An assignment for the Feature Writing module of my third year. An open brief was given to write a 1000 word feature on the Northern Quarter, an edgy area of Manchester full of independent outlets and a strong alternative identity. The angle was up to you. I chose to write about Tib Street, one of the main arteries flowing through and epitomising the character of the area.
“I’ve always found Oldham Street a bit too edgy for me, a bit rough and the thing I like about Tib Street is that it’s just very characteristic of the eclecticism of the Northern Quarter,” reflects Vibhatika Webb, a 34 year old support worker who moved to Manchester 12 years ago and has been frequenting Manchester’s cultural hub for over twice as many years.
We are walking down Tib Street on an unusually glorious day in the middle of April. Starting from the top, the walk has taken us past Debenhams and the red burger van on the corner of Market Street and Piccadilly Gardens, the smell of greasy beef burgers and hot dogs wafting through our nostrils.
“I remember coming [to the Northern Quarter] as a child and there were lots of warehouses. My mum used to run a catalogue business and buy stuff direct from the warehouses and sell it to her friends. We used to come and I just remember it being really run down, we’re talking 20 years ago now, actually more like 25 come to think of it,” she giggles.
We are led further down the street past the prominent presence of Affleck’s Palace, Manchester’s very own albeit smaller, more compact version of Camden Market. Containing a mish-mash of stalls independently run and selling all manner of things from the coolly kitsch to the downright bizarre crammed across 3 floors. It is a favourite among those searching for that little something with a difference you can’t find in the indentikit high streets stores across the country.
“When I was 14 back in 1986, Affleck’s Palace was the place to get your clothes, it was open well before that and sometime shortly after that it got burnt down and it changed building – it was across the road where the car park is and I think the remains of the original building are still there,” Vibhatika informs me.
In addition to Affleck’s Palace, Tib Street is a bustling haven of trendy hair salons and fashionable shops selling vintage clothing, flowers, records, exotic pets, sex toys, as well as a couple of hip bars and even a launderette. It even boasts Manchester’s only Jazz club – Matt & Phred’s. Along with Oldham Street, Tib Street, once famous for being lined with a number of pet shops forms the main artery which flows through the heart of the Northern Quarter.
“Interestingly enough there’s not a lot of bars down there it’s all flower shops and hairdressers etc and they’re all independently run and I think that’s quite unusual in a city centre and that’s what I like about it. They’re small businesses based on people having a mad idea and thinking ‘oh, I’ll open a shop.’
“And it’s also still a bit seedy down there. I like the rawness of it, there’s something quite honest about the energy,” asserts Vibhatika.
And indeed Johnny, manager of sex shop Love Boutique, would have to agree.
“The atmosphere down Tib Street, it’s a bit Soho-y,” he says.
Love Boutique is a hot pink sex emporium with an innocent heart in the window display but showcasing rather more explicit implements inside. Giant dildos line the walls along with fetish clothing, whips, fantasy dressing up costumes and kinky boots.
“Sex always sells doesn’t it,” Johnny assures me, “What sort of clientele do we have? All sorts, every single walk of life comes in here.”
Has anyone famous ever come in here, I ask curiously. “I couldn’t possibly tell you,” resists Johnny, but after much cajoling reveals, “I’ve got an ex member of Oasis who’s a regular and a news reader for North West Tonight on the BBC.”
Not Gordon Burns, surely?
“No, it’s another guy but I’m not going to say his name. And I’m not telling you what they’ve purchased, that I definitely can’t say!”
The charm of Tib Street is apparent on a sunny day like today. The brightly coloured shop fronts are a world apart from the brand saturated Market Street and the varying nature of the businesses along here each have a unique touch which whilst firmly stamping their individuality make it work in bringing a cohesion to the street.
Another little gem on the street, if you want your washing done that is, is the White Peg Laundry Company. Since it opened 4 years ago everyone from Motley Crue to Dolly Parton’s drummer via Meatloaf, Tom Jones and Mani have had their smalls washed here.
“There was nowhere in town to get your clothes washed and laundered and my husband and I thought if we’re going to start a business let’s start this,” tells me Louise, who runs it.
