For those looking for Manchester accommodation close to the MEN then why not try booking a serviced apartment for your stay. With John Bishop coming to Manchester very soon in September 2012, you have just under a year to get your tickets and book your Manchester accommodation! Quick, hurry, time is running out!

John Bishop is quite a late developer in the world of comedy. He didn’t start performing stand up till he was 34 and it took him a good 7 or 8 years to start becoming mainstream with several tv comedt appearances such as 8 out of 10 cats, Live at the Apollo, Mock the Week, Have I Got News for You & Would I Lie to You. In 2009, he appeared as the first act on Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow in Manchester which shot him to international stardom and it is Manchester again where he shalt return victorious to tickle your taste buds again.

John Bishop is of course from Liverpool, the greatest city in the Northwest. He grew up initially in Huyton but then his family moved to Runcorn at an early age. It’s a little known fact the Bishop had a career as a semi-professional footballer. He played at a level just below League Football turning out for Southport, Hyde United and Winsford United averaging close to 1 goal in 5 games from midfield. He won the Liverpool Senior Cup during his playing days at Southport beating Liverpool at Goodison Park. He is also an avid Liverpool FC fan and played a big part of the deposition of Hicks & Gillet the previous owners of the Anfield outfit. Bishop also turned out as a substitute for the Liverpool Legends in the Hillsborough Memorial Game at Anfield on 14^th May 2007.

For those looking to stay over and book Manchester accommodation, there are plenty of options to choose from in the city. One accommodation type that you may not be aware of is serviced apartments which are a great alternative to hotels in Manchester. You get the use of a whole apartment which means you get a separate bedroom, bathroom and living/kitchen areas. This means you can cook and prepare your own meals all the luxury of a serviced apartment. With hordes of Liverpudlians likely to be heading over to Manchester to see the Bish, what better idea than to book a Manchester serviced apartment for your stay?

The Serviced City Pads blog has an interest in all kinds of films across all genres – how convenient that this upcoming festival brings together horror, fantasy and sci-fi in one three day extravaganza.

The Fantastic Film Festival will take place in Manchester from the 21^st – 23^rd October 2011 and should attract a diverse audience. For £70.00 you can attend for the whole weekend, and will be able to see anything from vampire movies to sci-fi – exciting new films will be shown along with some classics. As well as main features, the festival will also be showcasing short films by up and coming film makers.

However, it’s not all just film – there will be a wide range of activities to keep you entertained for the weekend. There will be guest interviews, discussions about the state of fantasy film, and various presentations. Also to be enjoyed are auctions of all kinds of memorabilia, a themed dinner and a poster and artshow exhibition.

If you’re looking to attend the 22^nd annual Fantastic Film Festival and will be travelling to Manchester for the weekend, you will no doubt be looking for accommodation for your stay. Here at Serviced City Pads we have available a wide range of serviced apartments in Manchester available through our apartment operators. Serviced apartments can provide just as much value for money as a hotel room, but can offer far more space and comfort. Apartments are a particularly good option for families or groups of friends who may want to attend the festival this October, as they have a living room / dining area where people can meet and relax. A perfect way to unwind after a day at the festival!

Finding somewhere to stay needn’t be a chore – why not get in touch with Serviced City Pads and see what we can find for you? You can call us on 0844-335-8866 and talk to one of our reservations team, or alternatively, you can enquire through our website and one of the team will get options sent out to you as soon as possible.

Amir Khan will head a fantastic bill of world class boxing as he defends his WBA Super Lightweight World Title against the undefeated European Champion Paul McCloskey at the Manchester Evening News Arena on Saturday 16^th April.  The action packed night will be presented by Hatton Promotions in association with both Khan Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions. Man City fan Hatton has been worried that he will miss his team’s F.A. Cup semi final match against arch rival Manchester United. Needing City to stay in Europe in order for the football to be moved to the Sunday The Hit man was aware of the impending clash. “It would be heartbreaking if I missed it and I’ll shed a tear if I do,” said the former world champion. As City once again failed to impress in Europe Hatton is set to be teary eyed at the boxing but you certainly wont be if you stay in one of our serviced apartments in Manchester.

