Manchester is one of the first cities that people think of when talking about the UK. The region has been known as Manchester since the early 1300s, but it didn’t receive official city status until 1853. London may be the capital of England, but most people consider Manchester to be the capital of the north. But why is this?
London has many iconic landmarks like Big Ben and Buckingham Palace to draw in tourists, but what does Manchester have? As expected, a city needs to feature something unique to make it worth talking about, and Manchester is no different. As such, here is everything that the city of Manchester is famous for.
Music
The UK has always had a vibrant music scene. Bands like The Beatles and Led Zeppelin began the charge of the British invasion in the 60s and 70s alongside other bands. However, you would be surprised to learn just how many of these big names originated in the city of Manchester. Famous bands that were formed in this part of the UK include:
– Joy Division
– The Smiths
– Bee Gees
– Oasis
– Blossoms
– The 1975
The main reason why so many bands are able to thrive in Manchester is because of the strength of the music scene. Manchester is often referred to as the capital of music in the UK. As such, there are plenty of pubs and clubs in the city willing to showcase live music. You never know, you could accidentally stumble across the next big name in the pop music scene on your next trip to Manchester.
Football
It should come as no surprise that there is a big football following in the country where most people initially thought the sport originated. Part of the appeal for most football fans in the UK is the historic rivalries between local clubs. There is possibly no other local derby more famous in the UK than the one shared between Manchester United and Manchester City.
Both of these clubs have seen their own time in the spotlight. However, the fact that these teams have also spent many years in the Premier League together means that they are destined to meet on the pitch at least twice a year. Manchester United was the first of the two clubs to achieve victory on the world stage. During the late nineties and early 2000s, it seemed that there was no stopping the red devils as they routinely finished at the top of the table, and signing the most famous person ever to play the sport, David Beckham, put the team on everyone’s radar. Man United was even able to win the treble in the 98/99 season.
Manchester City has always been a successful Premier League club, but it seemed that they would never reach the heights of their local neighbour. That was until the club was bought out by an extremely wealthy businessman in 2008. Since then, the team has managed to win the Premier League twice. Both Manchester City and Manchester United have continued success to this day, making their famous rivalry even more fun to watch.
Computing
While the city is known largely for its musical output, Manchester is also famous for its contributions to computing. In fact, Manchester is famous for two main industries: textiles and computing.
It gets its computing fame from the fact that the first computer that was capable of using virtual memory was founded at the University of Manchester. This means that computers all across the world can now multitask, share libraries of information, and swap functions. It is possible that you use at least one of these functions when looking at PlayLive casino guides. The city is still dedicated to improving computing, so it is likely that many other computing breakthroughs are going to come from Manchester in the future.
Black Pudding
It is always a good idea to look at a city’s culinary contributions when discussing what it might be famous for. Black pudding has been a staple part of the full English breakfast since the Romans landed in the UK in 500 BC, and it was in Manchester that they created this regional blood sausage.
Not only was the first Roman for in the UK built in Manchester, but the new locals also decided to make a new type of food when they arrived. It may not sound great, but Black Pudding is a sausage or patty made entirely from pigs’ blood. Originally thought to be a Scottish invention, its regional variants come from the type of pig used to source the blood, and it is high in protein. Love it or hate it, you still have Manchester and the Romans to thank for the creation of Black Pudding.
First Canal
Once the Romans had made their mark on the UK, it was time for the nation to revolutionize. As such, Manchester is known as the first city in the UK to join the industrial revolution. With this urge to upgrade also came the country’s first canal in 1761.
The modern canal system was used to ship large goods along the waterways to other parts of the country. Since Manchester was busy constructing new machinery, the first canal was fundamental to the city’s success. That was why the Bridgewater Canal was built to connect Manchester to Worsley. Manchester was also known as the city to house the first tram and train line in the UK. Both of these established transport links were opened in the 1800s and are still visible today. As such, these achievements led Manchester to become quite famous during the Victorian era, and it was known to most citizens as the world’s first industrialised metropolis.
Summary
Manchester may just be a large city in most people’s minds. In fact, most people in the UK would be surprised to learn that Manchester is almost three times the size of London. Even more surprising, though, is all these things that Manchester has become famous for.