TOO often when I visit Manchester I see only the inside of Piccadilly Station, the inside of a taxi and the inside of whatever establishment I am visiting for work purposes.
So when the opportunity came to spend a day exploring a lesser travelled section of the city — the recently regenerated Salford Quays area — I was quick to grab a friend and take it up.
What we found was an unexpected surprise.
Like most I have spent some social time in Manchester over the years, but while I’ve enjoyed numerous events at the city’s vibrant Irish World Heritage Centre and sampled bars and restaurants in venues from the Northern Quarter to Deansgate, I had yet to travel west of the city to Salford, more specifically to The Quays.
This neck of the Manchester woods is sporting territory really, being close to both Manchester United’s Old Trafford home and the Lancashire County Cricket Club.
But thankfully — for two women more interested in fashion than football — you don’t need to be a sportsfan to enjoy what The Quays has to offer.
Instead in this vast waterside space, located not too far from the hallowed MUFC grounds, there is more urban design, clean lines and wide walkways than you could shake a ruler at.
And within it lies a treasure trove of cultural, leisure and corporate spaces, including the most recent arrival, Media City UK, which is now home to both the BBC and ITV among many other high-end occupiers.
So faced with all manner of day-enriching opportunities along the water we decided to first embark on a tour of the Imperial War Museum North.
But before entering the vast building — sister to London’s flagship IWM — we are struck by the jagged skyline created by its structure.
Shortly we find out that its jutting edges are intended by architect Daniel Libeskind — also the man behind the masterplan for the Ground Zero site in New York — to represent a “world shattered by conflict”, as the many exhibitions inside it document.
As impressive as his concept are the collections held inside and the history being enjoyed by men, woman and children of all ages.
Particularly poignant is the temporary exhibition From Street to Trench: A War That Shaped A Region, which is currently in place to mark the start of the First World War in its centenary year and will remain so until early 2015.
This collection consists of more than 200 personal objects, films, sounds and recordings from the period, many of which are on display for the first time, and proves a moving reminder of the lives and loss of war. It is well worth a visit for anyone living in or visiting the city.
Now happily on the cultural path, our next leg of the journey takes us to the Lowry Gallery — dedicated to the Manchester painter of Irish descent best known for his matchstick men.
But this venue is also more than meets the eye, as this triangular plaza — covering an area the size of five football pitches — is in fact a vast arts centre, boasting restaurants, a coffee shop, a cinema and theatre and space for all sorts of visiting exhibitions.
Our visit coincided nicely with the showcasing of Behind the Mask, a two-year photographic project offering the biggest collection of BAFTA-winning actor portraits.
Uniquely, it is both familiar and revealing for the viewer, as it includes so many faces that have dotted the cinematic history of our age, but in a far starker and unusual context.
It includes everyone from Al Pacino and Sidney Poitier to Judy Dench and Cillian Murphy and is another exhibit I would urge those who can to catch.
Following this, with the culture box well and truly ticked, it was only a short hop across the pavilion to visit the Lowry Outlet and indulge in a spot of retail therapy, before heading off to find sustenance.
Luckily an ice-rink has been put in place nearby, bringing the necessary festive touch to our winter trip and the even more necessary pop-up bar.
The next hour was spent consuming mulled wine, soup and other heart-warming snacks.
And that pit stop left us ready to take on another activity — a visit to the former Coronation Street set, which is open for tours until March 2015.
With Ken, Carla and the rest of the Corrie cast now enjoying filming in ITV’s new Media City home, their former cobbles are left free for the likes of us to explore.
Whether you are a soap fan or not — I’m not really, but my friend is — there remains nothing more enjoyable than rummaging through someone else’s home when they’re not in, fictional or otherwise.
This popular attraction offers just that, a peek at the Platt’s sofa and a pew at the street’s infamous pub — although the Rovers Return is merely there in spirit and offers none of the hard sort.
And as that surprisingly enjoyable tour comes to an end we realise we have covered an awful lot in one day.
So, equally proud of ourselves and sorry for wearing too high heels for our mammoth Mancunian expedition, it’s time to for a treat.
After a quick freshen up we decide to end on a high and find a welcome spot waiting for us at Cloud 23 at the Hilton hotel.
And as the light faded across the city, we found sipping a glass of something fizzy at Manchester’s only sky bar proved the best way to close off a particularly busy day.
For more information visit www.thequays.org.uk find Facebook page VisittheQuays or twitter feed @quays_partnership
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