If you need serviced accommodation in Manchester then Serviced City Pads can help. Just call a member of our reservations team today 08443358866. We have a fantastic range of serviced apartments in Manchester in great locations.

The Bolton boxer’s fourth defense in spring will be his third headline showdown at the Arena with his last appearance, in 2009, ending in a win over Andreas Kotelnik to lift the WBA title. Amir said: “This is a matchup the British public want to see and will be a fantastic fight between two of the best super-lightweights in the country”.

Our serviced apartments in Manchester offer a great alternative to hotels. The Manchester serviced accommodation is value for money and will allow you the freedom that hotels can not. If you wish to visit Manchester then call our reservations team today on 08443358866. Serviced City Pads are the premier booking agency for serviced accommodation in Manchester and across the UK. Many of our apartments are available to book online. We can also offer you a personal booking service from a team with strong local knowledge.

Manchester’s favourite Tenor returns to the Bridgewater Hall on April 4th, this is part of a UK wide 21 date tour for the self styled ‘People’s Tenor’ who had been singing since he was a child, and became known after performing at a working mens club. He came to attention in 1999 when he sang the England’s national anthem at the Rugby League Challenge Cup Final at Wembley Stadium, ‘Barcelona’ at the last match of gthe Premiership season between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford and a full set of songs at the final of the UEFA Champions League in Barcelona between Manchester United and Bayern Munich. Serviced City Pads reservation team can be contacted on 0844 335 8866.Watson’s debut album entitled The Voice was released in May 2001. A mixture of operatic arias and cover songs, it topped the UK Classical Chart and eventually reached number five in the UK Albums Chart. Later, when released in the United States, the album took the number one spot and made history as the first time a British artist had held both the UK and US classical number one. The album also featured a duet with Cleo of the girl group Cleopatra on the song ‘Someone Like You’. Cleo later duetted with Russell again on his third album Reprise on the song ‘The Best That Love Can Be’.Serviced City Pads.

Prior to the formation of the Velvet Revolver, Watson asked by Slash (former guitarist of Guns N Roses and currently in Velvet Revolver) whether he would be their singer. Watson turned down this opportunity to concentrate on his solo career. Serviced City Pads.Whilst in the middle of the studio recording of his album Outside In in Oct 2007 Watson suddenly became incapacitated, with multiple symptoms including a dramatic deterioration of vision. An MRI scan showed he had regrowth of his tumour with bleeding on the brain. He underwent emergency surgery to remove the tumour at the Alexandra Hospital in Cheadle, Greater Manchester, and for a while was in critical condition in the hospitals’s Intensive Therapy Unit. Watson later undertook an extensive rehabilitation programme including radiotherapy.Seviced City Pads.Watson appeared as a judge on the talent show Last Choir Standing, which was broadcast by the BBC. Watson was one of the principle singers (in the role of Karl-Oskar) in the English world premier of the Swedish musical Kristina fran Duvemala at the Carnegie Hall in New York, music critics praised Watson as a first rate poperetta voice, Watson frequently broaught the house down throughout his wonderful voice.

Watson finished radiotherapy in 2008 he decided to embark on a return to music. He soon found the treatment had given him not just a fresh outlook on the world, but a whole new deeper richer voice. ‘The tumour could have been growing for 10 – 15 years in my nasal cavity, so when I had it cut out I went from a V8 to V12. Serviced City Pads supply short and long stay serviced apartments throughout central Manchester.

Manchester United are no doubt one of the biggest clubs in football and one of the most recognisable names in world sport. These status’s have been fully cemented in the 24 year reign of Sir Alex Ferguson which have brought huge success to the club on the national, international and world stage. They club have also been very successful at harnessing their success on the field to help them off the field. More than any other club in England, Manchester United have taken full advantage of the birth of the Premier League and all the money that came with it. Their business strategies in promoting the club in foreign markets, especially Asia, has seen them tap into vast new markets which they have gained from commercially.

