MANCHESTER IS WONDERFUL

Manchester is England's second city.

The results of a nationwide MORI poll released today show more than a third
of people rate Manchester second behind London and ahead of rivals
Birmingham and Liverpool.

Some 34per cent of those questioned put Manchester second when asked to
nominate England's top three cities. Birmingham had 29pc of second place
votes while Liverpool had 10pc.

Andrew Stokes managing director of Marketing Manchester, which
commissioned the survey, said: "Traditionally Birmingham and Manchester
have always vied for the title of England's second city, but over the past
decade Manchester has established itself as a truly international city.

"This is reflected in our booming city centre, major airport, and excellent
communications and transport infrastructure.

"Many iconic figures of sport and popular culture have their origins in the city,
and its image has been boosted further by popular TV series such as Cold
Feet, Cutting It and Queer as Folk which have endorsed Manchester as a
switched-on, vibrant city."

"Higher numbers than ever are visiting the city for its superb hotels, leisure
and entertainment facilities and a cultural offering which includes major new
museums and galleries."