Not much time to include this but can’t ignore art without mentioning the amazing murals that are an essential part of the Manchester landscape!

What many people won’t know about Manchester is that the Town Hall has a series of 12 murals (strictly 4 canvas and 8 murals) completed in 1879 by Ford Madox-Brown. Intending to depict Victorian values, they are a subtly satirical take on key events and people in the history of Manchester from the Romans to the 1850s.

So it’s not so surprising to find that Manchester’s fiercely independent and satirical nature is still with us in its public art today.

Signatures of Manchester’s unique identity and celebrating its identity as a city of art, innovation, experimentation and alternative culture, these stunning, huge scale pieces are a feat of both artistic talent and engineering.

The murals took on particular significance following the Ariana Grande tragedy at Manchester Arena, with supportive murals signifying the indomitable spirit and community of Manchester in the face of terrorism (see also the IRA bomb on the Arndale Centre visit). Some of the murals change regularly (Stevenson Square) while others are permanent. Sadly some have already fallen victim to the skyscraper, new-build frenzy currently obsessing Manchester’s town planners.