Manchester's alright. It does a job as a city. It's got a bit of music based history if that's your bag, and it has managed to house two of the biggest football teams on the planet - ergo the two most annoying fan bases in sport history - within its metaphorical walls. It didn't have a huge impact on the country until the 19th century but is now (using population of the metropolitan counties as a marker) the third biggest city in England. It's alright. It is convenient to get to. The major artists do concerts here and there are plenty of theatres. It serves a great purpose from an entertainment perspective. And the beer's pretty good too. I couldn't tell you exactly why I feel no affinity towards the place, being as foolishly loyal and emotionally nostalgic as I am about everything else. I've spent 70%+ of my life with this being my nearest (or at least most accessible) city, including my formative years. Perhaps it is the fact that in that