For most tourists, London is the only place to visit when coming to Britain. The capital is full of landmarks but to a certain degree devoid of culture. If you are willing to travel further north you should really check out Manchester.
In population terms, Birmingham is Britain’s second city but Manchester is really the most exciting city in the UK.
This summer is the World Cup and if you are interested in watching it then Manchester is the place to go. In 2010 Castlefield amphitheatre saw around 15,000 revellers cheering on England, despite the majority of bookies like Paddy Power pretty much writing off England’s World Cup chances. Expect places like Castlefield and the screens in the city centre to be packed with passionate fans come rain or shine. If you like your football and want to soak up the absorbing English passion for football then Manchester is where you need to be. In terms of domestic sport, the greatest club in Britain, Manchester United, obviously play there, while football upstarts Manchester City are also making waves. There is also cricket and both forms of rugby sides based there.
Joy Division, The Happy Mondays, The Stone Roses, The Smiths, Oasis, New Order and even the flipping Bee Gees all hail from the area. Manchester is the home of British music and the spiritual home of BritPop and MadChester. Sadly the legendary Hacienda club is no longer with us but the music lives on. The Manchester music scene dominated Britain in the 1980s and 90s and it is starting a revival right now. If you class yourself as a music aficionado then you cannot ignore Manchester. It’s the UK’s Nashville or Detroit.
Besides music, the city was the home of L.S. Lowry, famous for his Matchstick Men portrait paintings. His museum is located in the city. Meanwhile, the Trafford Centre is one of the biggest shopping malls in the UK as well as being home to the largest food court in Europe.
Simply put, for music fans, sport betting fans, and culture fans, Manchester is more fun than London and for a true feel of Britain then Manchester is one of the best places to go.
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