QUEEN OF THE RITZ
Manchester, formerly a Roman fort and settlement, was once called Mamicium. A Latinised form of the Celtic word meaning ‘breast-shaped hill’. And yet, despite its topography, I must start with a confession: to my mind, there’s never been anything remotely erotic about Manchester. That is, not at face value. Rather, it’s the city’s character that’s irresistible. In all its resilience and determination, plus its humour and grit, the lewdly glamorous city of John Cooper Clarke’s ‘Salome Maloney, queen of the Ritz’ lives on.
Lacquered in a beehive
Her barnet didn’t budge
Wet-look lips, she smiled as sweet as fudge
She had a number on her back
And sequins on her tits
The sartorial requirements
For females in the Ritz […]
In Manchester a unique form of intimacy is experienced: intimacy without frills. With a history of illustrious nightlife, radical politics, trailblazing music and defiant working-class culture, Manchester is a place that stirs the creative and explorative spirit.