However this success off the field has also brought criticism, whether it be from football purists or jealous opposition fans. Roy Keane’s infamous ‘prawn sandwich brigade’ rant, which was originally aimed at these type of supporters at United, has now become the popular phrase to describe corporate fans at football grounds (likely to not be seen in the middle sections of Wembley 15 minutes before and after half time.) It is true though that football in England has changed fundamentally in terms of the type of supporter who attends matches. All new modern stadiums have extensive corporate hospitality facilities that look to attract executive guests, and if you are looking for that 5* experience at a Premier League game in England, then a visit to Old Trafford to watch Manchester United is surely the best place to experience this.

If you’re visiting Manchester to attend a match in the corporate hospitality suites, you will be wanted to book some accommodation that matches the high quality of Old Trafford. A hotel would be the usual first port of call when looking to arrange executive accommodation in Manchester, but an increasingly popular option is serviced apartments. Like hotels, serviced apartments come in a variety of styles and standards and in Manchester there are plenty of luxury serviced apartment options available that would be suitable for an executive stay in Manchester.

Serviced City Pads have hundreds different options for which are very popular for corporate bookings and executive stays. A serviced apartment offers all the luxury and service of staying in a hotel whilst also providing the space of your own home and the choice to eat what or where you want. After a long day at Old Trafford, being able to relax in a spacious serviced apartment would be the ideal way to round off the day. Why not have a look at the serviced apartment in Manchester that Serviced City Pads have to offer to see what accommodation you can book in Manchester for the next Manchester United fixture.

As the Liberal Democrats leave Liverpool behind after their Conference, it is the turn of the Labour Party to head to the North West of England and to Manchester where this years Annual Labour Party Conference is given added kudos with the announcement on Saturday of the new Labour party leader. Who is it going to be? It looks like a battle to the line between the Miliband brothers – Ed and David. David Miliband remains the slight favourite, but his younger brother whose socialist leanings have led him to be nicknamed “Red Ed” is catching quick, and it looks like this contest will be a photo finish. Serviced City Pads thinks David is the safer choice, someone who can unite rather than divide the Labour party and feels that it wil be him who is crowned as the new Labour leader in Manchester, with his challenge of toppling an already wobbling coalition government.

High drama indeed. More importantly to Manchester is the fact that with Labour again returning to Manchester in 2010 really cements the city as a premier conference destination. If you were a conference organiser you couldn’t help but be impressed by how Manchester has transformed itself over the previous 10 years, taking over from Leeds as the unofficial “Capital of the North”.

Having the Labour Party Conference in ManchesterIt is also great news for the economy of Manchester. Experts predict that the economy will benefit to the tune of £15 million with delegates making use of the vast array of accommodation in Manchester, with Manchester hotels fully booked as well as service apartments in Manchester being particularly busy.

On top of the direct benefits that Manchester accommodation providers have seen, there are also benefits seen from restaurants and shops in Manchester.

There will also be a ripple effect as more conferences decide to use the excellent facilities that Manchester has to offer.

If you are hosting a conference in Manchester and are interested in staying in a serviced apartment in Manchester or booking a hotel in Manchester, check out the accommodation booking specialist Serviced City Pads.

Manchester Jazz Festival is an annual 9-day-long festival focused on showcasing contemporary jazz from the North West of England and beyond. Serviced City Pads.

The 15th Manchester Jazz Festival will take place from 23 to 31 July in Manchester City Centre.

The Manchester Jazz Festival was created in 1996 as a one-day showcase and has grown into a 9-day event, with 60 gigs and 300 musicians planned for July 2009.

Key Dates and figures for the festival:

1996: 1st Manchester Jazz Festival – 1 day, 1 venue, 10 bands.

2000: 1st new jazz work comissioned by the festival

2003: 1st mjf all-day finale in Albert Square, with 5 bands, 50 musicians and 5,000 attenders

2006: 1st ever jazz festival podcast in the UK – won the Independent’s Critics Choice

Over 80 bands will play across 8 city centre venues, at all times of the day and night – indoors and out! mjf is all about trying something new and this years it’s easier than ever to discover a new world of music, unlike any other on the festival circuit.