Inside the place itself is quite small but has friendly vibe about it with artwork on the wall from local artist Paula MacNamara who is also an illustrator for Vogue and is friends with Louise. And that sums up the character of this street – it’s very village-y, they all know each other.
“I’ve always liked the Northern Quarter, I like the bars, I like the people, and everyone on Tib Street is really friendly and helps out with each other. We’re neighbours we all get on and if there is anything I need help with I can get it from one of the other shops and vice versa,” says Louise, smiling.
“In fact all the furniture in Centro Bar, a few doors down, is supplied by my mum and dad who deal with antiques and the chef just dropped off his whites earlier today so we all do work for each other,” she adds.
Vibhatika and I head down to check out Centro. It’s a cool bar with a laidback vibe and good music offering reasonably priced food which comes highly recommended by Vibhatika.
“It’s the whole lazy vibe of the Northern Quarter I like,” Ben Price, who works at Centro tells me.
“When Common first opened round the corner, the bouncers were told to not let in anyone who looked too smart, like they’d made too much of an effort. It’s the complete opposite of places like Deansgate Locks.”
Tib Street may not have as many pet shops as it once did but now it certainly has more than its fair share of hairdressers along the street. Georgina has been working at Olivier Morosini’s salon for just 7 weeks but has already fallen in love with the area.
“There is no other street like it in Manchester. It’s like a village street and everyone that comes in here knows everyone,” she says.
“And we get all sorts of people come in who are really cool. A guy came in the other day who works for The Coral and wanted me to go down to London to cut their hair but unfortunately I was unavailable,” she continues, “They were down there supporting the Arctic Monkeys and I could’ve got free tickets to the show!”
Vibhatika and I head back up towards Piccadilly Gardens as my tour of Tib Street draws to a close. I had never before stopped to take in the charm and atmosphere of the street beyond Affleck’s Palace, at least not during the daytime.
“That’s the thing about the Northern Quarter; you find gems that you didn’t know were there,” says Vibhatika.
And I couldn’t agree more.
Tuesday 28 August 2007
Coursework Assignment - Hilton Hotel
An assignment for the Feature Writing module of my third year. An open brief was given to write a 1000 word feature on hotels in Manchester - the angle was up to you. I chose to write about the Beetham Tower Hilton Hotel. It's (at the time of writing) the tallest building in the UK outside London. My feature is written in the style of a local paper as a debate using the views of local people.
“Manchester doesn’t really have a skyline apart from one or two 1960s buildings. So this is about trying to ‘create’ a skyline as a mark of change and regeneration,” muses Nick Fleming, director at Ian Simpson Architects, the practice behind The Beetham Tower, the marmite building (you either love it or hate it) adorning Manchester’s otherwise sparse skyline.
The controversial skyscraper has caused much talk about town since plans were announced for the half city centre Hilton Hotel, half residential building three years ago.
And now that it’s been here for four months the debate is still raging between everyone from architects to city workers to locals to those who have to drive past the North West’s tallest building on the M602.
“It supports the political and economical aspirations of Manchester, a city that is not relying on a Victorian past. It’s a physical representation of Manchester’s commercial ambitions. It changes perceptions of the place,” explains Fleming.
It is certainly challenging perceptions at least. Julie Mason, 34, who works for a city centre PR company is not a fan. “I don't quite get it, to me it seems too fragile and too out there. I suppose it stands out far too much from the architecture in Manchester and that's not always a good thing. It always looks to me like it is going to collapse and we all know that no one is ready for another tower to collapse,” she says.
And this is a common concern shared amongst many with New York’s World Trade Centre tragedy still fresh in everyone’s mind despite occurring five and a half years ago. Not to mention during high winds there is a whistling sound drifting throughout the building (which apparently sounds like the UFO sound effect used in films – Lost In Space anyone?) as well as the soaring tower having a 30cm sway either way in such blustery conditions. The former of which Ian Simpson himself assures us has been rectified.
And what about the use of the mammoth structure? The first half of the landmark tower is taken over by the Hilton Hotel boasting 279 rooms, a gym and swimming pool, 3 spa rooms, a restaurant and 2 bars – including Manchester’s only sky bar located on the 23rd floor.
