A trip to Manchester on a pleasant, clear Valentine’s day. We explore around St Peters Square, Piccadilly Gardens, Tib Street, Afflecks Palace and Cathedral Gardens.

St Peters Square, Manchester. Central Library and the Midland Hotel are visible in the background.

St Peter's Square, Manchester. We'd often chose St Peters as our City Centre arrival point.

St Peters Square, Manchester. This cross formed part of the war memorial, also a reminder of the former St Peters Church which used to occupy the square.

Greater Manchester Police van parked in St Peter's Square, Manchester. I bought my Nikon Coolpix 3500 digital camera from the Jessops store in this picture.

Central Library and the town hall extension, St Peters Square, Manchester.

St Peters Square, Manchester. This cross formed part of the war memorial, also a reminder of the former St Peters Church which used to occupy the square.

Bridgewater Hall, Manchester.

A CCTV camera near Bridgewater Hall, Manchester.

Christian pointing at the Barbirolli building. Lower Mosley Street, Manchester.

I think this is the Barbirolli building. Lower Mosley Street, Manchester.

Metrolink 1016 on its way to G-Mex station, Lower Mosley Street, Manchester.

Looking north-east towards St Peters Square, Lower Mosley Street, Manchester.

Barbirolli buildings, Lower Mosley Street, Manchester.

G-Mex, formerly Manchester Central train station, Windmill/Lower Mosley Street, Manchester.

Windmill/Mount Street, Manchester. The town hall, extension and Central Library are visible.

Looking over to Deansgate/Quay Street from G-Mex, Manchester.

The Midland Hotel, Manchester. An episode of Red Dwarf was partly filmed here (Stasis Leak).

The Midland Hotel, Manchester. An episode of Red Dwarf was partly filmed here (Stasis Leak).

The Midland Hotel from St Peters Square.

Red phone boxes at the rear of the town hall extension, St Peters Square. The Sunley building can be seen in the distance.

Town hall extension, St Peters Square. Looking south towards Central Library.

Looking at the rear of Manchester Town Hall from Cooper Street.

Piccadilly Gardens, Manchester. One Piccadilly is under construction.

Piccadilly Gardens, Manchester. Looking towards Market Street.

Me in Afflecks Palace, Manchester. Afflecks is perhaps the last 'alternative' place left in Manchester. I desperately wanted to be 'alternative' and fit-in with the alternative crowd... I never did :(

Somewhere off Tib St in Manchester's Northern Quarter.

Tib Street is home to several seedy looking sex shops, a different kind of pussy was once on offer in this street as it was home to several pet shops. Not anymore.

Here I am in Cathedral Gardens inspecting the water feature. This area is a meeting place for Manchester's 'mosher', emo and skater kids. I wanted to join them, but err... no one seems to have turned up.

Manchester Cathedral in all its glory.

How many centuries of Manchester architecture in one picture? Corn Exchange - 19th century, CIS Building - 20th Century, Urbis - 21st Century! Wonderful! No idea how old the cathedral is.

Another shot of Cathedral Gardens. Imagine the amount of skateboard grinding that has taken place here.

Water feature in Cathedral Gardens, Manchester. Chetham's School of Music is on the right.

Benches in Cathedral Gardens, Manchester. The place was deserted.

Me outside Urbis in Cathedral Gardens, Manchester. I really wanted to learn to skateboard and hang around Urbis, sadly I just wan't good or cool enough. Oh well, that's all, thanks for watching! More posts to come!