See the city from your sofa with Jonathan Schofield's exclusive set of Zoom Tours
Manchester tours are back. And you don’t even have to leave the house.
Our editor-at-large Jonathan Schofield is perking up Zoom with a whole series of tours of Manchester, Salford and the surrounding areas filled with fascinating content and loads of entertainment. There’ll be beautiful images of the city from the past and the present and looking to the future. Laughs and serious themes will all be part of the package. There’ll be music and maps too.
With these tours you can get inside buildings, down mysterious tunnels and see the faces of the personalities we discuss. There are even pictures of spooks.
These tours will provide a whole array of illuminating material to make the experience as immersive and comprehensive as possible. And if you can’t attend the live session then you can listen to the recording at a time of your own choosing.
There’s a whole range of themes and topics, from the secrets of famous streets such as Oxford Street, and well-known buildings such as London Road Fire Station, to nostalgia tours of the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s including the music and fashions of the day. Suburbs such as Old Trafford and Didsbury are in there. Inner areas such as the Northern Quarter, Castlefield with St Johns and Chapel Street with Peel Park feature.
There's a tour on the pubs and lost pubs of the city. Manchester’s Amazing Tunnels are explored, as is the American link on 4th July.
Meanwhile Jonathan often gets asked how to read a building: what makes a Gothic building Gothic and a Classical one Classical? Well, there are three Zoom sessions explaining how to recognise architectural styles using Manchester’s buildings as examples.
How much is it and how do I book?
Simply click on this link and then scroll down the list of tours.
The tours have an introductory price of £6 each, or you can buy 6 tours for just £25. I have tested these tours and people love them.
When you've ordered, you'll be sent a Zoom invitation 24 hours before the tour is due to start. Then you simply put your feet up, cuddle the beverage of your choice, and watch the city unfold in front of you. You can ask questions through the chat options and when the live broadcast is finished you'll be sent a link to the recording.
What people are saying...
"BRILLIANT Jonathan. I had a smile on my face most of the time. That was great." Lesley, 2 June 2020.
"I thoroughly enjoyed the tour and now I'm going to invest in the package." Neil, 26 May 2020.
"Many thanks for this evening's Zoom tour. SO interesting and great photos." Judith, 2 June 2020.
The list of tours you can book (so far...)
The Secrets of Cross Street – Sat 29 June (now available as a 1 hour 10 minute recording)
The Secrets of London Road Fire Station – Tues 2 and Sat 6 June
Manchester's Amazing Tunnels – Tues 9 and Sat 13 June
The Secrets of Old Trafford – Thurs 11 June
80s Manchester from Joy Division to New Order – Tues 16 and Sat 20 June
Understanding architecture part 1: Gothic styles - Wed 17 June
Chetham's Extraordinary Medieval Buildings – Thurs 18 June
The Secrets of Oxford Street – Tues 23 and 27 June
Understanding architecture 2: Classical and related styles – Weds 24 June
The Secrets of Didsbury – Thurs 25 June
The Secrets of Castlefield and St John's – Tues 30 June
Understanding architecture 3: Post-WW2 architecture – Weds 1 July
The Secrets of Chapel Street and Peel Park Thurs 2 July
Manchester, the American Link – Sat 4 July
60s & 70s Manchester – Tues 7 and Sat 11 July
The Ghosts of Manchester – Thurs 9 July
The Secrets of the Refuge Building (Kimpton Clock Tower Hotel) – Thurs 16 July
The Secrets of the Northern Quarter - Tues 14 and Sat 18 July
The Pubs and Lost Pubs of Manchester – Tues 21 July and 18 July
