As far as big birthdays go, 200 is mighty impressive. This year, Manchester Art Gallery’s building celebrates its bi-centenary, having started out in 1823.
Although the gallery as we know it opened up several decades later, it’s an important milestone for one of Manchester’s ‘palazzo’ marvels. It was also a handy excuse for the M.E.N. team to get a hit of culture for this week’s I work in town.
Jamie Aira is this weekend’s guest. The 24-year-old grew up in Levenshulme, but has family in the US.
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She also studied abroad there at university, and has gone ‘back and forth’ between the States and Manchester. “I keep getting pulled back here,” she joked, before revealing her next dart across the pond will be in April.
Living just off Oxford Road, Jamie is a born-and-bred Manc who knows her stuff. Here’s what she makes of her city.
Where’s your favourite hidden gem?
That’s really difficult to answer. I feel like Manchester has a lot of hidden gems, even as someone who’s grown up in Levenshulme, I’m finding cute little nooks and crannies.
Currently, I don’t know if I have one. It used to be Chapter One — they used to have typewriters and they took them out and I felt like it lost its special [feeling].
Manchester Art Gallery is a hidden gem. I know it’s already a big institution, but for me as someone who works here, I can find nooks and crannies in the gallery itself.
What’s your favourite view of the city or in the city?
I would say I like going to Spinningfields. I know it’s a bit commercialised, but I like looking at the greenery considering how we’re in a city.
Where’s best to go for your dinner in town?
Honestly, for me, it’s downstairs in the archive room. I’m surrounded by books, I can read my own book, and I can’t be disturbed.
It’s just staff so it’s one of the hidden gems, because we’re surrounded by archived books that no-one else has access to. It’s pretty cool.
Where would you take someone to show them the real Manchester?
I would take them to Didsbury because there’s cool stuff there as well. I feel like a mixture of Didsbury, Chinatown — because we have such a big east Asian community — and I would take them to the Northern Quarter for the street art that’s on the walls.
Obviously, Manchester Art Gallery too!
What’s your favourite Mancunian neighbourhood?
It’s really difficult to answer… I grew up in the Gorton/Longsight/Levenshulme area, but it’s not my favourite. But Levenshulme does have hidden gems.
Actually, it is Levenshulme.
What are the five words that best describe the city?
Home, creative, musical, full of colour, and community. When it gets rough, I feel like Mancunians gather together and pull through.
City or United?
Both!
Liam or Noel?
Neither!
Your favourite city pub is…?
I prefer to go to cafes than bars or pubs. My favourite cafe would have to be the gallery cafe, or Chapter One. I still like the vibe there.
What’s the one thing you’d add to Manchester if you could…
I like the ideas of adding more green space and helping homeless people get homes — it’s such a prevalent problem in Manchester.
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