The Skyliner: Modern History of the Northern Quarter Tour
Carmel Smickersgill, Tours & Activities Editor
The Northern Quarter has an incredibly rich modern history, it’s an area which in the past fifty years has undergone enormous changes socially, architecturally and functionally. Walk through the Northern Quarter with the Skyliner and learn about the area’s history through its ever-evolving street art. The tour takes a sideways look at the rapid changes the streets have been through post-gentrification. Whether you are someone who has lived in Manchester for years or just visiting, Skyliner will send you away knowing much more about the city’s creative quarter-turned-bustling hub of bourgeoisie.
Skyliner (aka Hayley Flynn) has been developing tours for years and The Modern History of the Northern Quarter has evolved as drastically as the Northern Quarter itself. Skyliner has a talent for making people look up and pay attention to the places around them, whether it’s for the sake of a stunning mural or examining the political message behind it. Every street you walk down has a very human story that often goes unnoticed.
Historical past considered, walking through the backstreets of Tib Street and Stevenson Square in pursuit of murals, poetry, installations and architecture will make you feel like you’re seeing the place for the first time. Tours vary depending on what’s happening on the day – ours involved a delicious doughnut from one of the cafés en route. There are plenty of hidden gems to be found in the Northern Quarter though, it’s still a very culturally rich area despite being highly gentrified.
You can find Skyliner’s two-hour tours starting at 11 am near Shudehill Metrolink on selected dates. Alongside the Modern History tours of the Northern Quarter, Skyliner has a pattern broadcast channel focusing on local modern history and runs several other tours around the city. Keep an eye on the Skyliner blog and website for more details – it’s an engaging read, to put it mildly.
