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.

Smithfield Market Hall is located just on the edge of the Northen Quarter and it's a real shame…read morethat an old building like this is boarded up and slowly crumbling apart. It's a shame that this can't be turned into an awesome local market along the lines of Spitalfields in East London or something like that. Surely with all the great independent shops, creativity and ideas floating around the Northern Quarter, something cool can be done with Smithfield Market Hall?

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

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)

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...

A trip back in time that is attempted to be restored. Next time I go should try and do some…read moreswimming.

A real architectural gem, this Grade II* listed Edwardian swimming pool and Turkish Baths has…read moreserious kerb appeal, though to be honest it's not in the greatest of surroundings - demolition and urbanisation over the years has seen to that. The repair and restoration of the building, inside and out, is still a work in progress but there are lots of stunning original features throughout, not to mention its layout of corridors and random doorways means you uncover its character bit-by-bit. To aid the on-going fund raising, the Baths have regular events held within the walls - one of the biggest in recent years is Indy Man Beer Con (http://www.yelp.co.uk/biz/indy-man-beer-con-manchester) which utilises much of the space brilliantly (where else can you sup a large range of beers whilst sat in large, empty swimming pools?). For the first time this year I also went to The Vintage Home Show which saw the building crammed full of retro furniture, home ware and clothing. They regularly hold 'Getting to Know VB' tours and participate in heritage open days, so check out their website for upcoming events, it's a beautiful place and needs every penny to bring it back to its full splendour.

What an incredible piece of artwork in Piccadilly Gardens. The monument is large and pays a great…read morehomage to Queen V. It was unveiled in 1901, just after her death. This piece of public art depicts Queen Victoria on a throne, holding an orb and a scepter. Onslow Ford was the sculptor who created the bronze statue, which was initially intended to be created of marble. It is my understanding that Queen V. felt bronze would be more weather-appropriate. Nice piece of history to take in if you find yourself at Piccadilly Gardens.

Now over 100 years old (the statue, not Queen Victoria), this statue of Britain's longest serving…read moremonarch sits right in Piccadilly Gardens. The statue is oversized. Perhaps that is why this statue represents Queen Victoria as plump and grumpy. Or maybe it's just the expression that the sculptor has left on the subject's face. Sure, this is an impressive statue, but it doesn't possess the elegance or pomp of the Wellington statue just down the way.

Exchange Square in Manchester is one of the cities coolest, more modern areas, located at the back…read moreof the Manchester Arndale, here there is the entrance to the Printworks, and even The Corn Exchange, which has also been revitalised recently, with so many more eateries being added there such as Pho and a new restaurant from Gino, the chef from This Morning. Exchange Square was one of the areas hit by the 1996 bombing of Manchester from the IRA, and since then they seem to have done a great job bringing it back to life again. There is a new metrolink station from Exchange Square, providing travel across Greater Manchester, and it is a short walk to Victoria Station, Manchester's 2nd largest station. In Exchange Square, there also is a Selfridges and Harvey Nichols, which adds a higher-end feel to the area, but still it is a nice place to shop and look around, and defiantly worth paying a visit when in Manchester, as it is really central, just being outside one of the exits to the Arndale. There also is a lot of coffee shops here with Café Nero and Starbucks all having stores, Second Cup also opened their first ever store in the UK here since expanding into the nation and now have 3 stores, including stores in London and Birmingham. The Wheel of Manchester was also located here before it was taken down as the owners were not paying their rent. There isn't much else to say about Exchange Square but it is quite a nice, cool area of Manchester which has been greatly improved and they have worked hard since the IRA bombing of Manchester in 1996 strongly affecting it.

Exchange Square is a lovely part of Manchester, and clever too. Cleverly reconstructed after the…read moreinfamous IRA bombing of 1996, this area is a perfect sun trap in Manchester. Well fitted with rows of seating and a large screen autotuned to the BBC, this area is very rarely empty. It's sad that the wheel has left this area as many people knew where they were due to the landmark and now many people (including me!) can be found wondering why we've taken it down and replaced it with a pop up bar which has missed the nicest weather Manchester has seen in a while? Something to do with the new metrolink city crossing I'm sure. I often walk through this area on my way to guide at the Cathedral but have also been known to watch the ballet here when it was beamed and screened from London. Lovely area but the 3 stars reflects some of the eateries and general lack of atmosphere in the area. Great when the beeb is screening something engaging or when the sun is out but otherwise a bit neglected by the masses.

Nice spot with an informational sign. Unfortunately the feature that is supposed to allow us to…read moreaccess a recording to hear him speak doesn't work. The website the QR code accesses is no longer valid. Overall a nice spot for a memorial

The seated statue of the father-founder of computer science can be found in the middle of Sackville…read moreGardens. The pensive professor gazes at the flowerbed in front on him, holding an apple. There seems to be little special in how Turing is represented: an almost typical genius, humble and lost in thought. The apple is thus the most peculiar part of the monument. It refers to Isaac Newton, the father of modern math and physics. It is also the symbol of forbidden love, and Turing's statue is well placed by Canal Street. Indeed, Turing was gay, and it was his sexuality that reportedly led the Government to doubt his integrity in keeping the state secrets intact. Turing committed suicide by injecting an apple with cianide - another reason why he is depicted holding the fruit. It is amazing to contemplate the role an object (an apple on this occasion) can play in one's life.