1 July, 2008 – The Standards Board for England – A Personal View
Gary Hickey, Research and Monitoring Manager at The Standards Board for England has been enjoying restaurants, bars and life in Manchester since relocating in 2006.
“I came to Manchester to take up a new role at The Standards Board, having spent most of my life in London. I’ve really enjoyed my time in Manchester so far and am particularly enjoying living in the city centre.
“When I moved I knew I wanted to live in the centre – its something I would never have been able to do in London because of the cost. Selling my property in London meant I could buy a fantastic ground floor apartment in an old flour mill in Castlefield – you definitely get more for your money on property here.
“Castlefield is a well established residential area next to canals and some great bars and restaurants. It’s close to Deansgate and walking distance from everything you might need in the city centre. For me, that also means a pleasant half hour walk to work.
“There’s a really good variety of things to do. When the International Festival was on I managed to catch quite a few events. I go to the Cornerhouse quite often to see arthouse films, the Royal Exchange is a great theatre and I’ve been to a few gigs at the Apollo.
“There are plenty of good restaurants and bars around Manchester. There’s a great Thai restaurant in Chinatown, called Phetpailin that I love – the food is great. Independent pizza restaurant Croma is another favourite and I like Akbars for curry and El Rincon for tapas. For bars, the Northern Quarter has some fantastic independents like Centro and Odd, and The Knott and Dukes 92 are ideal for relaxing near the canals in Castlefield. Everything’s in easy walking distance too.
“I’m an Arsenal supporter but I’ve been to a few football matches here. Some friends came up recently for the Arsenal – Man City match. We got the bus down to the stadium then walked back into town afterwards for a few drinks. It all feels so easy; the city is big but very manageable to get around. In London you could be looking at a two-hour trip to get to the football ground.
“Getting to London from Manchester, particularly on the train, is no hassle at all. It’s really not that far – sometimes I go down and back on the same day. The airport is really handy too and much easier than flying from Heathrow or Gatwick. One thing that I really appreciate is when I get back to Manchester from a holiday or a business trip – whether you arrive at the Airport or Piccadilly train station – you can get home so easily. You can just jump on a train from the airport or in a cab.
“I’ve taken the opportunity to get out into the Peak District for walking too. Even without a car it’s easy to get to – the train takes half an hour from the city centre. Chapel-en-le-Frith, Edale and Marple are great Peak District villages to visit and with the extensive transport links you can easily get to other cities like Leeds, Liverpool and Sheffield too.
“I would definitely recommend Manchester, without a doubt. I’d been to Manchester a few times before with business and went on a reconnaissance visit hosted by MIDAS, so I knew a little bit about the city before I came, but I have enjoyed it even more than I had anticipated.”