When people have children, you often hear them talk about “settling down” and “getting out of the city,” but around here this doesn’t have to mean stifling suburbia. There are plenty of rural communities that are actually within the boundaries of Greater Manchester. I now live in one with my wife and baby daughter, only 12 miles from our old flat in the Northern Quarter, but a world away from it in just about every other respect. So, here’s my guide to five of the best local destinations for a rural escape – either for a fresh-air day out or on a more permanent basis.

1. Dobcross

I’d probably be run out of town if I didn’t choose my new home village of Dobcross in Saddleworth, where streets of classic weavers’ cottages lead away from a beautiful central square. Keep an eye out for a blue plaque on the side of Bridge House, the earliest home of Platt Brothers, which became the world’s largest maker of textile machinery. The Swan Pub in the square is a cosy place for a drink, although the Navigation down the hill on Wool Road is better for food. Information about walks is available from the Brownhill Centre on the Huddersfield Narrow Canal, which runs alongside the village. Get there by bus from Oldham or take the slower but more pleasant option of a train from Victoria to Greenfield and a walk along the canal.

2. Disley

Disley is the sort of village that looks as if it ought to be in the Cotswolds. Past Stockport, where Manchester meets the Peak District, it’s all leafy streets and inviting pubs, with the Ram’s Head probably the pick for a gastro lunch. There’s also a good variety of local shops (many rather upscale). If you’re making a day of it, check out nearby Lyme Hall, which you might recognise as the place where Colin Firth dived into the lake in Pride and Prejudice. It costs a fiver per car to get into the grounds, but it’s worth it if you’re into Jane Austen. Disley is on the A6, but the train is much faster. It’s on the Piccadilly to Buxton line.

3. Broadbottom

Even the most rural parts of Manchester are full of reminders of the cotton industry. Broadbottom, near Stalybridge, is no exception, and it even has a working textile mill to go along with all the old ones. Some of those ruined buildings have been thoughtfully turned into a conservation area by Tameside Council, with trails, information boards and picnic areas dotted around the River Etherow at one end of the village. It’s called the Broad Mills Heritage Site, and there’s a small visitor centre. Inevitably, there’s a good tearoom at the nearby garden centre, as well as a couple of pubs in the village itself. Broadbottom station is on the Piccadilly to Glossop line.

4. Haigh

Between Wigan and Bolton, Haigh is a small village with a grand estate house, Haigh Hall, and an adjoining country park. The park is a family-friendly place for a day out, with woodland trails, a playground and plenty of places to have a picnic. There was even enough room in the grounds for local boys The Verve to play a homecoming show back in 1998. There are also expansive views over Wigan, which remind you that parts of Manchester are on surprisingly high ground. Perhaps best of all, the park is free. There’s a snack bar too, but the three pubs back in the village itself are probably a better bet for lunch. To get there it’s easiest to drive.

5. Flixton

Sometimes people say Manchester could do with a big green space in the city centre. But that’s not a problem in Flixton, where you’ll find a huge park and gardens right in the middle of the village, complete with a good playground. Near Urmston (in the borough of Trafford), walking around the leafy village itself is a pleasure, while the Manchester Ship Canal and River Mersey are both a short distance away on either side. Find the church at the main village crossroads and you’ll also have found a couple of pubs for lunch. Flixton is on the Manchester Oxford Road to Liverpool via Warrington Central line. Or if you’re in the car, you could stop by after a visit to the Trafford Centre, which is on the other side of the M60.

Richard Jones is a journalist who now has a proper job as a full-time stay at home dad to his daughter. He writes about that at Like Father, Like Daughter, and also runs the hyperlocal news site Saddleworth News. Images: all courtesy Richard Jones.

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For me, summer means swimming outdoors. Much of my youth in Vermont was spent happily damming a brook to make a swimming hole, diving into a toe-tingling glacial lake, or packing the car for a trip to a reservoir beach. So, when I moved to the UK, I was mystified by the attitude to swimming outdoors. My queries about places to cool off naturally were met with tales of rusty junk in the water and expressions of disgust at the idea of people swimming in drinking water. I was warned I’d freeze my arse off, get hassled by anglers, or arrested for trespassing.

I gather that it wasn’t always this way, but at some point over the years it has become socially unacceptable to swim in rivers and lakes here. The way people now refer to swimming in natural water – ‘wild swimming’ –  implies that there is something unruly or rebellious about it. At best, it’s seen as decidedly eccentric. So it was with great relief I found the River and Lake Swimming Association and the Outdoor Swimming Society. These like-minded weirdos have been my guide to checking out some of the best places to swim outside in the Northwest.

The experiences I’ve had investigating the waters around Manchester have been so positive that I’m quickly becoming one of those boring people who rattle on about their pet hobby all the time. Obviously, you need to know your rights (and bring your common sense). And the most useful tip I can offer: wear crocs, tevas or aqua socks to protect your feet unless you really know what’s down there. Here are five of the best swimming spots within 30-40 minutes’ drive of the city centre:

1. Hatchmere, near Frodsham, Cheshire. This lake near Delamere Forest has the rare distinction of being a place where swimmers’ rights are recognised. There’s a small lawned area just at the roadside and a tiny sandy beach. On the scorching day we visited, there was a bit of algae on the lake, but it was fine for swimming. The water deepens gradually, so it’s good for kids. Conveniently, there’s a great-looking pub with outdoor seating, The Carriers Inn, just next to the lake access, so you don’t even need to pack a picnic. Next to the Carriers Inn, Delamere Road, Hatchmere, Norley. See Hatchmere Lake website for more details.

