Weekend in Manchester

[ChinaInYourHands]

DD is in Y1 at the University of Manchester. It hasn’t been an easy start. She’s joined a few societies but hasn’t made friends yet, and she feels quite lonely. She’s not into clubbing or drinking, and her introversion and social anxiety make it harder as she assumes people don’t like her. I'm worried about her.

DH and I are driving up from Surrey soon to visit. Two questions: is there a reliable website to check what’s on in Manchester that weekend, and can anyone recommend a nice small village or quieter place just outside the city where we could stay overnight? We’d like to avoid the full-on city atmosphere but don’t want to be too far out, so not as far as the Peaks.

Thank you!

Don't know about any websites, but highly recommend this hotel in Sale, its waking distance to the tram so easy to get into the city too.

www.belmoreatsale.co.uk/

That looks lovely @Aposterhasnoname, thank you. It makes me think that it might be worth also getting a room for DD so she gets a break from her residence room... Maybe having a little bit of space and a breather will help her think about her next move...

Manchester is a fantastic student city… but it’s a big city and if your daughter is struggling with social anxiety then I can imagine it would be overwhelming.

Perhaps you can help her to focus on making it smaller…talk to her about her interests and zone in on one or two societies that cater to that where she can build her network and find her tribe. Not every student experience needs to involve clubbing and drinking. What pastoral support is offered to help students settle in?

It maybe that she needs a smaller city with a campus based uni… but it’s early days at Manchester and there will be lots of people feeling the same way. Fantastic that she’s got the two of you in her corner… what I would say is don’t spend all weekend in sale. Help explore the city that she’s trying to feel at home in. Go and find the parks/libraries/museums/coffee shops etc that she might want to spend time in.

Good luck.

@andthat you make an excellent point actually, rather than 'escaping' we should maybe help her find spots she hasn't discovered yet. She's hugely into music, going to concerts and stuff, and I honestly thought she wouldn't struggle to find her tribe there.

Is there a website that could help me explore less mainstream events in Manchester?

You could stay in knutsford with her and spend the day looking round tatton park ( national trust) and it’s a lovely town anyway.

Or wilmslow which has much better train links to Manchester (about 15 mins) and you’d be near quarry bank mill.

Thank you @Mushroo, it does look lovely! I'm going to save it for another time, I think for this particular weekend I'm going to reframe things a little and stay In Manchester.

https://www.visitmanchester.com/whats-on/

You can find almost every type of live music scene in Manchester. It's really incredible for this in particular. The RNCM means the place is filled with classical nerds, as well as dance music, indie, small live performers. Banging techno, underground hiphop, mediaeval polyphony, it's all going on. In Chorlton, Didsbury, Withington etc there are plenty of mid week performers in small venues - it's not all megacorporate stuff in Coop Live.

https://www.creativetourist.com/classical-music/
https://www.manchestersfinest.com/places/the-peer-hat/ (see also, Band on the Wall, Night and Day, Matt and Phreds, etc)
https://homemcr.org/
https://ra.co/events/uk/manchester
https://www.skiddle.com/gigs/Manchester/
https://www.sofarsounds.com/cities/manchester

Also have a look at insta for what to do in Manchester accounts
mcrfinest
mcrconfidential
secretmanchester
abisguideto

she could also consider meet-up groups based around hobbies, group walks etc, which might be a nice way to meet people without going out drinking.

Ahh brilliant.. and come to the right place if she’s into music! There’s tons going on as a pp has mentioned.

Maybe spend the weekend looking at all the societies/events/volunteer opps that cater
to music lovers so that before you go home she’s got a plan of what to try.

Good luck… it’s a big change and sometimes takes some adjustment.

I would go to Manchester museum and the Whitworth gallery (which also has a beautiful cafe amongst the tree tops), both are in studentville and are quiet spaces. There's also Mrs Gaskell's house nearby. I would have a curry in the curry mile and go into the city centre to visit the Central library and maybe the Portico library and cafe, and Shambles Square in Manchester.

If she wants to look at community activities many areas have makers markets on different Saturdays - look up Withington, Chorlton and Stretford makers markets, they are all on different days. My favourite park is in Didsbury, Fletcher Moss which has a magical rockery garden with a pond at the bottom and paths with tiny rivers and waterfalls to explore, and a nice cafe!

I will DM you the info on an air b and b I have used that is on a bus route to the uni in a quiet residential area.