Atlantica - 01.02.2006, Qupperneq 40

MANCHESTERa
apartment complexes and offices. The Docks area is now referred to as
the Quays and boasts of such new architectural landmarks as the Lowry
and the Daniel Libeskind-designed Imperial War Museum North, whose
striking three main ‘shards’ of metal on the exterior represent land, sea
and air conflicts.
Not all the architectural highlights are new, however. Dwarfed by
the flashy glass buildings surrounding it, the 15th century Manchester
Cathedral provided a calm respite from bustling lunchtime crowds on
Deansgate and King Streets. I asked a cathedral volunteer about the
effects of the IRA bomb on the building, which had already survived the
Blitz during World War II.
“We were shaken but not stirred,” smiled the chatty elderly woman.
ON THE LOOKOUT FOR FOOTBALLERS’ WIVES
The 1996 bomb went off outside the Marks & Spencer’s at the Arndale
Centre, Manchester´s main downtown shopping center. The M&S is
back now, bigger and brighter than before, and the Arndale Centre is
now the crux of a shopping district that rivals London’s Oxford Street
for high street labels and luxury goods – minus the heavy crowds.
Manchester’s reputation as the birthplace of great musical talents, includ-
ing Oasis, the Smiths, and the Bee Gees, extends to its streets; drummers,
guitarists and vocalists competed for attention and loose change.
I ventured around nearby King Street to check out the new clothing
stores and see if I could spot any of the famous footballer’s wives who
are reputed to frequent the boutiques. I didn’t find any famous faces, but
I did buy a pair of trousers at MaxMara for only £35 – all in the name of
journalism, of course.
More deals were to be had away from the grand Victorian structures
of the center. The Lowry Discount Mall – only a short walk from Old
Trafford football stadium – offered luxury brand names at discount
prices. After those two visits, I had no more energy – or money – to face
Trafford Centre, Europe’s largest shopping mall, but I did take a stroll
around the funky boutiques and quirky craft gallery in the city’s bohe-
mian Northern Quarter.
FEEDING THE CITY
“Brew, Luv?” asked the woman behind the counter when I finally reached
the front of a snaking queue.
Daniel Libeskind, one of the architects behind the Freedom Tower for the World Trade Center site, created the stark design for the impressive Imperial War Museum North.
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