2. Pickmere, near Northwich, Cheshire. This large lake is, hands down, my favourite find so far. There’s a parking lot and a recreation area with lawns, picnic tables and lakeside paths to explore. It’s all property of the Parish Council, who don’t condone swimming there (hence the no swimming sign) but according to the RLSA, they can’t stop people prepared to swim at their own risk. The water was crystal clear, though the bottom was bit silty near the shore and it drops off quickly. Be prepared to share the lake with water skiers, kayakers and windsurfers. Those with kids may also want to check out nearby Stockley Farm, but everyone will enjoy a stop at Great Budworth Dairy Ice Cream Farm. Parking/access off Mere Lane, Pickmere, Knutsford, WA16.

3. Lumb Falls, Hebden Bridge. One for the rugged outdoorsy types, a scramble up a trail and down a bank wins you a bracing dip in the waters of this West Yorkshire beauty spot near Hardcastle Crags. The people of Hebden and surrounding towns have enjoyed cooling off here for ages, but it might be a little tricky to find if you’re not familar with the area, as detailed in this Guardian video feature. Access is by public footpath and there is limited parking on Haworth Old Road (SD 994 313). Alternatively, park at Hardcastle Crags and walk up Crimsworth Dean to the falls.

4. Gaddings Dam, Todmorden. Another hiker-friendly swimming spot, this disused reservoir at the top of the moor near Walsden is a great place to cool off. And the fact that it’s accessed by a trail prevents it from getting too crowded. The beach in the Northeast corner is said to be the highest in England, and on a windy day it certainly feels like it. Interestingly, it’s owned and managed by a collective of locals determined to keep it open for swimming. Access via Lumbutts Road, Todmorden – Park opposite the Shepherds Rest Inn, Gaddings Dam is at the end of a steep footpath up the hill opposite.

5. Salford Watersports Centre, Salford Quays – Going for a dip in the Manchester Ship Canal may sound like a bad punchline. But believe us, the water is much, much cleaner than it used to be. Because the watersports centre is run by Salford Council, there are forms to fill in and (reasonable) fees to pay before you can dive in for their hour-long open water training sessions on Monday and Thursday evenings. So, not the place to roll up on a hot day looking for aquatic relief – but a real find for the serious swimmers of the city. 15 The Quays, Salford M50 3SQ. 0161 877 7252.

Images (top to bottom): Gaddings Dam, courtesy Richard Jones; courtesy Kate Feld; Lumb Falls, courtesy West Yorkshire Geology Trust; Delamere, courtesy Susie Stubbs.

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As the person sitting under, and not upon a towel beneath a blazing sun, for whom nothing less than a nuclear blast could rip the cloth from my mushroom-flesh legs, I can think of little better once the British summer limps into view (puffing on an inhaler) than to plan movie-watching appointments both outside and in. Let’s face it, we’re going to need some dry options once the livestock start floating past the upper windows. And there’s plenty on offer. Despite an apparent lack of variety in the city other than the standard multiplexes and the dependable Cornerhouse, a much larger range of programming exists just beneath the surface.

Although only in the second year of operation, the Screenfields series in Spinningfields is a welcome addition to a silvered glass streetscape that certainly appeals to neat freaks like myself. Do they vacuum it on the hour, every hour? I hope so. It provides film lovers of all ages with an immaculate opportunity to gather before a variety of cinematic mash – easy to digest and seasoned with nostalgia. Be it Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday, the ASBO classic Ferris Bueller’s Day Off or Studio Ghibli’s eye-wateringly beautiful Spirited Away, deckchairs can be hired on a first-come, first-served basis, although only drinks purchased from Giraffe bar can be consumed on site. Any unauthorised carry-outs will be confiscated but politely returned afterwards, most probably gleaming and smelling of furniture polish.

If you can ignore the lunatics queuing for a glimpse of surrounding air conditioning units on the incomprehensible draw that is the big wheel, the now-vintage screen in Exchange Square offers annual free, live relays from The Royal Opera House in London’s Covent Garden. Bizet’s Carmen unleashes the ultimate dirty girl (8 June, 7pm) with a national sing-along from 6.15pm when song sheets will be distributed. There’s not a swan in sight for The Royal Ballet’s Triple Bill (10 June, 7.30pm), a challenging contemporary selection including a musical score by The White Stripes, before the season concludes with Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra (13 July, 7.30pm). Featuring Plácido Domingo in the title role, the scheming citizens of 14^th Century Genoa run around quaffing poison like it was Pimms.

