City Breaks With Kids: Manchester

Written by Annemarie Flanagan

It hardly seems a minute since the little blighters were on their summer holidays but there’s always another school break looming large on the horizon. With holidays abroad costing a small fortune, why not look a bit closer to home for entertainment? Annemarie Flanagan and her 9 year old son, Leo, visited family friendly Manchester.

I have to put my cards on the table and admit a bit of bias. Manchester is my hometown, and, although I moved away a long time ago, I will always have a soft spot for the place.

It’s changed massively since I grew up there, it was always lively, but it’s a regular party city now with events and festivals virtually every weekend. It’s a great place for music, arts and culture - but is it any good for families?

I decided to take my middle child, Leo, for a short break and called upon the expert advice of the very helpful Visit Manchester team to tell us what we should do and see www.visitmanchester.com

We soon had a packed itinerary and were delighted to arrive up north by train which took just two hours.

Leo is an avid Lego fan so a visit to the Legoland Discovery Centre www.legolanddiscoverycentre.co.uk was a must.

His eyes lit up when he saw there was Lego literally everywhere. The 4D cinema and section where you build your own cars and race them down a variety of ramps were both particularly popular.

For younger children there is a Duplo Village with soft bricks, a jungle gym, climbing wall and slide.

The Discovery Centre is an indoor facility, and, although there are a couple of gentle rides, it is most definitely NOT to be confused with its bigger relative - the Legoland theme park.  It may not have the same adrenalin factor but it really doesn’t matter -  if you are a Lego fan it’s still a small piece of heaven.

Skydiving isn’t something I have ever felt an overwhelming urge to do – but  Manchester is one of only two places in the country where you can try it, (the other is Milton Keynes), so, when the opportunity arose, I couldn’t really refuse.

‘Experience the magical sensation of flying’ said the blurb from Airkix www.airkix.com  but watching others do it from outside the wind tunnel I began to have second thoughts.

The instructor gives a short lesson, you get kitted up in overall, helmet, and goggles and then it’s into the great unknown – the wind tunnel.
 
Suspended on a high column of air you find yourself literally flying! It’s all perfectly safe and totally exhilarating - but, as the instructor spins you to the top of the tunnel and down again at high speed - it’s certainly not for the faint hearted.

Needless to say Leo absolutely loved it and two minutes inside the tunnel wasn’t enough for him, as for me, well I’m glad I tried it but am not quite so desperate to do it again.

When asked what he thought about his ‘flying’ experience Leo beamed from ear to ear - ‘it was totally awesome’ he said.

We could have ended our trip at that point as he was one happy little boy, but there was so much more we had to see and do.

The Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) www.mosi.org.uk is one of the city’s leading attractions and it’s easy to see why.

Built on the site of the oldest passenger railway station in the world it’s packed full of hands-on exhibitions and interactive experiences.  It’s supremely child friendly and best of all - it’s completely free. Don’t miss it.

If you fancy some retail therapy, The Trafford Centre is the place to be. It’s a huge shopping park just five miles outside of the city centre, but, if that’s not your thing (unfortunately it’s not Leo’s), there is plenty to keep you busy at the nearby Trafford Quays Leisure Village.  

Visit The Chill Factore www.traffordcentre.co.uk/tqlv/chillfactore and you can pretend you’ve been to the Alps and not Manchester for your holiday.

It has the UK’s longest indoor real snow ski-slope, there are luge and tube slides, a snowplay area and even a climbing wall located on the Alpine streets.

Make sure you wrap up warm because temperatures are totally realistic. If you and your kids think messing about in the snow is ‘cool’ this is the place to be.

Most people tend to pay homage to that well known Manchester football team (you know, the ones who play in red) but we’re a family of true blues so we made our pilgrimage to the other side of Manchester - the fantastic Etihad stadium. www.mcfc.co.uk/The-Club/Visiting-the-Stadium

 This stunning complex was built for Manchester's Commonwealth Games in 2002 and is now home to Manchester City.

‘Wow! Impressive’ said Leo when he looked out at the huge, beautifully managed, lush green pitch, and I had to agree.

We had a very entertaining guide who took us round the stadium giving us an insight into the day-to-day activities of the club.

Leo tried manager Roberto Mancini’s seat for size and was pleased to be told that the Queen had also once sat in the same place.

The tour lasts about an hour and is highly recommended.

At just over 2 hours by train from London, with very regular services from all over the country, www.virgintrains.co.uk  it would be perfectly possible to do Manchester in a day.

My advice would be to spend longer. This is a vibrant, cosmopolitan city with lots to offer for families and it would be a shame to rush a visit.

Incredibly there are free – yes - free - buses that take you around the centre, and in combination with a very useful tram network you can have the city covered quickly and easily.

We stayed one night at the very comfortable and conveniently situated Mint Hotel www.minthotel.com but there are plenty of options for accommodation – including apartments www.visitmanchester.com/articles/special-offers/accommodation-offers-.aspx

So, what did Leo think of my hometown and our brief city break?

‘We packed loads in - it’s a great place and there’s lots of fun stuff to do here. I love Manchester.’

He wants to know when we are going again – the sign of a successful trip I’d say.