It's tonight just in case anyone didn't know.

Should offer a great un-restricted view across the city centre. Much better than the Town Hall. Apparently it's going to be 10 minutes long.

Not going myself, but if anyone is, any chance of a few pics. Shude Hill car park or one of the other car parks will be a good viewing/vantage point.

PS. All the best to you all.

i'll be around i think but my camra wont be great at taking fireworks pictures if my hands keep shaking

all the best to you too John :) :cheers:

All the best to you all, and i hope MANCHESTER show the world how to handle a recession:)

All the best everybody.

I thought this was a thread showing pics from the top of the Arndale?

Happy New Year!

Mike Keegan and Amanda Crook

30/12/2008


A SPECTACULAR fireworks display drew thousands of revellers to Manchester city centre to welcome in the New Year.

The ten minute display, which erupted from the Arndale Tower at the stroke of midnight, lit up the freezing skies in a riot of colour.

It was the first New Year's Eve fireworks display since the Millennium and has been heralded as a success with no reports of trouble.

Around 5,000 people braved sub-zero temperatures to watch the pyrotechnics from Exchange Square, while a further 3,000 watched the drink-free, family event from other parts of the city centre.

Manchester had been swathed in a chilly fog for the most of the day, but as midnight approached the skies began to clear. Since a leap second has been inserted by timekeepers between 2008 and 2009 in a technological change, Cllr Pat Karney's countdown to the New Year ran from 11 to 1.

He told the MEN: “We got about five times the usual crowd we could have expected in such cold weather and it was probably the best behaved crowd I've seen in twenty years.

“There were lots of families from all over Greater Manchester out, and it didn't cost council taxpayers a penny because the Big Wheel company paid for it.”

Chief Constable Peter Fahy was on hand to make sure the event passed smoothly and was given a round of applause from the crowd. Later this month organisers will report back to the council on the event and decide what will happen next year.

In a New Year message to readers Cllr Karney added: “The council is going to do its utmost to protect the great Manchester family in 2009. We all know there are problems with the economy but we are confident we will continue to bring jobs and investment to Greater Manchester in 2009.”

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1088032_happy_new_year

Images on the link above

Happy new year

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3265/3156251337_8468901b6e_b.jpg

Next year, i reckon CIS and Beetham should also be used!

It was originally tagged to be a rival to Edinburgh or Sydney. ahem.

I must say, they'd need to actually blow up the Arndale to get a similar effect. All I can say is, it certainly didn't feel jaw-dropping.

It was originally tagged to be a rival to Edinburgh or Sydney. ahem.

I must say, they'd need to actually blow up the Arndale to get a similar effect. All I can say is, it certainly didn't feel jaw-dropping.

I'm sure it will get better as the years go by. At least we had one last year.(2008)

I'm sure it will get better as the years go by. At least we had one last year.(2008)

Is this the first firework show that has been done in the city centre for NYE?

Is this the first firework show that has been done in the city centre for NYE?

For about ten years. Not 100% sure it's that long. In the region of.

Is this the first firework show that has been done in the city centre for NYE?

Yeah, I think the last one was NYE 1999 for the millenium. We went to Albert Square since and nothing apart from a few hundred peope saying "What?? Is that it?"

Just seen it on YouTube.

Glad I didn`t go. Next year how about the same ammount of pyro in half the ammount of time? The `Manchester City Council` sign on the countdown made me laugh. It was them who wouldn`t hold their own display.

In previous years hasn't Manchester simply had one rocket outside the Town Hall at midnight?

Impressive!:colgate:

Yeah, I think the last one was NYE 1999 for the millenium. We went to Albert Square since and nothing apart from a few hundred peope saying "What?? Is that it?"

The official celebration for 1999 was held at Castlefield Arena - that might be the reason for the dissapointment in Albert Square.

The official celebration for 1999 was held at Castlefield Arena - that might be the reason for the dissapointment in Albert Square.

Dunno about 1999 at Albert Square I was elsewhere - but the years before that they had em, in the years since, they didn't :)