**Rootschat Meet No 3 - 11th March 2006, Manchester

[JillJ]

Looks very interesting Mobo, but "only Monday to Friday"??

Jill

[sugarcrafter1]

yes i agree after christmas would be better i think  , weather s always grim at manchester so time of year  will not matter . we'l wrap up warm LOL

[Mobo]

 

But, if you fancy something totally different, then there's the Urbis Centre

Situated in the Cathedral Gardens, it's a new kind of museum exploring life in different cities of the world. Urbis is a brand new, shimmering, glass building rising high above Manchester. Inside, state-of-the-art interactive displays and exhibits lead you through an inspirational journey exploring life in different cities of the world, focusing especially on Manchester, Los Angeles, Sao Paolo, Singapore, Paris and Tokyo. Your visit to Urbis begins with a one-minute sky glide in The Glass Elevator. With the city as backdrop, you then explore, at your own pace, four cascading themed floors of fascinating, intriguing and entertaining exhibits: Arrive, Change, Order and Explore.

Opening times: Mon-Sun, 10am-6pm

Adults £5, Concessions: £3.50

 

[MaryA]

I like the sound of the Urbis Centre, pity about Chetham's School and Library 

Mary

[Mobo]

 

But if you don't want to go there, then there is the Manchester Art Gallery - and the City has a Metro-link if you don't want to walk.

It has now reopened after a £35 million renovation. The gallery space has doubled and now displays a permanent collection which includes Henry Moore's Mother and Child and works by Dante, Gabriel Rossetti, Gainsborough, Turner, Francis Bacon, Pisssaro and Lucien Freud. A gallery for special exhibitions is a new addition and it opens with Inhale / Exhale by Michael Craig-Martin in which huge representations of everyday objects are painted on the wall as if thrown from a canvas opposite.

Opening times: Tuesday - Sunday, 10am-5pm

Admission: free

 

[Keziahemm]

After Christmas for me 

The Urbis Centre sounds really interesting.

Susan 

[Mobo]

 

Another interesting building is The Royal Exchange in Cross Street. It has a lift in St Anns Square.

Climb the stairs labelled Royal Exchange Theatre into what was once claimed to be the biggest trading room in the world. Restored after the bomb of 1996 the hall is more impressive than ever in its new livery of colours and and its gold capped Corinthian columns supporting three elegant domes. The building has housed since 1976 the marvellous lunar module-like theatre voted the best in the country in 1999. High on the wall over the brasserie restaurant lies the old trading board giving away the original function of the Royal Exchange. This building and the previous ones on this site and nearby were the headquarters of the global trade in finished cotton for more than two centuries. At one time Manchester controlled more than 80% of that worldwide business.

Open daily except Sunday - free.

 

[Mobo]

 

And for the thirsty and footweary - a visit to Manchester can't be complete without a visit to the City's oldest ale house - The Old Shambles - right next door to Marks & Spencer

 

[magsbutler]

Sorry to appear dense, but how do I vote?

Thanks,
Mags