The nostalgic photos which capture May in Manchester through the decades
With two bank holidays, warmer weather and longer days, Manchester in May really starts to feel like summer
There's something about May, the month that heralds the arrival of hot summer days as the days grow longer and warmer.
It's a month where the world begins to burst with colour as daffodils and bluebells bloom in fields and parks. But of course our notoriously rainy city doesn't always make it feel that summery.
It's also a time people look forward to, thanks to its two bank holidays. The early May Bank Holiday is often associated with local fairs and community traditions, while the Spring Bank Holiday at the end of the month marks the prelude to summer.
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As we start the month, we've taken a look into the picture archives to find memorable moments in May through the years that had us snapping away on our cameras.
While some photos show more general views of the city, others mark important occasions such as the celebrations for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, VE Day, and when Pope John Paul II came to Manchester.
Take a look at our gallery of 30 photos and see which ones you remember.
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Do these photos awaken any memories for you? Let us know in the comments section below.
Fun fair at the Castlefield Carnival in Manchester. May 29, 1994
(Image: Mirrorpix)1 of 29
Woolworths store fire in Manchester Piccadilly, May 8 1979
(Image: Mirrorpix via Getty Images)2 of 29
Picturesque Piccadilly Plaza and Gardens, Manchester. May 10, 1994
(Image: Mirrorpix)3 of 29
A night scene in Piccadilly, Manchester. May 4, 1963
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Lunch time loiters at Allen's book stall at Shudehill's tiny open air market in Manchester. May 1971
(Image: Mirrorpix via Getty Images)5 of 29
A carnival parade in celebration of the doomed Birley Centre in Hulme, Manchester. May 14, 1993
(Image: Mirrorpix)6 of 29
Women scrubbing the steps and pavement outside their homes on Walter Street, Harpurhey, Manchester as residents prepare for a street party to be held in celebration of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. May 28, 1953
(Image: Mirrorpix)7 of 29
VE Day celebrations in the back streets of Manchester n to mark the Allied victory in Europe at the end of the Second World War. Residents of this street did not wait for official VE Day but under garlands and flags danced through the twilight hours. May 7, 1945
(Image: Mirrorpix)8 of 29
Actor Harry H. Corbett, back home in Ardwick, Manchester. Although most people through his association with Steptoe and Son regard him as cockney, Harry was born in Rangoon and lived there until he was three. He then went to live in Ardwick, leaving when he was 24. May 15, 1969
(Image: Mirrorpix)9 of 29
