Anyone who visits Northern Quarter, or walks past Affleck's Palace or down Tib Street, will be…read moreamused by this creation. How would one describe it? To paraphrase the famous surrealist line, it is beautiful like a fortuitous encounter of a caterpillar and a saxophone within the remains of a red brick warehouse. As if this was not enough, there is a Freudian twist to it in the form of something that suggests the sculpture is of hermaphrodite nature, in that it has something female and male to it at the same time. Considering the status of Northern Quarter as the place for all things peculiar, the composition is a perfect fit.

The fact that the Mancunian powers-that-be woke up one day and decided to commemorate Vimto…read more(arguably the king of all 'mixed fruit' cordials) with its very own monument fills me with boundless joy. So much so, I've even got a photograph of myself doing a thumbs up by this statue. Seriously, the only way this monument could be any better is if it actually dispensed Vimto (Hot Vimto for the Winter months, Fizzy Vimto for the Summer months). If the person with the ability to make this happen is reading this, come on then, hop to it!

As an alternative to beer, the 'temperance drink' under the odd name of Vimto was first mixed by…read moreJohn Nichols in Granby Row in 1908. The sculpture by Kerry Morrison (1992) is now popular with students, children, and photographers.

The great Greek bather-cum-mathematician is commemorated in a peculiar monument that sees…read moreArchimedes jumping up in his bath at the famous "Eureka!" moment. More peculiar yet is the monument's location. It is to be found under one of the arches of the railway bridge that separates Granby Row from Altrincham Street. It is usually seen by students and those who cut through on their way to or from Piccadilly train station. Apart from setting a distinguished man in stone, it also proves the point: nose is the Achilles heel of many sculptures...

Never knew Manchester had a Chinatown but apparently it's the second biggest one outside of London…read more That being said, it encompasses only a few blocks (that we could see) but still it's fun to wander around and window shop - and have some dim sum or other more authentic dishes other than kung pao or general Tso chicken.

Manchester is a beautiful city itself. Having Chinatown adds an extra oomph. I didn't hit any…read morevendors when I was there for my UK trip but I just walked through it since I wasn't staying in Manchester and was waiting to go to Sheffield. 153/2017

Manchester Town Hall is located in Albert Square in the city centre - it is home to the main area…read moreof the city's famous yearly Christmas Markets. It is one of the nicer, older buildings in the city being built in the mid-1800s and in many ways is your typical victorian building. It has been refurbished of late and the town hall now has a small Post Office in the annexe - it is also well located being right next to Manchester Central Library and part of it is also in St Peter's Square, which is one of the main stops on the city's light railway transport, Metrolink. It is still used today for various reasons other than the Post Office, it also is a small base for the police and it can sometimes be used for voting counting in elections, more notably the 2016 EU referendum where the United Kingdom voted by majority to leave the European Union. The guide of finding key areas of the town hall could perhaps be displayed better, especially when approaching it from Albert Square and St Peter's Square, being quite large it does stretch across both. A really nice old building in the city with some use today - as far as town halls go this is pretty cool. 4*

Last night I was lucky enough to attend an event at Manchester Town Hall. It was Grant's True Tales…read more(http://www.grantswhisky.com/uk/truetales/about), and it was absolutely spectacular. I experienced a whisky tasting, some exceptional cocktails and personal, entertaining stories told by some very interesting people, including that lovely Alistair McGowan, one of the country's nicest comedians. But most of all I got to see the Town Hall, full access. We all know it's an incredible building, but ascend the stairs, see the mosaic tiles on the floor and the bees which adorn them, go into the main hall and see what event managers can actually do with the space. We saw logos projected on walls amidst the ornate windows, heard the soft buzz of the live music from the Food and Drink festival outside, drank some beautiful whisky cocktails and got to meet a bunch of like-minded people. Even if you're not someone who falls in love with buildings the way I do so quickly and willingly, you'd have to have a heart of stone not to be overwhelmed by the Town Hall. It's staggeringly big, as beautiful as any cathedral, and it's steeped in history that's practically tangible as you walk around. But the cherry on the icing? Even the toilets are stupendous! Adding a lovely lavvy into the mix just finishes it off now, doesn't it...

For the lack of better word, I call this composition "The Monument to Cleanliness". There is no…read moreplaque gracing the pedestal, on which is mounted a massive broom. By the side of the pedestal stands a spade. For a poetic soul this will be the place where God left his cleaning instruments and went in for a curry and a pint. And naturally, forgot to go back to collect them. Jokes aside, this seems to be one of the least known landmarks in Manchester. It stands just across the road from the former post office in Thomas St, and is hard to ignore. But it seems to have assimilated with the rest of the street to such extent that it's become a natural and hence unimportant part of it. Sadly so, I think.

There could hardly be an odder location and design for a court of law. Across the road from…read moreManchester Crown Court is the (in)famous Essential, one of the loudest clubs in the city's Gay Village. As for its architecture and outside decor, the building was erected in 1867-73 by Thomas Worthington who was guided by John Ruskin's principles for architecture and design. Heavily influenced by European Gothic, this would rather be a museum, yet instead it is not uncommon to see journalists filming reports and judges in wigs smoking outside of the building. The old building can be contemplated from Richmond St, Minshull St, and Bloom St. It is a sight for a photographer, art historian, or a fan of architecture and design. Those familiar with Italian architecture will quickly spot its influence in the design of the towers. The decor of the entrance, particularly the sculptures, are a lovely nod to Gothic style. Like the Manchester Town Hall, the Crown Court was extended, and it is the modern brick-and-glass extension that greets visitors who arrive to Manchester Piccadilly. It is also surrounded by hotels like CityInn and Malmaison, and for those who have to stay in Manchester and to attend the court the location could not be any more convenient. And, in spite of its actual purpose, the building is a pleasant view to cast your eye on, while drinking coffee at Caffe Nero.

Lincoln Statue is a great statue in the otherwise underwhelming Lincoln Square just off Brazenose…read moreStreet. It's full of character and stands tall above the small square. Clearly it's a bit weird that there is a statue of an America President in Manchester. But actually John Bright (whose own statue is in Albert Square) was an important ally to Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War, encouraging Manchester to boycott Southern Cotton in protest at slavery. The Lincoln Statue was made by George Grey Barnard and was erected in 1919.

The Alan Turing Building is the location where the School of Mathematics of The University of…read moreManchester is based; it also houses the Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics. As everyone can imagine, it's named after the famous British mathematician and computer scientist Alan Turing. It's quite a new building, completed only a few years ago, in 2007. Many facilities are provided: spacious and well-lit lecture theatres, a cafe on the ground floor, a small library, computer rooms and even showers. The bridge across the atrium is the common room for mathematics academics and graduate students, where morning coffee is served.

The Alan Turing is the place where I spend most of my mathematical life. It's a great building!!…read moreThe worst thing about the building is that some of the offices (including mine) have no windows. However it's not hard to pop out into the main foyer, which with a glass roof certainly does not lack for natural light. There are plenty of top quality teaching rooms with particularly nice blackboards. My favorite thing about the ATB is the atrium bridge area. It a place where staff and postgrads can relax, chat and get away from maths (although you may struggle to avoid mathematical conversation). It location makes in easy to see from the upper level so you can quickly check who's about from your office (and then decided if you want to sit with them)