2010 includes musical firsts from Britain and abroad, inlcuding the mjf originals commissions surroundings, a new antiphonal suite for jazz  orchestra composed by Manchester trumpeter Neil Yates. International debuts come from Spanish pianist Baldo Martinez and Franco German duo Daniel Erdmann and Frances Le Bras. Other highlights include jazz ’supergroup’ Simcock/Walker/Swallow/Nussbaum, featuring Salford born guitarist Mike Walker, and Phil Bancrofts multi media Home-Small as the World which features one musician’s contribution beamed directly by wi-fi from his Manchester home. Please call Serviced City Pads on 0844 335 8866.
As you’d expect, Band on the Wall, Manchester’s legendary live music venue, is one of mjf’s main venues, with performances fromthe Indo-Jazz fusions of ex-Mancunian clarinettist Arun Ghosh, to the city’s most revered DJ, Mr Scruff. Even ‘80 icon Kid Creole makes a comeback! Also at the venue, the BBC’s flagship jazz radio programme Jazz on 3 will broadcast live from the festival on Monday 26 July.

A multitude if jazz vocalist, all with their own personal approach to jazz, featuring in the line up: Terry Shaltiel has the blues, Rodina an Irish lilt, Monika Lidke her Polish folk songs, Alice Zawadzki her Jewish folk songs and An Jacobs her French chanson.

At the other end of the spectrum, there is music for the Jazz aficionado too: mjf champions artists who are crossing the boundaries and pushing the music to new limits: The Golden Age of Steam features and unusual line up of the bass clarinet, organ and drums, and their soundworld – nothing to do with trains – evokes swirling soundscapes and contemporary classical music. Jim Hart studied and unsual instrument – the vibraphone – at Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester; now he’s one of the UK’s leading exponents and he’s joined forces with Ralph Alessi, the innovative New York based trumpeter, for his gig to launch the festival on 23 July.

A whole day is devoted to the energetic and vital rhythms of Afro-Carribean music. From 2.00pm on Sunday 25 July, take part in special percussion and dance workshops in the Festival Pavillion in Albert Square, and at 8.00pm catch the double bill featuring two of the north west’s foremost ensembles of this genre: Dispora, a young 11 piece band with dynamic orchestrations, and Mojito, with authentic Cuban vocalists and a lively percussion section. All you need to add is the rum and the cigar. Short stay in Manchester with Serviced City Pads.mjf introduces continues in the afternoons with 6 new young artists from Greater Manchester launching their careers at the Festival Pavillion in Albert Square. New to the festival this year is a series of afternoon tea events in the award winning French restaurant at the Grade II-listed Midland Hotel.

Steve Mead, mjf’s Artistic Director, says: ‘There’s an incredible amount of wonderful music in this year’s festival and so much for free. Not only that, but such a wide mixture of sounds and styles, from twice BBC Jazz Award-winner and singer/songwriter Liane Carroll, bringing her relaxed pop and blues influences into the mix, to the most challenging of artist’s at the cutting edge of jazz, like Stuart McCallum (Cinematic Orchestra) and the punky Trio VD. mjf guarantees you a memorable time, whatever your taste’. Serviced City Pads supply Serviced Apartment Accommodation throughout Manchester.

Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club who play at the City of Manchester Stadium. Serviced City Pads have a range of Serviced Apartments near the ground and are a great alternative to hotels with more space and can work out better value. Please contact Serviced City Pads on 0844 335 8866

City was founded in 1880 when the side was known as St Mark’s and changed it’s name to Manchester City in 1894. The clubs most successful period was in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s when they won the League Championship, the FA Cup, the League Cup and the European Cup Winners Cup under the management team of Joe Mercer and Malcolm Allison and with players including Colin Bell, Mike Summerbee and Francis Lee. Serviced City Pads supply Serviced Apartment Accommodation.

Since winning the League Cup in 1976, the club has failed to win any major honours. The clubs decline led to a relegation twice in three years in the 1990’s, spending the 1998-99 season in the third tier of English Football. The club has since regained top flight status, the level at which they have spent the majority of their history. Serviced City Pads are a Web based serviced apartment booking agent with 100’s of serviced apartments within the city centre of Manchester please contact the reservations team on 0844 335 8866.