Should these options appear too mainstream or highbrow, darker and more intense celluloid sandwich fillings are there for the nibbling. The rusty meat hook that is Trauma, MMU’s English Research Institute’s regular forum on extreme filmic practice, squats gibbering within the All Saints Building on Oxford Road. Screening free films to all most Monday nights, the website includes an impressive archive of past themes, from Thai Terror to Rock Apocalypse. Over at the Kings Arms in Salford, the Manchester Film Cooperative challenges the economic, social and political status-quo with a selection including Revolution OS (29 June), a documentary about the open source software revolution.

The Family Friendly Film Festival (30 July – 15 August) melds new and classic titles with spectacular heritage settings, and many films are free. Highlights include spine-tingling evening screenings at Salford Museum and Art Gallery, Victoria Baths and The Manchester Art Gallery; multi-sensory thrills at MOSI’s 4D Cinema, and Harry Potter Days within the Hogwarts-like surroundings of The John Rylands Library. For the very young, under 5s are invited to attend First Flicks, a series of yell-friendly showings where shame can be exchanged for the sure knowledge of dropping a coin in your child’s cultural piggy-bank.

Proving that kids shouldn’t be allowed to have all the fun, I’ll be presenting my own case for deflating cineaste sniffiness with Scratch ‘n Sniff Cinema presents My Beautiful Laundrette (16 – 17 July). Hub gallery and innovation space on Salford riverside will be transformed into Tub for two days only, replete with bubble wands, scent-imbued scratch cards and the whiff of grubby money and detergent for this cult tale of unlikely love among the suds.

The audience will be prompted to identify odours paired with key scenes that range from the obvious to the abstract, complemented by a special guest for an audience Q&A and limited edition screenprints by local artist and Hotbed Press resident Simon Misra.

Now, with any luck the snow will be falling by August. I do love a scalding hot bath and a warm jumper.

Bren O’Callaghan www.brenocallaghan.co.uk is a Manchester born and based freelance event producer, curator and writer who enjoys responding to informal and unexpected settings, site-specific work and dodging the swinging scythe of cultural snobbery. Images (top to bottom): Screenfields (Jason Lock); The Crocodiles, Constantin Film; My Beautiful Laundrette, Park Circus; Lost & Found, Studio AKA.

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On 4 May, long after the sun had set, a crowd of 100 people gathered outside the Odeon on Oxford Street. The former cinema, boarded up and unloved since 2004, was the designated location for a self-styled ‘guerrilla collaboration’ between three of the city’s artist-agitator organisations: Manchester Modernist Society, Manchester Municipal Design Corporation (which I admit I’m part of) and the Ultimate Holding Company.

Popcorn was handed out in custom-made boxes. A film that spliced nostalgic cinema snippets with actual Odeon footage, gleaned from the North West Film Archive, was projected onto the facade. Maureen Ward, one of the co-founders of the Manchester Modernist Society, talked up the Odeon’s story and why its demolition, to make room for a new office block, was a bad idea. Perhaps the crowd was moved by her words, or perhaps it was just the free popcorn, but by the end of the impromptu gathering everyone had inscribed their names on a petition raised in favour of retaining this Mancunian cinematic landmark.

Why should we care about this abandoned cinema, a building wedged between a 1970s block cleared for demolition and an unremarkable pub? It reminds us of Manchester’s past, a city that was mad about film (once being home to the most cinemas per head in the UK), and it is a place that remains, despite the dark blue boards blacking out its windows, beautiful.

Rumours swirl around the Odeon, too. The story goes that a bid to get the cinema listed in the 1990s, backed by the Cinema Theatre Association, was deemed unworthy due to internal alterations. But after the last film was shown in 2004, further investigations suggested that behind partitioned walls lay enough original features to warrant a renewed listing application. Those features mysteriously disappeared on the eve of the visit by English Heritage. With nothing left to list, a planning application for the building’s demolition was submitted.

There may be a final twist to this particular tale. The recession, and the resulting slowing-down of city centre regeneration, may just give the Odeon a breathing space. Behind its sub-divided internal walls the baroque style proscenium arch is still intact and worth preserving. Its neo-classical exterior provides much needed diversity to the streetscape – and that was the point of this late night gathering outside the Odeon. It’s not that regeneration is bad, but that the removal of buildings that make up a city’s character and heritage to make way for bland glass boxes and homogenized high streets is a terrible waste.

If regeneration slows, or even fails, then its by-product is the need to make alternative use of vacant buildings. And as the notion of sustainability filters through to the development sector, the idea of reuse rather than replacement begins to make sense – not just environmentally but also financially. The Cinema Theatre Association has suggested a multipurpose performing arts or conference venue as a suitable use for this former film palace. But how about a picture house for the North West Film Archive, a logical extension to the Cornerhouse, a larger Deaf Institute, or even a new home for Urbis?

Dan Russell is the Editor of Things Happen, the fanzine produced by Manchester Municipal Design Corporation (a spin off from MMU’s DesignLab). Images: Ade Hunter (main images) and Rich Brown (thumbnail).

