Local Blackfriars

Manchester, the second city of the UK and the centre of the economic ‘Northern Powerhouse’, is a thriving cosmopolitan city built upon an industrious legacy. Manchester’s prominence dates back to its status as the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution in the early 19th century. Then, many factors came together to propel Manchester to become the pre-eminent city of its time. Here in the early 21st century, there are many parallels that can be made in the city’s transition during the industrial revolution to the world’s leading industrial metropolis and now to a leading 21st century economy. Manchester is a city with many impressive statistics to its name. It was the world’s first industrialised city, home to the first public library and birthplace of the world’s first computer. It has the world’s oldest railway station and the oldest professional football league. It is also where scientists first split the atom and has been home to more than 25 Nobel Prize winners. The UK’s government’s focus on the Northern Powerhouse has helped position Manchester as the North’s economic epicentre. The city has emerged as a natural choice for investment outside of London. "The world's first industrialised city, home to the first public library and birthplace of the world's first computer"