Manchester

This article is about the city in England. For other articles subjects named Manchester, see Manchester (disambiguation).

Manchester is a city (population 391,000, 2,438,000 in conurbation) in Greater Manchester, North West England. It is next to the city of Salford. It is the centre of one of the largest conurbations[?] in the United Kingdom (London is larger, and the Birmingham area is sometimes considered larger depending on the exact method of counting).

There are several canals in use around Manchester: the Manchester, Bolton & Bury Canal, Rochdale Canal[?], Manchester Ship Canal, Bridgewater Canal[?], Ashton Canal[?] and the Leigh Branch of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal[?].

Manchester Airport is one of the largest airports in the UK.

Serco operates the Metrolink light rail system.

History

Manchester was occupied by Romans (it was then known as Mancunium or Mamucium, hence the term for a resident of Manchester, "Mancunian"). A facsimile of a Roman fort exists in Castlefield.

Manchester was a key part of the Industrial Revolution. Its damp climate made it and the surrounding area ideal for cotton mills. Its growth was also aided by its proximity to Liverpool's ports and the emerging rail and canal networks.

At 11:20 a.m. on Saturday 15 June 1996, the IRA detonated a bomb containing 1500 Kg of explosive in a van on Corporation Street, near the junction with Market Street. This was the largest IRA bomb ever detonated on the British mainland. Fortunately warnings recieved in the previous hour had allowed the evacuation of the area, but 206 people were recorded by the ambulance service as having been injured, mainly by falling glass and building debris. A large area of the city centre was devastated, and over 50,000 square metres of retail space and 25,000 square metres of office space subsequently had to be rebuilt. Since then the city centre has undergone extensive rejuvenation along with the more general efforts to regenerate previously degenerated areas of the wider city (such as Hulme and Salford).

In 2002, the city hosted the Commonwealth Games very successfully, earning praise from many previously sceptical sources.

Culture

Manchester was home to the artist L.S. Lowry after whom the Lowry Centre in Salford Quays is named, one of Manchester's many theatres.

The Hallé Orchestra is based in Manchester, often playing from their own concert venue, The Bridgewater Hall[?] (named after the Duke of Bridgewater).

The city is noted for its excellent theatres, among them the Library Theatre[?] and the Royal Exchange[?].

Manchester has played a significant role in British youth and counterculture throughout the 1980s and 1990s, coining the phrase Madchester. The rock bands Oasis, New Order, Inspiral Carpets[?], and Happy Mondays emanated from Manchester as well as punk rock outfits such as Joy Division, Buzzcocks, Magazine and electronic music outfits such as 808 State.

Trivia

• Two major football clubs Manchester United F.C. and Manchester City F.C
• 4 Universities: University of Manchester (sometimes known locally as "Owens", after its founder), UMIST, Manchester Metropolitan University and Salford University. As a result, it has one of the biggest student populations in Europe. The first two institutions are to merge in autumn 2004 to form the largest university in Britain.
• Salford is the location for the fictional borough of Wetherfield, home of Coronation Street

See also: Manchester (United Kingdom) Airport.

External Links

• Manchester City Council http://www.manchester.gov.uk
• Manchester Online http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk