Tales From the Second Cities Manchester 1988 - 1992

“Tales From The Second Cities”  is all about the ongoing battle as to who owns the right to be called England’s 2nd City. This pointless argument seems to of been a constant in my life, due to the fact I grew up and went to school in Birmingham but have lived most of my life in Manchester. I’ve enjoyed Photographing in both cities, over the years, but often amazed at how different they are to one another in terms of culture, outlook and appearance. Though the areas I ended up living in (Sparkhill & Hulme) had remarkable similarities. Both were poor run-down areas but also positively multi-cultural, working class and politically engaged.

 The first book in this two-part series covers my time when I first moved to Manchester in 1988, just at the time the City was going through a real creative upturn and yes I got swept along by the enthusiasm and motivation many people had during this period of time. 

I moved to the Hulme district of Manchester which was in walking distance of the city centre and it did feel like you were in the middle of everything good that was going on and I always felt encouraged to take as many photos as possible. It felt natural to have my camera on me most of the time, and for that, years later, I’m forever grateful.