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1. The Modern

The Modern, the restaurant and bar situated in the apex of the Urbis building, does double duty for the daters of Mancunia. By day it’s a safe bet for a casual lunchtime meet-up over a couple of bottles of pilsner and gourmet sausage rolls. By night, it becomes the ideal place for an all-stops-pulled-out evening of serious wooing with champagne cocktails and selections from the seasonal Taste of Manchester menu. With stylish decor and views unparalleled on this parallel, who says there ain’t no love in the heart of the city? The Modern, Floor 5 &6, Urbis, Cathedral Gardens, Manchester,  M4 3BG

2. A World Observed – Dorothy Bohm at Manchester Art Gallery

This fascinating retrospective opens with Bohm’s early work in portraiture before moving on to later work including her dreamlike Polaroid pictures and a series of studies on advertising and graffiti. The largest and most captivating section consists of black-and-white photographs of regular people captured at moments of real intimacy. Perusing these with your date could provide an excellent opportunity for some stealth background work. The picture of Sicilian boys walking past a row Fiat 500s might spark a conversation about first cars or best friends; guessing what the young woman on the Cordoba pavement is smiling about might lead you to discover you both spent unhappy childhood holidays on the Costa Blanca. A World Observed 1940-2010: Photographs by Dorothy Bohm, Manchester Art Gallery, Mosley Street, Manchester, M3 3JL. To 30 August. Free.

3. Frog & Bucket

A good joke always breaks the ice, so why not let a professional do all the work for you? Set on the edge of the Northern Quarter, the Frog and Bucket was the site of some of Peter Kay’s first shows and has also played host to great alternative comics including Tim Key, Stewart Lee and Flight of the Conchords.  Monday’s popular ‘Beat the Frog’ night offers a chance to see up-and-coming acts for free, but be sure to come early. You don’t want to end up sitting at the front and having to spend your first date being picked on because of your droopy ears. Frog and Bucket, 96-102 Oldham Street, Manchester, M4 1LJ

4. Lyme Park

Just a short drive from Manchester, this Elizabethan stately home is probably best recognised as Pemberley from the BBC’s adaptation of Pride and Prejudice; home to the lake where Colin Firth re-enacted the first wet t-shirt competition of the Regency era. The lush grounds and walled gardens are ideal for getting-to-know-you walks, while a trek up to the hillside hunting tower rewards you with spectacular views of the estate. The house itself is equally impressive with a historic library, huge stone fireplaces and almost six hundred years’ worth of accumulated aristocratic knickknacks. There are some interactive exhibitions, too, including a box of period hats to try on – just make sure you don’t elbow any children out of the way to get to them. Lyme Park, Disley, Stockport, SK12 2NR

5. Ho’s Bakery

If you feel that flashing your cash is unseemly, or you just don’t have any to flash, then a trip to Ho’s could be the perfect low-key but memorable date. This authentic Chinese bakery stocks an array of delicious sweet and savoury pastries that launch a three-pronged assault on the nose, the tastebuds and the waistline. Pick out some miniature hot dog rolls and honey buns and wash them down with a bubble tea – choose the number of straws at your own discretion. Take your treats to the outdoor seating that overlooks the spectacular Chinatown arch. You’ll have taken your date to the other side of the world without breaking a tenner. Ho’s Bakery, 46 Faulkner Street, Manchester, M1 4FH

Matthew Hull is a student of creative writing at The University of Manchester and the co-editor of the Manchester based prose and poetry magazine, Bewilderbliss. Image: Susie Stubbs.

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Ben East gives us the savvy sprinter’s guide to the Bupa Great Manchester Run

As Britain’s premier 10km running event, the Great Manchester Run welcomes thousands of people into the city every year. And of course, it’s not just a question of turning up in a brightly coloured jogging vest. There’s the pre-run pasta the night before to plan, the energy-packed breakfast, the sights to see en route and, naturally, the best places to recuperate afterwards, medal draped smugly around your neck. Not to mention the most sought-after vantage points for the less active but no less important participants: your supporters!

The night before

Yes, it’s a (smallish) chain restaurant, but for the classic Italian carbo-load the night before the run, San Carlo on King Street West is just about perfect. There’s a range of pastas taking in southern Italian ingredients such as aubergines, tomatoes and basil, but it’s such a friendly, accommodating restaurant they’ll probably tailor a dish to your athletic needs. And, seeing as it’s one of Manchester’s more stylish city centre dining spots, you may even happen upon one of the celebrity runners with exactly the same idea as you. Another good option for a pasta feast is Stock on Norfolk Street – slightly more austere than San Carlo but no less tasty. And for something a little less formal, Croma on Clarence Street does a mean mushroom and goat’s cheese penne. Just stay off the dolci.

Pre-run breakfast

Only you know exactly what fires up your body a couple of hours before a 10km run … and seeing as it’s a Sunday morning, many of Manchester’s best breakfast venues will be shut. But if you’re in one of the later waves, seek out Trof in the Northern Quarter: it’s open at 9am for home-made granola and smoothies in a cool, laid-back setting. If you (or your support team) want something a bit more substantial, hotels are generally open early for breakfast on a Sunday morning; Malmaison’s version is particularly lush and is served up from 8am. And if you want to stay closer to the starting line action, Spinningfields, Manchester’s answer to Canary Wharf (well, sort of), is packed with riverside restaurants and cafes that are open from 8:30 on the race day. Spinningfields will also be showing the race on their big screen, which brings us to…

Vantage points

Probably the easiest place to check out the action – and spot runners you know loping past – is Chester Road (south of Deansgate). There you can see the runners go out towards Old Trafford, and it’s also the home straight on the way back. With the skyscraping Beetham Tower and the warehouse conversions of Castlefield as backdrops, it’s a chance to drink in Manchester new and old – and Castlefield Gallery’s David Osbaldeston exhibition is just around the corner if your attention wanders. But to avoid the inevitable crowds, head to Imperial War Museum North. The iconic Daniel Libeskind design is not just a beautiful building to have at your back, it’s also an inspiring sight for the runners; by this point there’s less than 4km to go. While you’re there, take in the futuristic arts space that kicked off the regeneration of Salford Quays: The Lowry is just across the bridge. And football fans might also like to make a pilgrimage to Manchester United FC, which the run also passes by.

