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Paul R Taylor: On the town
by Paul R Taylor14/ 7/2005
VIBRANT is a word that is used far too much when talking about
cities.
Read any travel guide about practically any capital city in the
world and there it will be - the universal tool of the lazy travel
writer and PR flunkey. It doesn't even mean anything any more.
Rome, Las Vegas, Birmingham - all completely different, all
"vibrant". So it is with some reluctance that I admit that vibrancy
is why I've moved into Manchester city centre. That's what I was
looking for. And, after countless trips to the mortgage advisors,
estate agents and then Ikea, my girlfriend and I have now settled
in the centre.
But what the guides don't tell you is that "vibrant" comes with a
price, especially when you live with it every day. The first thing
I noticed, and stop me when I begin to sound middle-aged, is the
noise.
We live next to a building site, in fact several building sites,
probably like most of the people who live in Manchester at the
moment. Throughout the day there's constant clank, clap, crash,
thud, thump, boom, bang. There's also the endless drone of the
traffic when you open the windows. We live near Great Ancoats
Street and with the hot summer we have to choice at night of
listening to the trucks and cars, or of boiling to death.
Then there is the parking problem. There is no parking. Don't tell
anyone but I have managed to find the only place within the
controlled parking zone where you can park for free without being
clamped or towed. But I know it won't last forever and walk home
with the fear that my car will have been crushed into a cube, for
the bargain price of £1,000.
And there's the fear I might lose the space to someone else. My
tyre has a slow puncture and I have a problem with my locking wheel
nuts, which won't unlock. So every two days I have to move my car
from its secret location and pump up the tyre at the garage. If I
return and the space is gone, it will cost me to park. The NCP car
parks are about a grand a year.
And, this might sound a bit controversial, but there's the
"problem" of the Big Issue sellers. I like the idea, I like the
people who sell it, I like to buy it, but I walk past about eight
every day. No one needs eight Big Issues. I find myself saying, "no
thanks, I'm alright mate" and then feeling riddled with
guilt.
Finally, the litter, oh and the drunks, the dust, the clipboard
gauntlet, people with flyers and above all the temptation. There
are bars everywhere, clubs, casinos, cinemas, making me feel like a
guilty geek if I want a quiet night in.
I like the juddering, shaking, and throbbing of the city. It's a
horribly overused word, but I have to admit Manchester is vibrant,
even if sometimes I'm not.
Got an opinion you want to share?| Company | Typical APR |
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| Abbey Personal Loan | 8.9% |
| Provider | AER* |
|
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FIRST DIRECT Everyday e-Saver |
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