Booked a cheap flight from Manchester? Or are you simply looking for a weekend getaway within the UK? Then Manchester is the place to go. This former industrial centre in the north fell into decline after WWII, but over the last 20 years it has been seriously upgrade to a cosmopolitan city. It has the best shopping in the country after London with great shops in the West End and quite a few shopping malls. So if you're looking for that fab new outfit, head over to the Barton Arcade or the Royal Exchange Shopping Centre. For more Indie style items, have a look at Affleck's emporium. If you are a culture vulture you will find a plenty of museums and many of them are free to get in. Have a look at the Manchester Art Gallery. It has a extensive collection of 19th and 20th century painters. If you fancy a nice dinner, but don't want to spend too much cash, try out Tampopo. It's a modern looking restaurant that serves Oriental dishes from all over Asia. Mains costs around 8 to 10 quid, so it won't burn a hole in your wallet. If you want to know what is happening on the Manchester bar and club scene, get a hold of the latest issue of City Life magazine. Or simply take a stroll through the Northern Quarter. It's an area with loads of independent bars. So no chains bars here. If you want to listen to live music, try the Dry Bar or Night & Day Cafe which put on gigs pretty much every night.