Cloud23, the opulent bar situated at the top of the Hilton half of the tower has proved to be just as opinion splitting as the striking glass structure that houses it. Described by its PR machine as a “combination of cool ambience and cutting edge design,” the entrance to the bar is through the main hotel foyer where the lift whisks you up to the 23rd floor in a supersonic 15 seconds. As the lift doors open you are greeted by door staff and led to a table (it’s a table service type of bar) where you will find a breathtakingly spectacular view across Manchester, with even a glass floor where the building cantilevers out so you can look directly below you.
But not everyone is impressed with table service and an £8 cocktail wittily named after an association with Manchester’s rich history.
David Harris, 27, works for a construction company said: “I went there a few days ago with a group of friends and pre-booked a table so we wouldn’t have to queue. I’d been there a couple of times before on work nights out.
“The place does look special and feels exclusive, but in part the management team artificially creates this air of exclusivity by sometimes needlessly limiting the numbers and leaving vast areas of the bar empty.
“Unfortunately, the night we went there was an awful fog so as a result the main attraction was gone. And with the view gone the deficiencies shine through. The waiter service is nothing to write home about and the drinks take too long to come to your table.”
However 5th year architecture student Sarah Smith disagrees: “The view is amazing. The bar is contemporary and designed to feel expensive. The whole building is quite flirtatious, it flirts with feeling of danger with the cantilever looking unsteady and the bar flirts with the idea of money and success, an extension of people’s aspirations. People go there to be seen and are prepared to pay the price for that,” she argues.
The rest of the tower will be residential with many a celebrity from footballers to popstars said to have purchased an apartment. Ian Simpson bought the penthouse apartment for a reported £2.5 million and allegedly had 30m olive trees flown from Italy put in before construction workers put the roof on.
With the concrete tower blocks of 1960s such undesirable living spaces, the debate on the viability of high rise living, even when done so stylishly, is another concern for those not so keen on the modernisation of downtown Manchester.
55 year old Andy Thornton from Wythenshawe doesn’t think it’s a feasible solution. He says: “The so called ‘social revolution’ of the 60’s tower blocks destroyed the social fabric of society and left many families and individuals in desperation. I for one don’t want the horizon blocked out by individual buildings designed and built on the egos of over-rated ‘navvies’.”
However argues Fleming: “The trend is national. People don't want to commute. It's time-wasting and not very environmentally friendly.
“Every Tom, Dick and Harry is building a tower. When the Beetham went up investors bought off-plan. But because the prices have gone up so much now, the only way you can make money as an investor is by building the things yourself.
“We have all sorts of companies doing it on all sorts of scales. They're 10 a penny across London at 80-100m tall.
“And councils have changed planning policy to encourage more city centre living and to reduce traffic. All you have to do is prove that the local infrastructure can support a tower. And that also saves the countryside by reducing urban sprawl."
“It was a similar story back in late 1920s New York in downtown Manhattan when the Chrysler Building was erected. This acted as a catalyst to what has now made New York one of the most iconic international cities. It’s now time for Manchester to stand tall and be counted as a major city on an international scale,” enthuses Fleming.
And quite frankly, who can argue with that.
“Manchester doesn’t really have a skyline apart from one or two 1960s buildings. So this is about trying to ‘create’ a skyline as a mark of change and regeneration,” muses Nick Fleming, director at Ian Simpson Architects, the practice behind The Beetham Tower, the marmite building (you either love it or hate it) adorning Manchester’s otherwise sparse skyline.
The controversial skyscraper has caused much talk about town since plans were announced for the half city centre Hilton Hotel, half residential building three years ago.
And now that it’s been here for four months the debate is still raging between everyone from architects to city workers to locals to those who have to drive past the North West’s tallest building on the M602.
“It supports the political and economical aspirations of Manchester, a city that is not relying on a Victorian past. It’s a physical representation of Manchester’s commercial ambitions. It changes perceptions of the place,” explains Fleming.
