Manchester What To See – My Top Picks

From the 10th till 14th of May, MenStyleFashion was in Manchester for Luxury Week Manchester in which we look at luxury hotel, restaurants, tourist attractions and shopping destinations around Manchester. Most of you will know Manchester is known for its, two football teams Manchester United and Manchester City, and I will have two dedicated articles about them. In this article I want to focus on six of my top picks to see around the city. After being dropped off in a Bentley Mulsanne the next day, it all kicked off with me getting my hair done at Nicky Clarke’s one of Manchester’s top hair salons.  I did a walking trip from the Malmaison Manchester hotel where I stayed which is right opposite the Piccadilly train station.

Northern Quarters

Now for MenStyleFashion I like to see what is trending on the streets of Manchester. I have to say I was really impressed how much effort the average guy made both day and night.  I wanted to be guided the hidden gems  and understand the fashion and lifestyle culture of Manchester I was guided into the Northern Quarters. It was lovely having a guide called Kate and she was very flexible. In no time at all she understood, I was after the man on the street and anything that is up and coming.

The first thing I noticed when walking through the Northern Quarter was the worker bee sign that can be found anywhere. The worker bee symbolizes Manchester’s industrial heritage and I like how it is incorporated within a lot of its local designs.

Another thing that stood out for me were the tiled street names that could be found throughout the Northern Quarter. I nice unique personal touch.

There is nothing worse working through a city where there is graffiti every where. Whether we like it or not it is a gift and a skill to do. So in The Northern Quarter, the artists are allowed and controlled by the local council to illustrate their street art in dedicated areas. This is very clever indeed and every three months they change the billboards.

The Northern Quarter to me is the very core essence of Manchester regarding its textile history, fashion, lifestyle and design. There are many great cafes, retro shops and barbers in the area. If you come to Manchester the Northern Quarter should be on your itinerary.

RAMBO – Manchester’s Best Tattoo Artist

I am all about trying to find history and to get unique stories within any city. When I saw this Tattoo parlour in the Northern Quarter, I had to go in and see what it was all about. I can’t share too much but the golden gem of this parlour was shown within this building. Paul the owner also known as Rambo, is an amazing guy with so much Manchester and tattoo history. Rambo’s is Manchester’s longest established Tattoo Parlour, specializing in all forms of bespoke tattooing from the traditional old school to modern photo realism.

I managed to get an interview with Rambo who is normally very interview shy. Listen to what he has to say when way back, when David Beckham was in his early twenties and enters Rambo’s shop. Does Rambo say yes or no to David Beckham? Also in this interview Rambo talks about how he tattooed the whole Australian Rugby team.

Rambo was adorable and if I ever have the courage to get a tattoo, then he is my guy. Rambo confirms that over the years, people don’t regret getting tattoos but they regret what they put on their body in regards to other people’s names. One thing I learnt that the positioning is very important and that most people regret where they showcase their tattoo. Listen to these two interviews if you’re considering getting your first tattoo.

Manchester Football Museum

Manchester’s football history is great with two big top clubs part of the city. This part of the UK is a football powerhouse as Manchester is also not for from Liverpool which also has two big football clubs. So it made sense to have the National Football museum located in Manchester. This museum has more than 140,000 football related items and there is also an area where you get test your football skills.

Royal Exchange

My next stop was the Royal Exchange theatre. This historical building which is now a theatre and shopping centre was used in the past as a commodities exchange. It was primarily used for cotton and textile trades. I was told by Kate my guide that on an average trading day up to 11,000 people where working in here. In 1996 the IRA bomb that blasted through the centre of Manchester this building heavily damaged. You can now go and see local theater performances within the Royal Exchange, make sure you book in advance.

The trade boards show what happened at the last day of trading. This is an amazing showcase of history.

Jeffery West Bespoke Shoes

Not far from the from the Royal Exchange Theatre is the Barton Arcade and in here is Manchester’s best male shoe store called Jeffery West. Listen to the next interview about what makes this shop unique to Manchester.

Private White V.C. 100% Manchester

My walking trip had ended and my next visit was a short taxi ride away to visit the Private White V.C. shop and warehouse. Private White V.C. is literally the brand famous to Manchester and they are also literally the last manufacturing fashion label in a building area where all other manufacturers have left. The factory has an immense history and a brand that has gone global over the years. I interviewed Ryan who can tell you more about what jacket you should be investing in and what type of fabric is so expensive now that only Private White V.C. can only literally sell it to you.