CityLife

Took this Urbis walk at the end of August 2009. It is a fascinating glimpse into the development of Manchester as a city - as much as Factory as a record label. Fans of the Hacienda and the Factory bands won't be disappointed but I hope that others who have an interest in post industrial Manchester get to spend a couple of hours on this walk too. It definitely owes a great deal to the Urbis mission of exploring what it means to be a city. The walk takes in the Hacienda, Boardwalk, Free Trade Hall and most interestingly the Factory Records HQ. But I was pleasantly surprised that the walk made some rather more unexpected stops including the Beetham Tower and some Great Western Train warehouses that still help to tell the story of how a city like Manchester and a label like Factory could come to create something so new and unique out of so much old and dilapidated. This was my first Urbis walk but I'd definitely want to check out another in the future. One last thought - this walk books up quickly, so contact Urbis a few weeks ahead of timje and get your name down. And then pray for an hour of two of sunshine at 2 o'clock on a Saturday afternoon.<br />