Manchester is a gloomy city when the sun hides behind the clouds, but let there be light for just 15 minutes and you’ll see the city with new eyes.

I spent a week in the Northern Quarter, which is probably the best place in the city to stay. It’s the throbbing cultural heart of Manchester, a former artist’s quarter, colonized by broke creative type people after the Second World War. With property prices crashed thanks to urban redevelopment by the German Luftwaffe, the Northern Quarter was soon taken over and then adapted by the people who lived there.

Despite all the street art and the music and the clubs and the hipsters, there’s nothing that puts a smile on a Mancunian’s face like the sun. I had exactly three days of rain and four of sunshine (thankfully back to back in each case) so I could form a proper opinion of the city.

The other really cool thing about Manchester is the fact that it’s such a modern, impressive city and yet just a stone’s throw away from the bustling downtown area, you can find quiet residential suburbs, Roman ruins and a  vibrant art community. All peacefully coexisting in harmony.

Basically what all this makes for is a great opportunity for photography!