Some people may argue that the notion of 'gay village' is outdated today, in an age of increased acceptance of LGBT people. Do we actually need separate neighbourhoods to socialise, get together, have fun? And has the advent of social apps reduced our need for such spaces, or for opportunities where we can feel 'majority'? All open questions, ...

​Manchester is a city of firsts: it saw the first canal of the industrial era, the Bridgewater Canal in 1761, the first public omnibus service in 1824, the first steam passenger railway in 1830, the first telephone exchange in the UK in 1879 - and we can go on. Manchester in the 18th and 19th century was the industrial powerhouse of the British Emp...