It is certainly challenging perceptions at least. Julie Mason, 34, who works for a city centre PR company is not a fan. “I don't quite get it, to me it seems too fragile and too out there. I suppose it stands out far too much from the architecture in Manchester and that's not always a good thing. It always looks to me like it is going to collapse and we all know that no one is ready for another tower to collapse,” she says.
And this is a common concern shared amongst many with New York’s World Trade Centre tragedy still fresh in everyone’s mind despite occurring five and a half years ago. Not to mention during high winds there is a whistling sound drifting throughout the building (which apparently sounds like the UFO sound effect used in films – Lost In Space anyone?) as well as the soaring tower having a 30cm sway either way in such blustery conditions. The former of which Ian Simpson himself assures us has been rectified.
And what about the use of the mammoth structure? The first half of the landmark tower is taken over by the Hilton Hotel boasting 279 rooms, a gym and swimming pool, 3 spa rooms, a restaurant and 2 bars – including Manchester’s only sky bar located on the 23rd floor.
Cloud23, the opulent bar situated at the top of the Hilton half of the tower has proved to be just as opinion splitting as the striking glass structure that houses it. Described by its PR machine as a “combination of cool ambience and cutting edge design,” the entrance to the bar is through the main hotel foyer where the lift whisks you up to the 23rd floor in a supersonic 15 seconds. As the lift doors open you are greeted by door staff and led to a table (it’s a table service type of bar) where you will find a breathtakingly spectacular view across Manchester, with even a glass floor where the building cantilevers out so you can look directly below you.
But not everyone is impressed with table service and an £8 cocktail wittily named after an association with Manchester’s rich history.
David Harris, 27, works for a construction company said: “I went there a few days ago with a group of friends and pre-booked a table so we wouldn’t have to queue. I’d been there a couple of times before on work nights out.
“The place does look special and feels exclusive, but in part the management team artificially creates this air of exclusivity by sometimes needlessly limiting the numbers and leaving vast areas of the bar empty.
“Unfortunately, the night we went there was an awful fog so as a result the main attraction was gone. And with the view gone the deficiencies shine through. The waiter service is nothing to write home about and the drinks take too long to come to your table.”
However 5th year architecture student Sarah Smith disagrees: “The view is amazing. The bar is contemporary and designed to feel expensive. The whole building is quite flirtatious, it flirts with feeling of danger with the cantilever looking unsteady and the bar flirts with the idea of money and success, an extension of people’s aspirations. People go there to be seen and are prepared to pay the price for that,” she argues.
The rest of the tower will be residential with many a celebrity from footballers to popstars said to have purchased an apartment. Ian Simpson bought the penthouse apartment for a reported £2.5 million and allegedly had 30m olive trees flown from Italy put in before construction workers put the roof on.
With the concrete tower blocks of 1960s such undesirable living spaces, the debate on the viability of high rise living, even when done so stylishly, is another concern for those not so keen on the modernisation of downtown Manchester.
55 year old Andy Thornton from Wythenshawe doesn’t think it’s a feasible solution. He says: “The so called ‘social revolution’ of the 60’s tower blocks destroyed the social fabric of society and left many families and individuals in desperation. I for one don’t want the horizon blocked out by individual buildings designed and built on the egos of over-rated ‘navvies’.”
However argues Fleming: “The trend is national. People don't want to commute. It's time-wasting and not very environmentally friendly.
“Every Tom, Dick and Harry is building a tower. When the Beetham went up investors bought off-plan. But because the prices have gone up so much now, the only way you can make money as an investor is by building the things yourself.
“We have all sorts of companies doing it on all sorts of scales. They're 10 a penny across London at 80-100m tall.
“And councils have changed planning policy to encourage more city centre living and to reduce traffic. All you have to do is prove that the local infrastructure can support a tower. And that also saves the countryside by reducing urban sprawl."
“It was a similar story back in late 1920s New York in downtown Manhattan when the Chrysler Building was erected. This acted as a catalyst to what has now made New York one of the most iconic international cities. It’s now time for Manchester to stand tall and be counted as a major city on an international scale,” enthuses Fleming.
And quite frankly, who can argue with that.
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