Close By. Spinningfields

The People’s History Museum is part of Spinningfields, Manchester’s newest district, rising by the banks of the River Irwell. Largely traffic-free, Spinningfields is a great place to let the kids loose, and this summer is also one of the outdoor venues for the Family Friendly Film Festival. In fact, Spinningfields is the location for Screenfields (see what they did there?), a 17-week-long programme of outdoor screenings that makes the most of the area’s quiet-yet-city-centre location. Spinningfields has a reasonable number of places to eat, from the sunniest riverside bar in Manchester (at the People’s History Museum, a claim made by its Deputy Director so feel free to take it with a pinch of salt), to its solid family-friendly chain restaurants such as Giraffe, Carluccio’s, Gourmet Burger Kitchen and Wagamama. They tend to be reliably good rather than gastronomically exciting, but often that’s what’s required with young palates. Plus Giraffe hands out tiny plastic giraffes that are just perfect for stabbing siblings in the eye with…

Close by sits the John Rylands Library, a fabulous neo-Gothic confection that speaks volumes about Manchester’s grand industrial past – it was recently described by historian Ed Glinert as ‘one of the world’s great libraries’. Built in 1900 in memory of cotton magnate John Rylands, this cathedral to learning houses four million texts and is decorated with intricate stonework, stained glass and ornate bookcases that cluster around a cavernous reading room. But the real draw here is the collection: it spans five millennia and includes the St John Fragment, the oldest known surviving New Testament text. The reading room also boasts an impressive echo – there’s absolutely no chance your kids will make it through without giggling, shouting or at the very least sending up a rustle to make the librarians roll their eyes heavenward. There are some nice interactive displays and make-your-own-book activities here too, and despite this being a working library children are made welcome.

The John Rylands Library is off Deansgate and close to House of Fraser. This six-floor department store is good for a spot of shopping (it has a Hamley’s on the top floor) but, more than that, some argue that it is one of Manchester’s most important modern landmarks. Although the store now promotes itself under the House of Fraser moniker, it hasn’t always suffered such a prosaic name: for almost 70 years, this consumer Mecca was affectionately known as Kendal’s (it was originally owned by Messrs Kendal, Milner and Faulkner, and ‘Kendal, Milne and Co’ can still be seen above the store’s entrances). When Kendal’s was purchased by Harrod’s in 1919, the original name was dropped – but then swiftly restored after customer protests. Sadly, the decision to re-name it House of Fraser in 2005 went through without so much as a murmur, although for most locals the building remains, and will always be known as, Kendal’s.

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Spinningfields; John Rylands Library, 150 Deansgate M3 3EH (0161 306 0555); House of Fraser, 98 Deansgate M3 2QG (0844 800 3744). Images: Screenfields (Jason Lock); John Rylands Library; Window display at Kendal’s courtesy Manchester Archives; People’s History Museum.