Here in Manchester, summer isn't so much about sunshine as it is about a lack of rain. As the wettest city in the country, sporadic bouts of that yellow ball in the sky aren't always a sure sign summer is on its way. To help you out, here are the top five tell tale signs that summer has truly arrived in Manchester.
1. Sinclair's is rammo: bums on seats? Fawged abaaaat it.
One of Manchester's best historic pubs, this place is steeped in history and cheap as chips too! But how easy is it to get a table outside and enjoy the weather? Impossible. If you're prepared to pitch a tent the night before, then you might be in luck. Approach it like you would a 5am Boxing Day sale.
Setting up a camp or sneaking down at sunrise, just some of the scandalous tactics used to secure a seat at this top notch pub.
2. It's taps aff in Manchester.
For us locals, nothing screams British summertime like men strutting around town topless. If this sounds tempting to you in any way, shape or form: it's not. Everyone with their top still on silently shares in the knowledge that this is the price we pay for sunlight. If you want to see professional topless men, book a weekend show at Birdcage.
(Photo Credit: primobarber.tumblr.com) Hoards of men flock to the Picadilly Gardens without that chest covering essential garment, you have been warned.
3. Summer pop ups: here, there and everywhere.
Arguably the best bit about summer in Manchester is all the pop up events and festivals. So far this year we've already seen Parklife, Friday Food Fight and Up In Your Grill. There's plenty more to come in the form of MCR Dig food and drink festival, Jazz Festival, an Oasis exhibition and the summer festival of makers.
Taste the best street food in town or lose yourself in a fair of arts, crafts and culture.
4. Students swan off and we get Manchester all to ourselves!
Here's a fun fact: Manchester sees the biggest change in population when students come and go out of anywhere else in the country. Around 100,000 students return home each summer, leaving all the fun stuff to us! It is however a nasty shock when you forfeit your personal space again in September.
(Photo credit: wild-woman.com)
5. Bar staff at Liar's Club leave their underground lair...
Hawaiian shirts in tow, these guys can be seen running amok in town, as weather more suited to their tropical hideaway reaches the shores of Manchester. Having a quick look around; they see what's changed in the last year, sample some new bars, eat from the latest pig out joints and startle a few city folk before returning home to their drinking den.
There they are, running amok: shirts and cocktail sharers ahoy!
