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Manchester, United Kingdom
Photo: David Dixon, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The Quays covers the four areas of Salford Quays, Trafford Wharf, Old Trafford and Trafford Centre to the west of Manchester city centre.
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While the IWM in London contains tanks, guns, planes and uniforms, the North museum is focused on the social impacts of war, with less military hardware on display.
This award-winning modern building contains two theatres and a large art gallery, with many works by L.S. Lowry (1887-1976). When he was 22 his family moved from a leafy suburb to Pendlebury, an industrial district of Salford; he detested but then became fascinated by its landscape. Initially he tried to paint in the Impressionist style but the results were gloomy, so he took to using a flake-white ground, and populated the scenes with his characteristic "matchstick men". He also secretly painted the disturbing "marionette" works, only found after his death, and only displayed on request.
United plays soccer in the Premier League, England's top tier. The stadium has a capacity of 75,000, and sells out against top-calibre opposition, such as the other big names in English football (especially Liverpool and Leeds United), and for European tournaments. You should have little trouble getting tickets for lower-ranked opposition, from either the club's official website or the Ticketing Office. The women's team play in the Women's Super League, their top tier, with home games at Leigh Sporting Village near Wigan. In 2022 Old Trafford hosted the opening game of the UEFA Women's Euro Finals, and the opening game and finals of the Rugby League World Cup.
Tour of the stadium facilities, plus museum of the club's history from its 1878 founding as Newton Heath, through the managerial eras of Busby and Ferguson, and a glittering cast of players. Exit via the gift shop: the club merchandising Megastore is within the east stand.
Lancashire CCC were relegated in 2024 and now play in Division Two of the County Championship. Test matches (5-day internationals) are also played here. Also here are Manchester Originals men's and women's teams playing in The Hundred short game. The stadium itself is worth a look; rebuilt by 2017 it has a capacity of 19-26,000, boosted to 50,000 for rock concerts.
Has TV studios that you can visit.
Ski on a 180-m artificial snow slope for skiing and snowboarding.
Not quite skydiving, as you float in a wind tunnel with no parachutes involved.
Golf at driving range.
Part of Merlin Entertainments, which also runs the Blackpool Tower and Madame Tussaud's. It has a large range of habitats and creatures.
Smaller than the Legoland theme parks. It is aimed at children aged 3–10, and even more surely at their parents' wallets.
Lively bar and restaurant on the square outside the Gallery.
Comfortable, clean hotel though rooms are small.
Four star hotel. Good service, decent sized bedrooms. Free parking.
Great location near Old Trafford football ground on transport routes into the city, gets booked out for big matches. Tatty hotel which is halfway through a much needed refurbishment.
By bus
Buses to this area have mostly been axed in favour of the tram. Those that still run go south of the city centre, handy for the University Quarter but not for Piccadilly or Victoria.
By train
Trains are convenient for central Salford and for Trafford Park, but the stations are a mile or so from Old Trafford and the Quays.
By car
Find your way onto the M60 orbital motorway. Exit at junction 9 for Old Trafford, junction 10 for Trafford Centre, and junction 11 for the M602 spur into Salford Quays.
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Manchester, Greater Manchester · International · MAN
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