Manchester (original) (raw)

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

Manchester is a city in North West England, with a population of 422,300 (2001), making it the tenth largest city in England. It is the centre of one of the largest conurbations in the country, Greater Manchester.

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 International 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 received 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. The event's facilities included a velodrome (now the National Cycling Centre) and an athletics stadium since converted to become the home ground of Manchester City F.C.

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 Hall� 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, Stone Roses and Happy Mondays came from Manchester as well as New Wave outfits such as Joy Division, Buzzcocks, Magazine and electronic music outfits such as 808 State.

Trivia

Nearby Towns