| For anyone interested, I thought I would give you a short, potted history of my Hometown, Manchester. These are my own words, based on my own personal views, not the official points of view, LOL! Manchester is situated in the North West of England, in a valley between hills. Most clouds passing by have to shed their rainwater in order to pass over the hills, so our city is well known as "the Rainy City"! Manchester is known as the Cradle of the Industrial Revolution in England, as it was here that some of the first looms and weaving machines were invented, and factories processing cotton and wool sprang up everywhere. All around Manchester and the North West, a vast network of canals was built in the 18th centurey to transport goods, and these canals are still in use today. In Manchester, they cross the entire city centre. By the Victorian times, Manchester was very rich indeed and the third largest city in England, after London and Birmingham, which is still true today. When the rest of the world caught up with Industrialisation, Manchester had a period of decline. In recent times, Manchester has developed into a cultural centre. This is in part due to the fact there are 4 universities in the city, with a student population of over 30 000, the largest number of students in any city in Europe! So the city has a very youthful atmosphere, with lots of culture and nightlife. Manchester is very mult-cultural: there is a large Chinese population with its own district, Chinatown; a large Asian Indian population in areas like Rusholme and Cheetham; a large Afro-Caribian population, living in Moss Side; and a large Jewish population in North Manchester. Manchester is a tolerant city- we have the largest Gay community in England outside of London, with a whole area affectionately known as the "Gay Village", full of shops, bars, clubs and apartments mainly for Gay patrons. Manchester is a film and media centre, with studios from the BBC and Granada making televison, film and radio productions in the city. Many new sports facilities have been built recently, as Manchester is bidding to host the Olympic Games in the future. Most recently, there has been an incredible building boom in the city, with countless new luxury city apartments springing up everywhere. This year, the first �1.5 million apartment (No.1 Deansgate) was sold in the city! This has probably happened because in the capital city, London, housing prices have become so ridiculously inflated that many people simply cannot afford to libve there anymore. It is now possible to commute all the way from Manchester, with high-speed trains and cheap airflight, and many people can work from home with the advent of computer technology. Everyone loves living in Manchester- people are friendly, life is cheap and easy, and we are surrounded by beautiful countryside. Of course there are down-points as well, mainly problems that come with all large cities in the world- too much litter, crime and pollution for example. But I wouldn't swap my home town for any other! Hope you found this of interest, and that you will enjoy looking around my site to see pictures of the city. |
| ABOUT MY HOME TOWN, MANCHESTER |
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