Oxford Manchester Train

The historic university city of Oxford is located in the county of Oxfordshire and is roughly 35 miles to the east of Cheltenham and 30 miles to the south west of Milton Keynes. Although known for its university the economy of Oxford is also reliant on car making, publishing, science and technology, bellfounding and brewing. Several of the University's colleges had private breweries which includes Brasenose College whose brewery survived until 1889.

Oxford used to be an important port of the River Thames, although the section of the Thames that runs through Oxford is called The Isis. To accommodate commercial traffic the Oxford-Burcot Commission in the 17th century took steps to improve the navigability of the river. The Oxford Canal was constructed in the 18th century in order to connect Oxford with the Midlands. Commercial traffic has given way to recreational use of the river and canal. Oxford was the original base of Salters Steamers and there is a regular service from Folly Bridge downstream to Abingdon and beyond.

Interesting attractions in the city include the Ashmolean Museum, the Bodleian Library, Christ Church Cathedral, The Headington Shark, the Museum of History and Science and the Oxford University Museum of Natural History.

Located in north west England, the city of Manchester lies at the heart of Greater Manchester. Unofficially referred to sometimes as "The Capital of the North", the city is known for its influence on industry and music along with its globally recognised sporting connections. It is home to the UK's second largest airport outside London and is also the England's second most visited city by overseas visitors after London.

Manchester is a very mixed city. Many races and religions have communities in the city and it has a long history of being more tolerant than most cities to people of any background. Manchester's Chinatown around George Street and Faulkner Street has been a feature of Manchester since the late 1970s. Many karaoke bars and restaurants have opened in this district providing late night entertainment for all. You will find people on the streets of Chinatown speaking Chinese to each other and most of the signs are bilingual. It is home to many of Manchester's east-asian restaurants as well as many traders in Chinese food and goods.

The Village, also known as the Gay Village, has built up around Canal Street out of the many cotton warehouses in the area. Many of the city's most famous bars and clubs are to be found here, most of which are as popular with heterosexual party-animals as they are with the gay crowd, mainly due to their very late opening hours (5am or later) and friendly carefree atmosphere.