And when it’s all over

There are few more heart-warming sights than the happy faces of Great Manchester Runners recuperating just down the canal path from the finish. Dukes 92 and neighbouring restaurant Albert’s Shed are popular post-run haunts for a reason; if the weather’s nice then cooling down with an al-fresco lunch here is just about unbeatable. Otherwise, there are many outdoor eating and drinking options within striking distance at the aforementioned Spinningfields, which is hosting a Great Manchester Run After Party with live bands, an outdoor bar, DJs and special deals for runners. Italian restaurant Carluccio’s is firing up a Tuscan barbecue, and there will even be post-run stretch routines to help those tired muscles recover. Just around the corner is the new People’s History Museum. Aptly, their current exhibition investigates protesting. Since your body is likely to be doing just that, it’s the perfect way to end race weekend in Manchester.

Bupa Great Manchester Run, Sunday May 16. Runners assemble at Manchester Central, main race starts at 10am. Image: Pete Langdown

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There’s no need to air that tent quite yet – festival season kicks off in the clubs, galleries and theatres of Manchester this month. Creative Tourist has already got in the mood with guides to Sounds From The Other City and the ‘creative arts festival’ MAPS, and May sees a staggering five further festivals in the city. Here’s our comprehensive guide to (almost) summer things to do in a brilliantly busy month.

FutureEverything, 12-15 May

Rebranding themselves from Futuresonic to the all encompassing FutureEverything, this award-winning festival celebrates digital culture in its myriad forms. The events include guerilla art from Agents Of Change, who will transform a secret location in Manchester into something new and strange, gradually revealing its whereabouts via live streams broadcast across the city. The music strand includes a triple bill of the UK’s best electropop pioneers at The Deaf Institute (including Manchester’s own MAY68), while world-renowned thinker Adam Greenfield takes your iPhone apps to a new level as part of the main exhibition Serendipity City. There’s even the City Debate, an event that features our own Kate Feld – at which Manchester’s leading creatives and entrepreneurs thrash out the future of our fair city. Truly a festival of art, music and ideas. Venues across Manchester.

Queer Up North, 18-31 May

It may well be the last ever Queer Up North in its current fortnight-long format, but the pioneering arts festival is celebrating its 18th year of queer culture in style. Starving Artists revive and rework their 1995 Edinburgh theatre piece Road Movie, a story of love, adventure and pain in the age of AIDS. Queer Up North’s Big Birthday Bash is comedian and writer Christopher Green’s celebration of the Working Men’s Club, which means it could well get a bit Phoenix Nights at the secret city centre venue, while Qasim Riza Shaheen’s Nine Acts Of Reciprocity is a gallery-based artistic response to Hindu ideas that covers everything from love to terror. The festival-long Spielgeltent also promises eye-opening cabaret, music and burlesque. Venues across Manchester.

Hungry Pigeon, 28-30 May

Building on the success of last year’s inaugural arts and music festival in Manchester’s creative heartland (AKA the Northern Quarter), Hungry Pigeon’s 2010 line up features an Ivor Novello award-winning indie band as headliner. Athlete top the bill on a special stage in Piccadilly Gardens on the Saturday, while most of the Northern Quarter’s venues are involved in some way over the weekend: Moho Live plays host to Reverend And The Makers’ clubnight Reverend Sound System and the meld of indie and hip hop that is Kid British; the beautifully refurbished Band On The Wall welcomes folk from Kirsty Almeida and the soulful singer-songwriter Liam Frost, while frazzled Manchester indie experimentalists The Longcut headline The Roadhouse. There’s also an arts strand yet to be announced. Venues throughout the Northern Quarter.

Eurocultured, 30 & 31 May

It’s always a sign that the Spring Bank Holiday is upon us when brash, bold music and art takes over the city’s streets and alleyways. Eurocultured returns for its seventh annual celebration of European culture, with live painting from Spanish, German and Swiss artists providing a neat backdrop to music from the likes of psychedelic rockers Dungen and the mournful electronica of fellow Swedes Little Dragon – whose frontwoman Yukimi Nagano memorably provides vocals on two tracks from Gorillaz’ current album. On the Bank Holiday Monday, hip hop takes centre stage, with a European breakdance competition soundtracked by the likes of DMC World Champion DJ Woody. New Wakefield and Great Marlborough Streets, city centre.

