Changing times in Manchester

Change is something we sometimes embrace, at times it is thrust upon us and at other times it can occur naturally over a period of time.

Some places seem to be synonymous with change; they seem to be at the forefront of change.

Manchester in England has been at the forefront of much of change. In the nineteenth century, the squalid living and onerous working conditions that many workers endured in

the world's first industrial city informed the writings Fredrich Engels and to, a lesser degree, his friend Karl Marx.

Manchester Guardian was set up in 1821 by prominent businessmen whose non-conformist (Unitarian) faith excluded them from the mainstream. For many years the paper was known as Britain's "non-conformist conscience". The paper became known as The Guardian in 1959.

The Internet has hearlded real change in how we consume information. The web provides opportunity but also presents real difficulties for those of us who produce things and wish to retail them online. For at the heart of the World Wide Web is the concept that people should be able to disseminate ideas, content and information for free.

Considering the difficult economic climate, we have decided to make our Manchester: Then & Now audio tour guide completely free - for good.

Manchester is the city where Rolls met Royce. Musically, it is home to a renowned symphony orchestra (the Bridgewater Hall) and in more recent the Haçienda (now closed) was at the heart of the Madchester scene.

The tour is composed of 13 stops or commentary points, listeners hear about the personalities and stories associated with a particualr landmark or attraction and then receive instructions explaining how to get to the next stop. The 2.4 mile (3.8km) tour can be completed in two hours - or a day it is up to you.

Download here.

Picture: Arches under the Manchester Town Hall Extension. I got lucky with the light that day.