Manchester Video Guide

Manchester
Although now best known for its football teams, Manchester was once one of England’s greatest Victorian cities and was the birthplace of both rail travel and Rolls Royce. It is situated on the east bank of the Irwell River, in the north east of the country, and is the centre of a huge metropolitan area, which now encompasses the surrounding towns of Bury, Bolton, Wigan, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport and Oldham. Liverpool is just 30 miles (48km) down river. The area has long had a reputation as a drab, industrialised sprawl, but Manchester has succeeded in reinventing itself, becoming a vibrant metropolis with nightlife second only to London. The city boasts more than 50 free museums and galleries, a world-class sports centre that recently hosted the Commonwealth Games, and plenty of parks, gardens and other attractions.

Liverpool Video Guide

Liverpool
Whether you take the Ferry ‘cross the Mersey, or a stroll down Penny Lane, most visitors will find it difficult to explore Liverpool without a song on their lips. From the twin cathedrals with their striking views over the city to the historical, Grade 1 listed Albert Dock and its Beatles museum, there’s plenty to see and do.
An important maritime centre and industrial port, Liverpool was one of the great cities of the United Kingdom in the Industrial Revolution and much of its wealth came from its dominance in the shipping of textiles, cotton, sugar and slaves. The city was severely bombed in World War II and has struggled to get back on its feet, seeing waves of prosperity and depression. The 1960s saw the explosion of the Beatles and pop music, while the 1990s saw an attempt to regenerate the rather dull urban centre.

Glassgow Video Guide

Glassgow
During the past few decades Glasgow, the UK’s fourth largest city, has re-invented itself from a rather economically depressed post-war industrial centre to a modern metropolis with a thriving art and culture scene, which has earned it accolades like the “European City of Culture” title in 1990 and “City of Architecture” in 1999.
In days of yore Glasgow depended on shipbuilding and engineering for its wealth; the city fell into decline in the mid-20th century with poverty and unemployment rife. Prosperity has returned, riding on the back of 21st century technology, and it is the hub of Scottish film, theatre, writing, music and design which has captured worldwide attention.

Edinburgh Video Guide

Edinburgh
Venerable, dramatic EDINBURGH, the showcase capital of Scotland, is a historic, cosmopolitan and cultured city. The setting is wonderfully striking; the city is perched on a series of extinct volcanoes and rocky crags which rise from the generally flat landscape of the Lothians, with the sheltered shoreline of the Firth of Forth to the north. “My own Romantic town”, Sir Walter Scott called it, although it was another native author, Robert Louis Stevenson, who perhaps best captured the feel of his “precipitous city”, declaring that “No situation could be more commanding for the head of a kingdom; none better chosen for noble prospects.”

Oxford Video Guide

Oxford
Having spawned the legendary Alice in Wonderland, Bilbo and Frodo Baggins, the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and Harry Potter’s Hogwart’s School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Oxford is not only England’s oldest centre for learning, but the home and inspiration of such famous authors as Lewis Carroll, C S Lewis, J R R Tolkien, and recently one of the key locations in the Harry Potter films. The city’s dreaming spires house the famous Ashmolean Museum and the Museum of Modern Art, and whether lazing on one of the college quadrangles, punting down the river or exploring the city’s ancient heritage, Oxford promises something for visitors of all ages.