Manchester is generally seen as one of the biggest and brightest UK cities outside of London – it’s the destination of choice for people heading to the north-west.

That could be because of the influential music scene that grew out of the late eighties and early nineties or the lure of seeing where the Premier League trophy seems to spend most of its time. There’s no doubt culturally, Manchester is one of (if not the) most important UK city that’s not the capital.

For many, the first exposure to Manchester will have come not through Sergio Aguero’s goals, the music of Oasis or messy nights at the Hacienda. No, for many, the first time they heard the Mancunian accent will have been on their television sets during their evening fix of Coronation Street.

The long-running soap is something of a national institution. It regular battles with Eastenders at the soap awards, but Nostalgia Central explains it had already been around for 25 years before London brought a comparable soap to our television screens. For 62 years, the street has been part of our national consciousness; Betty’s hotpot isn’t just a line from the show but a video game as well! Coronation Street has penetrated other digital media; there are online games from Gala Bingo titled Coronation Street Bingo and Cash Cobbles that play on the popular branding. There have even been spin-off shows, crossover episodes and other media that have catapulted the show to national…