12: In the 1800’s Manchester England was the epicenter

14: of the Industrial Revolution.

16: Manchester’s story is often shrouded in the smog

19: and soot of Charles Dickens’ novels,

21: but this is a city with a glorious past,

23: and perhaps, an even a greater future.

34: It’s been said,

35: “What Manchester thinks today, the world thinks tomorrow.”

38: Manchester is a city of firsts.

40: This is the world’s first truly modern city,

42: the place where mankind first split the atom,

45: the birthplace of the first modern computer.

52: Manchester’s story began here, in Castlefield,

55: where the many chapters of the city’s story merge into one.

60: Explore the remains of the Roman fort,

62: built to guard an ancient river crossing.

65: Wander the banks of Bridgewater canal,

67: whose completion in 1761 is regarded as the beginning of the Industrial Revolution.

77: Admire the warehouses and mills which once numbered in the thousands

81: and generated incredible wealth for the city.

84: While in the background, is Beetham Tower,

86: the symbol of a city once again on the rise.

91: As the city’s fortunes swelled in the 19th century,

94: so too did its civic pride.

96: Manchester’s elite saw their city as the new Venice,

99: and commissioned grand buildings and monuments,

102: taking architectural inspiration from across the ages.

110: Manchester’s crowning glory is its Town Hall,

114: built to rival the great buildings of London.

116: Admire the incredible Victorian Gothic exterior,

119: lavish staterooms,…and murals which celebrate the city’s history.

125: This is a building that proclaimed,

127: “this is Manchester, and we’ve arrived!”

136: For two centuries, Manchester’s merchants went on a spending spree,

140: scouring the world in search of cultural treasures

142: to fill their stately homes.

143: Many of these treasures now reside in the city’s museums and galleries.

148: At the Manchester Art Gallery,

150: explore the works of the Pre-Raphaelites

151: Britain’s first radical art movement

154: and more contemporary works which continue to challenge.

171: At the Manchester Museum,

173: step into a Gothic Revival time-capsule housing millions of items,

176: from a T-Rex skeleton called Stan,

179: to one of the UK’s most important Egyptology collections.

186: This city enjoys a proud philanthropic tradition.

189: Perhaps the city’s greatest was Enriqueta Rylands,

192: whose gift to the city was the John Rylands Library.

196: Dedicated to Manchester’s largest textile magnate,

199: in the ten years it took to create this neo-gothic masterpiece,

202: the widow acquired 40 000 books and oversaw every last detail

207: a labor of love for her late husband, and the people of Manchester.

212: Manchester has long understood the power of knowledge.

216: In 1653 the Chetham Library became the country’s first free public library

221: and has been open to all ever since.

224: Let your fingertips wander the Tudor era shelves,

227: then step into the room where Friedrich Engels and Karl Marx

230: began to write the Communist Manifesto,

232: a work inspired by the crushing conditions the city’s workers once endured.

240: Revolution and reform run deep in Manchester’s waters.

245: Housed in a restored Edwardian pump house is The People’s History Museum,

249: which celebrates those who challenged Britain’s rigid political and class systems.

257: Stand before the simple desk where Thomas Paine penned The Rights of Man,

261: a book that helped ignite the revolutionary fires in America and France.

267: At the world’s oldest surviving railway station,

269: you’ll find The Museum of Science and Industry.

272: In the museum’s Power Hall,

274: feel the heat and steam that powered the shafts

276: and wheels which once made Manchester the Empire’s engine room.

281: From textile looms to locally produced aircraft and motor vehicles,

286: this museum is a both fascinating journey through the city’s glory days,

290: and a peek into the future.

296: The Imperial War Museum North is designed to resemble

299: the shards of a world shattered by conflict.

303: Manchester knows well the horrors of war. During the Manchester Blitz,

307: thousands of German bombs reigned down upon the city.

311: In typical Mancunian fashion,

313: this museum strips away the pomp and glory of war

316: and reminds us instead, of its human cost.

321: After the 1950s, Manchester’s fortunes went into a serious decline

326: and the city was all but written off as a post-industrial basket-case.

331: But in recent decades, the city began to awaken once more,

334: largely thanks to its youthful creativity.

336: A succession of bands like Joy Division, the Smiths,

339: The Stone Roses and Oasis shook up the

341: foundations of popular music and put Manchester back on the map.

347: Explore the city’s incredible musical heritage

349: in areas like the Northern Quarter,

351: and pick up some rare vinyl along the way.

354: Then head to “The Village” around Canal Street,

358: which perfectly encapsulates the Mancunian ideals of tolerance,

362: self-expression and good times.

365: But if there’s one source of pride that truly unites this city,

371: it’s its two football clubs,

374: Manchester City and Manchester United.

377: In 1968, Manchester United,

379: became the first English club to become European Champions.

383: Today, the club enjoys a global fan base in the millions.

388: Learn more at the National Football Museum in the city center,

391: or better still, time your visit for a match at Old Trafford,

395: Manchester’s “Theatre of Dreams” since 1910.

401: Manchester may no longer be England’s industrial powerhouse,

405: but it’s a city that’s never stopped dreaming.

407: Right across the city, daring new projects,

410: innovations and ideas continue to capture the world’s attention.

414: In this city of firsts, the only question is,

417: what will Manchester do next?