My visit to your city of culture was wonderful!
AS a ‘softie Southerner’ in Manchester I felt impelled to write to the M.E.N. following my recent visit to friends in Bramhall.
They arranged a day for us in Manchester. A visit to the most amazing Christmas Market, which although extremely busy was just fantastic. This was followed by a couple of drinks in Sam’s Chop House, and a superb meal at Jamie Oliver’s Italian Restaurant. We completed the day with a visit to the Royal Exchange Theatre to see ‘The Producers.’
OK, that was a pretty impressive day. But, what is even more important is my overall view of Manchester. I believed the stories my Cockney father told me that life as we know it ceased to exist north of Watford.
Indeed, Manchester was industrial, dirty, cold, grey and wet!
Well, Dad (God rest your soul) you were so wrong (apart from the wet bit). I simply loved Manchester. It was vibrant, had the most beautiful architecture (if you just bother to look up a little), and was full of fabulous shops, really lovely, friendly people with a wonderful sense of humour – a true city of culture.
If I have one reservation it was of Piccadilly Gardens, which my friends told me was once a green oasis, what has happened here? I saw a semicircular grey, dull concrete wall. So a suggestion to your city council. I now live in Spain and many of the large cities such as Madrid have incorporated ‘vertical gardens’ planted to beautify and ‘oxygenate’ the more polluted city centres and provide beautiful surroundings using the existing infrastructure.
This could be added to this drab wall. Please do something about this atrocious eyesore which does nothing to promote your fabulous city. Your city council planners should hang their heads in shame. Do the residents of this great city agree ?
So finally, thank you Manchester for the opportunity to see and enjoy your wonderful city. Mrs Leigh Patterson, Costa Blanca, Spain