Dot To Dot, 31 May

A neat companion to Eurocultured, this day-long touring music festival also hits Nottingham and Bristol this Spring. The line-up is essentially the same across all three cities, with the indie poppers Mystery Jets headlining, but Manchester also gets the strange falsetto rock of Wild Beasts and Beach House, the latter responsible for one of the most shimmeringly beautiful albums of 2010. With scores of bands playing across all the Manchester Academy venues, including Twisted Wheel and Egyptian Hip Hop, there’s genuinely something for everyone. Manchester Academy, Oxford Road.

And the music won’t stop there…31 May doesn’t signal the end of the festival frenzy in Manchester – just two weeks later, the Parklife Festival in Platt Fields welcomes Mercury Prize-nominated Friendly Fires, Calvin Harris, Erol Alkan and a host of hot DJ talent. They’re even broadcasting the England-USA World Cup match on a big screen, so there’s no excuse to miss the party.

Images (top to bottom): Slurb, Marina Zurcow (for FutureEverything), FutureEverything, Susan And Darren (courtesy Queer Up North), Athlete (courtesy Hungry Pigeon), Little Dragon (courtesy Eurocultured), Beach House (courtesy Dot to Dot).

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When the iconic Afflecks Palace opened its doors back in 1982, Manchester’s Northern Quarter signalled its intention to become the spiritual home of all things creative. Over the years it has become just that, largely thanks to the eclectic mix of independent Manchester bars, galleries and eateries that have mushroomed up all over the Oldham Street/Thomas Street crossroads – including leftfield institutions such as Matt & Phred’s or the winningly old-fashioned Market Restaurant. Cultural hangouts in the ‘Quarter haven’t been far behind – think about the jewellery-box sweetness of the Craft Centre, or the Chinese Arts Centre (whose current show, by Stanley Wong, heralds a return to form for this Manchester gallery). And so, as the Northern Quarter sticks two fingers up to the recession by continuing to add to the number of venues that populate its narrow streets, here’s our latest walk through Manchester’s own vintage-and-vinyl paradise.

ART

Richard Goodall is a long-term resident, purveying prints and posters from Thomas Street for 10 years, with a second space opening round the corner on High Street in 2007, and described by the gallery’s Mark Powell as being “more like White Cube”. Recent shows here have included John Lennon doodles and the Marie Antoinette-meets-Borg Queen digital paintings of Ray Caesar.

On the eastern edge of the Quarter is Bureau, a small gallery that recently relocated from Salford’s Islington Mill, while those of an adventurous disposition (or at least don’t mind wandering round the back streets with a map) should head to Kraak, an art space that’s shoved up a back alley behind the Hula Tiki Lounge on Stevenson Square. With a focus on found sound, video and installations, the gallery ‑ open only a few months ‑ also hosts performances and workshops.

Along from here, on the other side of Oldham Street, is new art gallery-cum-coffee shop Grindsmith, where Peter Carrington’s technical drawings of flora and fauna will become the third of the gallery’s monthly changing exhibitions. You can also buy work by Neil Grindsmith, secondhand Penguin Classics (Creative Tourist got a lovely dog-eared copy of Aldous Huxley’s After Many A Summer) and a crisp cup of elaborately siphoned single-origin filter coffee.

FOOD

All that caffeine put cake next on the list, and although Teacup serves up a tasty slab or two, we were after something more fairy-like. As the eagerly awaited second branch of Sweet Tooth Cupcakery has yet to land on Oldham Street, we took Ben Grindsmith’s advice and headed for The Cocoa Emporium in Afflecks, where offerings include the fantastically named Terry (a chocolate and orange number) and a gorgeous concoction called Ginger Crunch.

More substantial grub can be had at Bulb, a “stylish Italian eatery” in The Light ApartHotel, where an express lunch menu offers pizza or pasta for £6, while new opening Thomas Restaurant & Bar does two courses for £11.95 (Midday-6pm), and a Sunday roast for a fantastic £8.95. With the owners of Cord, The Bay Horse and Soup Kitchen as its parents, Thomas is blessed with good genes and looks, and positive reviews are coming in thick and fast.

DRINKS

If it’s drinks you’re after, Common on Edge Street has a well-stocked bar, free Wifi, nice staff and a Wednesday-night quiz (Common Knowledge), and its popularity has recently seen it double in size with the Kestrel Suite extension. There’s a gaggle of drinking holes where Edge, High and Thomas Street meet – from cocktail parlours such as Socio Rehab, Bluu and Apotheca (sister bar to the Dough pizzeria) to fun places like Trof, Odd and Keko Moku.

Hotly anticipated, however, is the Marble Brewery’s latest establishment, 57 Thomas Street. Still being refurbed, a glimpse through the window revealed a tiny bar and the slogan “beer and food – food and beer”. Head brewer Dominic divulged there will be four stills for the organic, handmade ales, including local favourite Ginger, with an official opening chalked up for May.

AFTER HOURS

Many places have taken advantage of the later licensing laws, and the edgy graffiti-adorned NoHo on Stevenson Square rustles up cocktails until the wee small hours. Going on even longer is Black Dog Ballroom, where the boys can shoot pool for £5 an hour while the girls get the chance to hide out in the special speakeasy room when it all “falls to the gunnels”, as manager Tom Sneesby explained. Just ask what time the train leaves for the code to the secret door.

