Manchester

Off the Cobbles with Danny

This unique walking tour is led by Danny, an “adopted Mancunian”, to show people the city’s streets as he has lived them. His tour is a thoughtful and poetic exploration that will transport you to the flip side of Manchester, beyond the mere surface of its tourist attractions and into the depths of his own experience of homelessness.

His passion is abundantly clear throughout the tour as he helps you see Manchester in a different light by contextualising some of the city’s most beautiful areas in the experience of Manchester’s homeless community, and his own personal experience. Each stop is marked with either a poignant poetry piece, written by Danny, or an anecdote from his time on the streets.

This tour is educational and enjoyable in equal parts, with a wonderful guide who is happy to answer any of your questions about his experience of homelessness. Combating stigmas around homelessness with his words, Danny’s tour will open your eyes to the real experiences of homeless people in Manchester.

What to expect?

Your experience starts at the Manchester Cenotaph, where you’ll meet Danny with his green hoodie on and set off on a thoughtful and poetic tour of the city. Looking beyond its famous sights into its lesser-seen stories of the city - this tour will make you stop and appreciate landmarks as emblematic as Manchester Cathedral down to singular pieces of street art in the Northern Quarter.

During the two-mile walk you’ll visit places including:

St. Peter’s Square, where the Cenotaph war memorial is located
Albert Square, home of the impressive neo-Gothic town hall
St. Mary's Catholic Church, also known as the Hidden Gem
St. Ann's Square, where the Homeless Jesus statue rests
Manchester Cathedral, with its beautiful medieval architecture
The Northern Quarter area, where there’s street art on every corner.

Each stop is marked with either a piece of Danny’s poetry or a personal story about his time on the streets, and he’s happy to answer any questions you might have - he describes this as a walking talking tour; any question, any time.

The tour finishes at 111 Piccadilly, where you’ll see a striking mural created by local artists who are or have been homeless.

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Back in Time With Laura

This unique walking tour is led by Laura, a person of many cities, especially Manchester. Her tour will take you on a rollercoaster of the Northern City’s streets, with unexpected twists and turns. Her passion for the past and present women of Manchester and the city’s culture, architecture and food scene is combined with her own personal experience throughout the tour.

As as a transgender woman, Laura’s tour tries to build bridges between her past and the person she has become today. She hopes to educate locals and tourists alike, to understand the difficulties of living on the streets as well as being transgender, in order for people to gain an insight on the issues surrounding homelessness.

What to expect?

Your experience starts at one of Manchester’s finest listed buildings, the Central Library, in St Peter’s Square. Where you should keep an eye out for Laura in her green hoodie which you’ll be welcomed with a meet and greet!

The one and a half mile walk will take you to places like:

St Peter’s Square, where the Central Library, The Midland Hotel and Emmeline Pankhurst statue are located.
Manchester Art Gallery, including the gallery cafe
China Town, where photo opportunities arise
Piccadilly Gardens, the home of the Queen Victoria statue
Chapter One Books, a break for a tea or coffee
The Northern Quarter, taking you to beautiful and intriguing sites, for example Greater Manchester Police Museum.

The tour will end in the centre of the Northern Quarter. This tour will take you around the seen and unseen of Manchester’s streets.

Turning the invisible, visible.

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