The Devils you know

They never had things like this when I was a kid. But Manchester wasn't really like this when I was a kid. The museum - glossy on the outside, but containing real substance on the inside - is indicative of a modern, self-confident city that has changed beyond all recognition over the past decade.

An IRA bomb that devastated buildings in the centre of Manchester in 1996 was just one of a long line of blows to blight the former international powerhouse, which was regarded by many as the world's first industrialised city in the early 1800s, when it led the way in the textile and cotton industries.

Yet its influence steadily diminished throughout the 20th century, recession hit hard after World War II, and its future was as lugubrious as its frequently grey skies.

But rather than lie down and sulk, the city has fought back and regenerated itself, so much so that this summer it will host the first Manchester International Festival, a celebration of its deserved reputation as a creative, culturally rich centre.

If the organisers had tried to do this in the past, they'd have been a laughing stock. Not now.

Granted, there are still pockets of poverty and stacks of grotty high-rises - and the dispiriting Manchester prison, formerly known as Strangeways, still looms large above the murky skyline - but Manchester is, unquestionably, in the middle of a renaissance.

The city centre has been transformed, with new shopping and entertainment complexes, pedestrianised streets and hip bars, art galleries and restaurants complementing its grand Victorian architecture, mills and canals.

And the gentrification is spreading out to the suburbs. Nowhere is this more evident than in the previously decrepit Salford Quays area, which now reminds me of a smaller version of Melbourne's Docklands. And it's not just because of the drizzle in the air.

The aforementioned War Museum - designed by Daniel Libeskind, who also designed the buildings for the World Trade Centre site - sticks out like a sore thumb, with its highly complex postmodern look, which is supposed to convey the disorientation associated with conflict.

On the other side of the Manchester Ship Canal is another example of the city's newfound confidence: the Lowry.

It's a combined museum and arts centre set in a giant steel-framed silo that attracts some of the best British and international theatrical talent and is dedicated to the famous Mancunian landscape painter Lawrence Stephen Lowry.

The mysterious and reclusive Lowry, who died in 1976 after rejecting a CBE, an OBE and a knighthood from the Queen, may not have been overly enamoured by the setting of his memorial, though, for he was a big fan of Manchester City football club.

Clearly visible from the Lowry - and a mere 10-minute walk across the Lowry Bridge - is the home of their hated rivals, Manchester United.

Old Trafford, the Theatre of Dreams, is one of world football's meccas and has hosted the exploits of superstars from George Best and David Beckham to today's crowd pleasers, Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney.

If you're not a club member you have two chances of getting a ticket to watch the Red Devils play: slim and none. Despite the 76,000 capacity, games are sold out week in, week out, so the closest you'll probably get to the action is by taking a guided tour of the ground.

It's a worthwhile diversion as you get to scour the glorious trophy room, relive the club's fascinating history and greatest matches, before getting a glimpse of the hallowed turf itself.

If you can't resist a bit of shopping on your holidays, you may enjoy the nearby Trafford Centre, a heaving metropolis of commerce, with nearly 300 shops making it the largest in England's north-west.

After a hard day's touring I'm beginning to feel hunger pains, but luckily there's a wide variety of culinary delights to savour.

While the region's signature meat, onion and potatoes dish, the Lancashire hotpot, is still a favourite in many old pubs, the city has embraced a globally influenced diet.

The Curry Mile, in the suburb of Rushholme, boasts 70 restaurants, kebab houses and takeaways, while on Faulkner Street there is the second largest Chinatown in Britain after London's Soho district. Another area where Manchester excels is in its night-life. The home of laddish bands such as the Stone Roses and Oasis, it revelled in its nickname Madchester in the 1980s and '90s.

And while there are still groups of staggering youths (known locally as scallies) doing the rounds and attempting to mimic the Gallagher brothers - this is binge-drinking Britain, after all - there's a more sophisticated air about Manchester these days. You're just as likely to see young professionals sipping fancy cocktails in plush bars, with Deansgate Locks, a row of classy drinking dens built under old railway arches, the Northern Quarter, gay-friendly Canal Street and the city centre Printworks site a hive of after-dark activity.

There's one thing that hasn't changed in Manchester, though: the climate. As the saying goes, it can be "grim up north" - especially at 3am when you're queuing for a taxi and there's a chilly bite in the air.

But with the progress the city has made in recent years and with the prospect of warm summer in sight, you can overlook that little bugbear.

TRIP NOTES

* Emirates and Etihad fly from Sydney to Manchester (and London Heathrow) via Dubai and Abu Dhabi respectively. See http://www.emirates.com.au and http://www.etihad.com for details. Several other airlines fly daily to the UK. See http://www.flightcentre.com.au. Return tickets will cost from $1400 (excluding taxes).

* For further information on Manchester, including details on accommodation, entertainment and dining options, see http://www.visitmanchester.com or http://www.manchester.gov.uk/visitorcentre.

* An excellent website specifically on Manchester's action-packed night-life is http://www.manchesterbars.com.

* The Imperial War Museum ( http://north.iwm.org.uk), the Lowry (www.thelowry.com) and Manchester United FC tours (www.manutd.com) are all worth checking out.

* The first Manchester International Festival runs from June 28 to July 15. See http://www.manchesterinternationalfestival.com.

* Manchester is three hours' drive from London and an hour's drive from some of the other highlights of England's north-west. These include European Capital of Culture for 2008 and home of the Beatles, Liverpool (www.visitliverpool.com), tourism capital Blackpool (www.blackpooltourism.com) with its famous tower, and Cheshire (www.cheshire.gov.uk), with its countryside and old stately homes.