In August 2008 the club was purchased by the Abu Dhabi United Group. The takeover was immediatley followed by a flurry of bids for high profile players; the club broke the British  transfer record by signing Brazilian international Robinho from Real Madrid for £32.50 million. City reached tenth, and also reached the quarter finals of the UEFA Cup. During the summer of 2009 the club took transfer spending to an unprecendented level, with an outlay of over £100 million on players Gareth Barry, Roque Santa Cruz, Kolo Toure, Emmanuel Adebayor, Carlos Tevez and Joleon Lescott. On December 2009 it was announced that Mark Hughes had been replaced as manager by Roberto Mancini. City finished the season in fifth position in the Premier League, narrowly missing out on a place in the Champions League, and compete in the Europa League in season 2010-11.

The current club crest was adopted in 1997, a result of the previous crest being ineligible for the registration as a trademark. The badge was based on the arms of the city of Manchester, and consists of a shield in front of a golden eagle. The shield features a ship on its upper half representing the Manchester Ship Canal, and three diagonal stripes in the lower half, for the city’s three rivers. The bottom of the badge bears the motto Superbia in Proelio, which translates as Pride in Battle in Latin. Above the eagle the shield are three stars, which are purely decortative. Serviced City Pads have a reservations team who will send through a range of serviced apartments, please contact the team on 0844 335 8866.

Serviced City Pads is delighted to announce that it has added Stay City’s fantastic new serviced apartment development, Laystall serviced apartments which is situated in the heart of Manchester city centre.

This 84 apartment development is made up of a selection of 1, 2 and 3 bedroom short stay apartments and is within a short walk of Manchester Piccadilly train station, as well as a wide selection of bars and restaurants.

Laystall serviced apartments are the perfect alternative to staying in a hotel in Manchester whether you are working in Manchester or simply visiting for a city break. You might even be planning to visit Manchester to watch one of your favourite football teams – Manchester United or Manchester City.

Chris Rose, Managing Director at Serviced City Pads commented, “We already work closely with Stay City – particuarly in Liverpool, where their Lever Court development is one of the most popular developments in the city centre. If the Laystall apartments prove to be as successful as Lever Court then this will surely be a great addition for the Manchester serviced apartment industry.

Manchester is becoming more and more important as a destination city for Serviced City Pads as we speak to more and more companies that have reason to stay in Manchester. It’s a more corporate city than Liverpool, but still has a great leisure pull – particularly with football supporters travelling from afar. We are delighted to be able to expand our portfolio of listings in Manchester and to widen our range of options to our customer.

Stay City booked through Serviced City Pads offer great quality accommodation at great proces – from as little as £55 per night for longer corporate stays.

The spacious Laystall serviced apartments in Manchester open at the end of May.

For more information about booking serviced apartments as an alternative to staying in a hotel in Manchester, why not call Serviced City Pads on 0844 335 8866.

When planning a trip to Manchester, you certainly have a wide selection of hotels to choose from. However, a large number of these hotels don’t offer high quality accommodation cheaply. Hotels in Manchester can be disappointing and there are a few reasons why.

Whilst luxurious hotels in Manchester can offer spacious and well-decorated bedrooms, accommodation like this is generally only available at a great cost. If you don’t have a large budget then hotels like this are immediately out of the question. Even when you can afford to choose a hotel like this for your stay, you are still only presented with a bedroom and bathroom and can still feel quite confined. If you leave your room, public areas within the hotel constantly remind you that you are just one guest of many.

If you opt for one of the cheap hotels in Manchester your experience can be even more disappointing. Cheap hotels in Manchester often only offer small and cramped bedrooms and extremely basic furniture, fittings and facilities.

If you are tired of the available hotels in Manchester, try something different. Luxury serviced apartments in Manchester provide a very different type of accommodation and are available at affordable prices.

At Serviced City Pads, we have a selection of serviced apartments in Manchester. Our apartments are all luxuriously furnished with fine items and fittings and provide somewhere spacious and comfortable where you can work, cook, relax and sleep. Our apartments are available for all budgets and can make your trip to Manchester a little bit more special.