Manchester town planners: So much to answer for

So, that's another large Northern city crossed off the list. We did Leeds in June last year, so that leaves Liverpool (shudder) and Newcastle (shiver) to check out. First impressions were not good. It took just 45 minutes to drive across the moors from Doncaster to Manchester - my apologies to all those drivers stuck behind me on the A628, but it was dark, the road was very twisty, and I hadn't driven for more than a year - and it then took another 45 minutes to negotiate the tortuous one-way system that took us within 20 yards of our hotel and then swept us onto a dual carriageway heading to Birmingham. I'm surprised that the giving and following of road directions isn't cited in more divorces. Anyway, my savage brow was soothed by an excellent lobster bisque and rocket salad in the Brasserie at the Malmaison, the Dr Who Christmas special (yummy David Tennant!), and a good night's sleep. On Boxing Day we headed out to experience Manchester. And Starbucks for the first time in 6 months.

It's not the most attractive of cities; despite the IRA's "architectural remodelling," the Arndale Centre is still pretty ugly, and sits alongside some fairly dreadful 60s tower blocks. It seems that very few cities escaped the blight of these concrete monstrosities, complete with urine-soaked underpasses. However, there are some impressive redbrick Victorian buildings, the town hall with its giant Santa and modernist Christmas tree was fab, and Urbis was very cool. There seems to have been little attempt to fit new buildings into the existing environment though - Selfridges and Harvey Nichol's both dwarf the attractive low buildings around the Cathedral. And the plentiful apartment buildings, many under construction, repeat the pattern: converted Victorian industrial warehouse next to 20-story glass tower. I was surprised by how compact the city centre was (we walked round it, out to Salford, and back) in just 2 hours.

Would I live there? Certainly - as long as I can have the gorgeous 3-bedroomed cottage on Stenner Lane in Didsbury. Anybody have half a million they can lend me? I'll pay it back, promise. Great city and within easy reach of fab countryside - with real hills.