The Olympics comes to Manchester!

The Olympics comes to Manchester on Monday when the official Homecoming Parade for the Rio competitors and medal winners takes place in the city.

Tens of thousands of people will line the route as the parade winds its way from The Museum of Science and Industry on Liverpool Road, down Deansgate past the Cathedral, up past Victoria Station, the National Football Museum (Urbis) and the Arndale Centre to Albert Square. So where is the best place for you and your youngsters to get the best chance of grabbing a good view of your heroes?

Our inside contact says “Unless you are prepared to stand for hours, and don't mind the melee it might be best to avoid Albert Square where the parade ends. Yes, there will be the official speeches and waves to the crowds before the athletes retire to their private civil celebrations inside the Town Hall, but space is being limited and, for young people especially, Albert Square may not be the place to be.

The smart option is to position yourself along the route where one of several huge screens are being set up by Manchester City Council. In this way you can watch proceedings along the way and then get as ‘up close and personal’ as possible to wave, shout and photograph the top athletes as they pass by on the open topped buses.  Then, if you are close to home, you can get back in time to watch the Albert Square event on the tv, or stay where you are and watch on the big screens.”

The atmosphere is bound to be good wherever you are so, here are the sites along the parade route where we think you will get the best of both worlds….

Screens will be set up at John Rylands Library on both sides of Deansgate, there will be one at Cathedral Gardens (the Football Museum), Exchange Square and South King Street.

However you do it, this will be an occasion to remember for years to come and one of those “I was there” memories.