I was asked this question one memorable lunch time, by a close friend. The look of "here we go again" on Close Friend's face was one I had seen many times before from others whenever good old Gay Manchester has appeared in the media - television, radio, magazines, newspapers and of course, the Web.

The Gay part of Manchester, if we want to be bold and apply a pigeonhole here, could actually be anywhere. It doesn't have to centre on the infamous Gay Village, as it could equally be just as queer down at Habitat, Pret-A-Manger, the Airport arrivals gate or at an Elton John concert. Gay life just does not, and never will, centre around a bunch of bars and clubs intent on supplying gays and lesbians (and lovers of) with a "fab" hedonistic lifestyle for each and every escapist weekend.

There again, there is nothing wrong in my eyes to have an area, the Gay Village area, that is a gay ghetto. "Ghetto" can be a positive attribute - oh, yes it bloody well can be - and this part of the web site screeches and shouts out that all these palaces of imbibing can actually be good fun - if you're in the mood. So, forget the Habitats and Pret-a-Mangers, put aside the arrivals hall, pop Elton on one side just for a while and enjoy our romp through Manchester at it's gayest!