And finally, rounding off a Saturday-night trip to the Northern Quarter is the chance to wind down and grab a late-night snack at Nexus Art Cafe, where you can listen to musicians and play Scrabble until the sun comes up.

Sarah-Clare Conlon is a freelance writer and editor, and has worked for a number of glossy magazines, including ELLE and Nova. Her blog, Words & Fixtures, is about language, literature, arts and culture, and won Best New Blog in the 2009 Manchester Blog Awards. Images (top to bottom): Kraak, Grindsmith, Bulb, Common & Nexus Art Cafe, all Sarah-Clare Conlon except Common (courtesy Tim France).

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Self-confessed bibliophile, Matthew Hull, comes up with his top five favourite bookshops in Manchester

In four years wandering around Manchester I’ve found myself ducking out of the rain and into shops on more occasions than I can count – often into bookshops. Bookish staff never seem to mind a bit of aimless browsing or the casual thumbing-through of expensive volumes, and it feels only right that now and again I buy a book for the privilege of keeping dry. Now when I happen past any of these five bookshops, no matter what the weather’s like, it always feels like rain…

1. Magma

With its collections of limited edition t-shirts and cutesy manga toys it would be easy to write Magma off as pretentious, but there is soul to the place, evident in the considered selection of books on offer. Most of the titles focus on design, architecture and the creative arts and it was here that I came across Ellen Lupton’s Indie Publishing, which has become my own dog-eared bible. There are less technical gems to be found here too, amongst the twee animal print stationary, like J. Otto Seibold’s pop-up Alice in Wonderland, a great antidote to the recent Burton-directed monstrosity. Magma is a bright, shiny publishing trove – a sleek Apple Mac with a raw beating heart. Magma, 22 Oldham Street, M1 1JN

2. Paramount Book Exchange

Located in the scraggy west end of the Northern Quarter, you’re likely to hear the Paramount before you see it, as opera and jazz boom from speakers positioned above the door. A large part of the shop is stacked with crates of Action Comics, Picture Posts and vintage girly magazines with seemingly innocuous yet strangely ominous-sounding titles like Beautiful Britons and Health & Efficiency. Lining the walls is a remarkably egalitarian secondhand fiction section with classic, literary and genre titles sitting side by side in bookcases marked out with children’s alphabet picture cards – D is for dolly but also Dickens, Dexter and Delilo. Paramount Book Exchange, 25-27 Shudehill, M4 2AF

3. Sharston Books

Situated on an industrial estate in Northenden and resembling a carpet warehouse, Sharston Books would be easy to miss – but is absolutely worth making a pilgrimage for. Inside the shop’s corrugated walls is a labyrinth of creaking shelves and staircases and every spare inch of exposed wood is hung with antique mirrors or framed watercolours of storm-wracked galleons. Cubbyholes and rotary stands are filled with well preserved editions on any and every subject – true crime, winemaking, military history. It is the shop’s selection of conspiracy paperbacks that always distracts me, though; musty, yellow-paged books with garishly absurdist cover art and titles like Genesis Revisited and Tunguska: Cauldron of Hell! Sharston Books, Unit 15, Wearlee Works, Longley Lane, M22 4WT

4. Travelling Man

With its tillside bowls of irregularly sided dice and decks of foil-wrapped cards, the Travelling Man comic bookshop could be an intimidating prospect for the uninitiated. But instead of being sneered at, new customers are indoctrinated with honest, well thought-out recommendation cards and friendly service. The shop stocks a wide range of hard and softback graphic novels and trade collections, from heavy hitters Marvel and DC but also from smaller presses like Fantagraphic, who publish the deadpan masterpieces of Norwegian cartoonist Jason – whose works The Left Bank Gang and I Killed Adolf Hitler I can highly recommend. There are also separate pride-of-place stands promoting local independently produced comics. Travelling Man, 4 Dale Street, M1 1JW‎

5. The Art of Tea

Located at the back of The Art of Tea coffee shop and restaurant in Didsbury Village, not only does this secondhand bookshop have an excellent selection of titles but also boasts one of the most eccentric proprietors I have ever met, one who regales customers with Sinatra standards and appears from behind bookcases to pose maths problems. The organisation of the shop is also somewhat unconventional – old Penguin crime editions with banded green covers are placed next to biographies or histories because they also have green spines. As well as making the shelves look like a Dulux colour chart, this has the effect of making the search for a book an adventure; you may be looking for The Big Sleep but who knows what you might find getting to it. The Art of Tea, 47 Barlow Moor Road, M20 6TW

Matthew Hull is a student of creative writing at The University of Manchester and the co-editor of the Manchester based prose and poetry magazine, Bewilderbliss. Images (top to bottom): Susie Stubbs (Magma), Matthew Hull (Paramount & Travelling Man).

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It’s raining, the kids are off and there’s nowt to do – ah yes, it must be Easter. Save yourself from boredom with our special schools-out guide to things to do in Manchester (and if you don’t have a family, read our grown-up spring guide instead).

