The Concorde may technically be dead, but airline romance isn’t, if British Airways’ Valentine’s deal is anything to go by.

A couple of years ago, the UK airline did a neat Valentine’s Day party kinda thing on flights between London and New York; this year, the celebration is on a more personal scale, though still rather spectacular: dinner for two on the Concorde.

The bad news? You’ll have to pay for it. The good? It’s for charity! Just bid for it in a blind email auction, and you’ll win dinner for two on board BA’s flagship Concorde G-BOAC at Manchester Airport, in the Runway Visitor Park.]]> juliab 2012-02-08T13:25:25-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/7/21/12815/7458

In contrast to the U.K.'s expanse of verdant countryside, Manchester is urban, industrial, and strikingly cold (in ambiance, that is, though this applies to weather as well). Yet, it's this hardened quality that makes up its personality and, for some, its appeal. Casual visitors hoping to immerse themselves in slick, cosmopolitan environs may walk away from a visit to Manchester feeling disheartened. It certainly isn't London-lite, even if there is a Harvey Nichols located in its city centre.

This isn't to say that Manchester is impossibly somber, however. There are areas of the city which exude friendliness and vibrancy, most notably the arts-friendly Northern Quarter, where we found ourselves most of Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon.

A hotbed of nouveau bohemianism (read: bourgeois bohemianism), the neighborhood is populated by intimate cafes, indie music-friendly bars, vintage boutiques galore, and attractive denizens with a love of organic cuisine and secondhand record shopping.]]> Heidi Atwal 2011-07-21T13:18:57-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/7/19/132322/904

Manchester is a city of industry, art, and, if you ask certain diehard ManU fans, football. However, it's the juxtaposition between the first two that most vividly colors its landscape. This is the city that birthed both a significant textile boom and Joy Division, each playing a significant role in the development of its social fabric.

Last weekend marked the final days of the Manchester International Festival, a nearly month-long celebration of performing, visual, and pop culture arts set against the city's hardened urban environs. Jaunted took a train northward from London to take in the last of MIF's programming, the highlight being Icelandic songstress Bjork's much-lauded Biophilia show on Saturday evening.]]> Heidi Atwal 2011-07-19T14:25:01-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/5/24/124731/389

If you planned on checking out Bonnaroo this year, which will take place between June 9th and June 12th in Manchester, TN, you better hurry because tickets are going fast!

The annual music and arts fest has an awesome line-up for 2011, including Eminem, Arcade Fire, Widespread Panic, The Black Keys, Neil Young, My Morning Jacket, Lil Wayne, and The Strokes. The bad news is general admission tickets are already sold out. The only tickets left right now are the VIP packages which include two 4-day festival passes, camping fees, VIP parking, special shower and restroom facilities, access to VIP lounge areas, exclusive viewing areas, t-shirts and more for $1,349.50. There is also a payment plan available and an upgrade which includes meals. Tickets can be purchased at Bonnaroo.com. ]]> cmb 2011-05-24T15:10:02-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/3/29/112220/500

Arts and culture-o-philes: dig up your Wellies. U.K. festival season is upon us, bringing with it myriad opportunities to traipse through muddy countrysides a la her Mossness.

For true culture connoisseurs, however, the focus is less on the probability of a celebrity sighting than the chance to see some of the best artists, DJs, filmmakers and other top creatives converge in one place over a short period of time. The goliath that is Glastonbury tends to attract the most press attention, but several worthy festivals are being put on this summer, including artist-led Manchester International.]]> Heidi Atwal 2011-03-30T11:16:51-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/2/15/122426/839

Fresh off their Grammy wins, Eminem and Arcade Fire will make plans to head to a Tennessee farm, but not to celebrate their award with a rustic vacation. The guys, along with the Strokes, My Morning Jacket and Lil Wayne, will headline the 10th annual Bonnaroo Festival.

The music and arts fest runs from June 9 to 12 at a 700-acre farm in Manchester, Tennessee. It'll feature the only fest appearance of Buffalo Springfield with original members Neil Young, Stephen Stills and Richie Furay.]]> Jennifer Kester 2011-02-15T14:11:26-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/1/31/111619/467

There's an old joke about Old English Sheepdogs, an endlessly affectionate but hopelessly stupid breed, which says that the reason they're like that is because they were bred to communicate with sheep. The closer they were to thinking like sheep, the joke goes, the better they would be at interacting with the animals. We're beginning to think that something similar might be going on with UK airport security officials, who we mocked last Friday for being incredibly stupid. Turns out, that might be more of a feature than a bug.

Apparently the people walking through British airports are having problems remembering that country's equivalent of our 3-1-1 law. They're going through lines with their drinks and their makeup, grinding things to a halt. British authorities have tried posting signs, they've tried hanging up posters, and they've even tried putting people inside giant deodorant cans and having them walk around. Nothing works. So now Manchester airport officials have resorted to trying to get people's attention by showing them something shiny. It's the security equivalent of moving a reflection around the carpet so your stupid kitten will chase it.]]> Omri 2011-01-31T11:52:03-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/