the City’s sights. Actually, the |
| early 70’s…the funny thing is that back then I, like | | | | first of these sights was occupied by the hotel itself. |
| most people, laughed and laughed at this joke…now it | | | | The hotel sits on top of the famous St Peter’s |
| just seems somewhat incongruous. The other funny | | | | Fields, the venue of the notorious Peterloo massacre |
| thing is that since those days I actually have been to | | | | of 1819…I am glad to say that everything is |
| Manchester…both City and United. | | | | substantially more peaceful now and with that in mind, I |
| At the time, I was in Manchester to visit the two | | | | wandered off down the road. |
| famous stadia of the two equally famous Manchester | | | | At once, I found a cluster of lively pubs, bars and clubs |
| clubs and I had booked into one of the many hotels in | | | | and was fascinated at the sheer variety of |
| Manchester so that I had could also savour some of | | | | establishments; whether your tastes are Rock, Jazz, |
| the other sights of the City. I must say that the staff at | | | | Blues, House, Hip-Hop or even avant garde continental, |
| my Manchester hotel; The Midland Manchester Hotel, | | | | it was all to be found here. I myself opted for a |
| really made my stay special with their genuine | | | | traditional old fashioned pub and was delighted to find |
| kindness and determination to make visitors to their | | | | that the much cited ‘northern welcome’ was |
| City welcome. | | | | very much alive and well in Manchester. |
| You don’t actually have to be a football fan to | | | | By the end of the night, I’d had a fantastic night, |
| appreciate a tour of the Manchester City and United | | | | heard a raft of live music and made some new friends |
| grounds though as the tours are interesting and | | | | and as I happily made my way back to The Midland |
| historically informative as well as affording fascinating | | | | Manchester Hotel, I reflected upon the great time that |
| insights into international stadia. These tours are well | | | | this wonderful City had shown me. One thing was |
| worthwhile for any visitor to the City and any visitor will | | | | certain…I would definitely be coming back to |
| come away with a much deeper insight into the history | | | | Manchester again! |
| of Manchester and into modern day football. | | | | |