Lichfield Manchester Train

Lichfield is a cathedral city in Staffordshire and is located roughly 15 miles to the north of Birmingham and lies between the high ground of Cannock Chase on the west and the valleys of the Rivers Trent and Tame on the east. The city is known for its three spired medieval cathedral and also for being the birthplace of Samuel Johnson, the writer of the first Dictionary of the English Language. Modern day Lichfield retains its importance as an ecclesiastical centre and its city centre has many listed buildings and fine Georgian architecture.

Lichfield has many cultural events which includes the Lichfield Greenhil Bower which is a festival that dates back to the Middle Ages. The festival these days includes a procession from the Guildhall of marching bands, morris men and carnival floats. There is also usually a fun fair in the city centre and another and jamboree in Beacon Park. Also, there is the Lichfield Festival which is an international arts festival celebrating dance, classical music, drama, film, jazz, literature, visual arts, poetry and world music.

Lichfield is served by two railway stations, Lichfield City and Lichfield Trent Valley. These stations are now on the Cross-City Line to Redditch via Birmingham. Additionally, Trent Valley station is on the West Coast Main Line with hourly direct semi-fast services to London Euston, and also to Stafford, Stoke and Crewe and many other local and regional destinations.

Located in the north west of England, the city of Manchester lies within the Greater Manchester built-up area, and is the United Kingdom's second most populous urban area. The city has a buoyant cultural scene which is expressed in its theatre, opera and dance performances which perform at some of the city's largest performance venues including the Manchester Opera House, the palace Theatre and the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester's former cotton exchange. The Manchester Opera House also hosts many touring shows and West End productions. Manchester also has a number of more intimate performance spaces including the Library Theatre, which is located in the basement of the Central Library in the city centre, the Contact Theatre and Studio Salford. The 'Madchester' scene of the 1980s, from which groups including The Stone Roses, the Happy Mondays, Inspiral Carpets, 808 State, James and The Charlatans emerged, was based on clubs such as the famous Haçienda. Discover more about Greater Manchester and Manchester's past with guided walks or an audio tour, including ghost walks, underground or canal tours. Regular weekly tours include Discover Manchester which takes place every Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holiday and Manchester Town Hall Tour which takes place every Tuesday.