Category: Manchester

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Oxford Street in Manchester

A street scene featuring a prominent clock tower in the background, surrounded by buildings and trees.

This photograph was taken on Oxford Street looking north towards St Peter’s Square in the heart of the Manchester’s city centre. It was a quick snap on my iPhone in May 2022 when I was walking around Manchester with my dad. Returning to a once very familiar place can stir up a variety of different emotions. From 2006 to 2009 I lived on Chester Street just a few hundred metres from where this was taken. For three years I walked up and down Oxford Street daily. Somethings hadn’t changed. The Kimpton Clocktower Hotel for example looked the same, despite its new name. The biggest visually change is on the right of this photograph. The huge red modern office building of Circle Square. Central Manchester has changed a lot in the last 10-15 years.

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Christmas Metrolink tram Manchester

A bright yellow tram moves across the city centre square with a large Santa sculpture made of Christmas lights in the background.

Happy Christmas from St. Peter’s Square in Manchester. This was taken last year in November 2024 when I was in town just as the Christmas lights and market had started for the year. Back in 2007 I took a similar blurred tram photograph, St. Peter’s Square Metrolink at Night. I didn’t think it would take me 17 years to retake this photograph. This more recent photograph above was taken on a tripod but only a quarter of a second exposure and no flash. This captured more of the tram but still some movement. Putting the two photos side by side I can see how my photography has improved over the years. 

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Father Christmas in St Peter’s Square Manchester

A large Father Christmas sat on a boxy present with a bow all made of lights in front of a large circular library building, contributing to the festive atmosphere of the surroundings.

This year Father Christmas sits on top of a massive boxy present in front of Central Library in Manchester. This latest version is made up of thousands of lights. Whilst I like the big moustache and thumbs up I do miss the Zippy Father Christmas. Typically the “big Santa” sits in the heart of the Manchester Christmas Markets in Albert’s Square. Since 2019 ongoing building works to the Town Hall have closed Albert Square to the markets. Finding myself back in Manchester last month, I made sure I got into the city centre. This was the best I could get without people stood in the centre of the photograph. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. As I reflect on the last 12 months I’ve shared more of my work than I have in years. Looking forward to 2025 where I have big travel photography plans to share more images than ever. Thank you for your support.

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The Glade of Light – Manchester

The Glade of Light is a memorial garden in the city centre of Manchester. It commemorates the victims of the Manchester Arena bombing of 2017. Opened in January 2022, the stone centrepiece is inscribed with the names of the 22 victims. Behind the garden is the Manchester Cathedral. I was there on one of the first days it was opened to the public so it was impossible to get a photograph without people in it. In this case it adds to the picture to have people in the photograph.