1. Cow dung and pink jeeps at the War Museum

Here’s something the kids can happily lose themselves in for a few hours: a camouflage exhibition and trail at Imperial War Museum North. Naturally, it’s a fairly well hidden show but if you can find it amidst the vast corridors of the Daniel Libeskind-designed museum it’ll be worth the effort: you’ll discover how to hide a fleet of battleships, why pink is a great colour for jeeps and how WW2 soldiers were exhorted to smear their faces in cow dung. (We’re presuming that last idea was quietly dropped when the enemy worked out the exact location of their counterparts by following the dreadful smell.) The exhibition is timed to mark the 95^th anniversary of camouflage and is an entertaining mix of hands-on activities, a trail that leads to a First World War trench mortar and the chance to try out some camouflage for real. We particularly like the ‘top ten camouflage facts’ the museum produced, which reckons that when camouflage was first introduced (during WW1), British soldiers claimed its use was ‘unchivalrous’. Plus there is a special ‘camo-cake’ on sale in the café – we have yet to confirm reports that it’s so well disguised it doesn’t count as part of your calorific intake. Camouflage, The WaterWay, Imperial War Museum North, until 12 Sept. Free, all ages.

2. Put them to work at the People’s History Museum

If you’ve not yet made it down to the People’s History Museum, now’s the time to go. The museum, recently re-opened after a £12.5m redevelopment, tells the story of British democracy. While politics may sound unsuitable fodder for families, the museum’s displays handle political reform lightly, with historical fact brought to life via a range of unusual exhibits (our favourites are a cupboard that opens into a socialist café, a do-it-yourself stained glass window and a kitchen table where you make up flat pack cardboard boxes – and then work out how little you’d be paid if you were a home worker eking out a living this way). The museum is laying on a range of events for kids over the holidays – if you’re around on Wednesday (31 Mar), you can make your own clay fields as the museum attempts to make its own mini Gormley-esque ‘Field‘. Create a Crowd! The People’s History Museum, 31 Mar, 1.30-3.30pm. Free, all ages.

3. Planes, trains and automobiles at MOSI

What’s not to love about MOSI? From the miniature steam train that still runs along part of the original Manchester to Liverpool tracks (opened in 1830 – MOSI is built on the site of the world’s oldest surviving passenger railway station) to the ongoing Da Vinci exhibition, and with enough rockets, planes, trains and automobiles to keep any pre-teen happy, it’s little wonder that MOSI is Manchester’s most popular visitor attraction. Over Easter, MOSI is running some extra special events for young ‘uns, all based on the theme of the Heroes of Energy – those men, women and children who pioneered energy creation and consumption in Manchester. We particularly like the sound of Going Underground, a chance for kids to experience what life was like for the children forced to work in the coal mines; Little Diggers, a session for the under 5s to uncover coal, fossils and precious stones; and In A Spin, a chance for children to make their own wind or water turbine. Going Underground, MOSI, until 11 Apr, 12noon – 12.30pm. Free but limited places so booking required, all ages but not suitable for very young children as there are periods of darkness. Little Diggers, until 11 Apr, 10.30-11am. Free, under 5s. In A Spin, until 11 Apr, 2-4pm. Free, all ages. Click here for more information on all Heroes of Energy events, including booking.

4. Magic mushrooms at Manchester Art Gallery

If you’ve not yet taken the kids to see Ron Mueck’s outsize sculpture or the life-size elephant and boy-balancing-polar-bear-on-nose sculpture in Facing East, go this Easter. Both are ‘serious’ art shows but, thanks to the bright, shiny colours of the artwork (not to mention their size), have immediate appeal for children. The Gallery is also running a Mushroom Magic workshop over Easter, which takes as its inspiration another work displayed in Facing East – Takashi Murakami’s Army of Mushrooms. Families will be able to create giant mushrooms and then shrink them into cute key rings and badges to take home. Most. Excellent. Facing East and Artist Rooms: Ron Mueck, Manchester Art Gallery, both until 11 April. Free, all ages. Mushroom Magic workshops 30 Mar-1 Apr & 6-9 Apr, 1-3pm. Free, all ages.

5. New life for old comics at Castlefield Gallery

If the sun does make an appearance this Easter, make the most of Castlefield’s open spaces and largely traffic-free streets by exploring the roman ruins, chasing and/or feeding the ducks by the canal (whichever is more fun – this may be dependent on whether your offspring is male or female), stopping off for lunch at Dukes 92 and then rounding off your walk with a visit to Castlefield Gallery. True, the gallery is more edgy than most – but its current exhibition, featuring recent work by Leo Fitzmaurice and Kim Rugg, should appeal thanks to the artists’ use of comics, film posters, newspapers, stamps and even MacDonald’s packaging to create new and intriguing artworks. Note that the final day of the exhibition is this Saturday (and the gallery is closed on Good Friday). Leo Fitzmaurice and Kim Rugg at Castlefield Gallery, until 3 April.  Free, all ages.

Images (top to bottom): Bounce (2008), Kim Rugg; Child in camouflage at Imperial War Museum North; Interior Peope’s History Museum, Susie Stubbs; Exterior MOSI, courtesy the museum; Between Men And Animal (2005), YueMinjun, courtesy Manchester Art Gallery; Feel Free to Join Us (2008), Kim Rugg.

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