Earlier this week, I was strolling through Piccadilly Gardens, at roughly 5:15pm, with wonderful MEN photographer Sean Hansford. "Manchester at this time of day is like Greece in September," he said, admiring the newly-laid turf and array of colours in clouds painted by the setting sun. "Sean," I replied, "what on Earth do you mean?" "It's tired, but it's just got so much more to give," he said back, expecting my follow-up.
And the more I think about it, Sean's dead right. READ MORE: Driver 'abandons car' after getting stuck in Deansgate traffic in three-hour nightmare Manchester is many things, but it's not a 24-hour-city in the way New York, or even London, is.
It has an ebb and flow throughout the day. If you've ever been in St Peter's Square at 6am, there's a quiet hum of road sweeper, first trams, and the early-birds starting their days.
By the time it gets to 10am, New Cathedral Street gets its first influx of shoppers. St Ann's Square at lunchtime can feel like the centre of the universe, with a mish-mash of office workers, construction teams, and day-trippers sitting on the concrete benches to get some lunch.