Around Manchester
Written By Bjorn Thorvaldsson
Towards the end of May I spent a long weekend in Manchester. Booked a hotel downtown and took a couple of train trips to Blackpool and Sheffield.
These three cities may not sound very attractive, and have been going through some hard times over the last decades, but I found then all surprisingly nice really. Manchester is being transformed into a modern metropolis, Blackpool is not the cheap, run-down tourist trap I imagined it to be, and Sheffield is successfully building on its heritage of coal and steel industry to become a hub of technology and learning. What’s the fuss all about?
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![Deansgate](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fdf9fe7ff074777c985b32e/1694200097088-VBAB9ZGKJGLJMV0KY6GO/20230518-FXE47215-Edit.jpg)
Deansgate
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![Castlefield Viaduct](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fdf9fe7ff074777c985b32e/1694200097624-6UTTIUNVTW10U3T5TOIB/20230518-FXE47264.jpg)
Castlefield Viaduct
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![Castlefield Viaduct](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fdf9fe7ff074777c985b32e/1694200106045-2QKOY7EDJFO99J58BKFS/20230518-FXE47279.jpg)
Castlefield Viaduct
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![Manchester parking](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fdf9fe7ff074777c985b32e/1694200105905-HOLXGXQKL2ZNBEGM9NJX/20230518-FXT59278.jpg)
Manchester parking
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![Hot dogs at Old Trafford](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fdf9fe7ff074777c985b32e/1694200115768-NCQKHKU8VBG0CZHVRK90/20230518-FXT59307.jpg)
Hot dogs at Old Trafford
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![Exchange Square](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fdf9fe7ff074777c985b32e/1694200114654-3FGN3NSYKAPFS0R4PEIO/20230518-FXT59434.jpg)
Exchange Square
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![Cowboy](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fdf9fe7ff074777c985b32e/1694200120357-1TGVQZTZVIR5UI7OXN51/20230519-FXE47357.jpg)
Cowboy
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![Wedding rings](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fdf9fe7ff074777c985b32e/1694200121468-SNP9FD5ARXCT00IMWQJG/20230519-FXE47382.jpg)
Wedding rings
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![Market Street](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fdf9fe7ff074777c985b32e/1694200123878-YWAONAA89UAE0HBIMKE6/20230519-FXE47438.jpg)
Market Street
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![Corporation Street](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fdf9fe7ff074777c985b32e/1694200130348-QXAA39QUE5HI9Z0P8WT2/20230519-FXE47442.jpg)
Corporation Street
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![North Pier](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fdf9fe7ff074777c985b32e/1694200132979-G73NQUM38E9MCX8WCBWT/20230519-FXT59541.jpg)
North Pier
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![Blackpool Tower](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fdf9fe7ff074777c985b32e/1694200135386-W8YEPL99EUX97P344YAY/20230519-FXT59602.jpg)
Blackpool Tower
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![Blackpool Promenade](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fdf9fe7ff074777c985b32e/1694200445836-0FZ1DUCE6NOX711GJD1C/20230519-FXT59632.jpg)
Blackpool Promenade
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![Blackpool](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fdf9fe7ff074777c985b32e/1694200444278-837IRZHGF10NZAIWY8A8/20230519-FXT59711.jpg)
Blackpool
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![Manchester ladies](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fdf9fe7ff074777c985b32e/1694200138139-4NQUYWHW52IKAYA2E1R4/20230519-FXT59750.jpg)
Manchester ladies
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![Manchester ladies](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fdf9fe7ff074777c985b32e/1694200159177-6RAG6SNS1WY6IWBFYRD2/20230520-FXT59994-Edit.jpg)
Manchester ladies
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![Sheffield](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fdf9fe7ff074777c985b32e/1694200141118-OJ2X0R71LRWE27PYOFWK/20230520-FXT59835.jpg)
Sheffield
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![St Paul's Place, Sheffield](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fdf9fe7ff074777c985b32e/1694200149778-T5E5IMVW5RW8LO2C9HWI/20230520-FXT59840.jpg)
St Paul's Place, Sheffield
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![St Paul's Place, Sheffield](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fdf9fe7ff074777c985b32e/1694200151256-4SIBG1NRJ377307DCO29/20230520-FXT59841.jpg)
St Paul's Place, Sheffield
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![High Street](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fdf9fe7ff074777c985b32e/1694200450781-XAP1U9SRANS96QAVO1KF/20230520-FXT59980.jpg)
High Street