CITY RIVALS A MUST FOR MUSIC FANS; mail travel Manchester and Liverpool.

Byline: By RICHARD PURDEN

Manchester has a strong claim as Britain's rock'n'roll capital.

Since the late 1970s it has spawned a steady stream of great bands such as New Order, The Smiths, The Stone Roses and Oasis.

But in the 1960s, Liverpool had it sewn up - with The Beatles leading the famous Merseybeat sound.

Luckily for music fans, the two cities are close enough to combine easily in a short break.

Manchester is easily reached by train via Glasgow - it's about threee hours from there - and tickets can be booked fairly cheaply in advance.

For a big city experience, Manchester offers an alternative to the big hitters abroad. Its industrial history mirrors that of Glasgow and the people reveal a similar good-natured spirit.

We'd been recommended Michelinstar winner Michael Caines' restaurant near Piccadilly station. Lunch for two - starter of black pudding salad and risotto main course - with a bottle of wine cost only pounds 25.

It's an area buzzing with shoppers and you might even spot the odd Manchester United WAG straining with the weight of designer clothes bags. My other half Louise enjoyed a taste of the Coleen Rooney lifestyle with a makeover at Selfridges across the road.

If you are looking to soak up history and not drift too far from the shops, Shambles Square next to the Arndale Shopping Centre has quaint Tudor pubs and restaurants - including the Old Wellington Inn where poet Lord Byron was born. It has an atmosphere hard to find in most modern cities and we were spoiled for choice for pies and real ales.

For fans of The Smiths a visit to Salford Lads club on the corner of Coronation Street in Salford is a must.

Morrissey and co posed outside the building for their 1986 album cover The Queen Is Dead - one of pop's most famous photos.

A Sky Bar that could almost rival the Rainbow Rooms in New York is Cloud 23 at the top of the Hilton Hotel. I had a Sally Cinnamon cocktail, named after The Stone Roses song. That was fitting, as during the trip I was lucky enough to meet Roses bassist Mani - one of my heroes.

Round the corner for dinner, try Pesto for a fantastic menu offering over 35 Italian starters. Served in a Tapas style we feasted on mini pizza, battered seafood, pasta and grilled chicken wrapped in ham.

The outdoor tables in Exchange Square make it a stand-out area for bars but if you want to watch bands in a lowkey setting, Night & Day in the studenty Northern Quarter is the place.

As Celtic fans will find out this week, a visit to Manchester United's ground Old Trafford is essential. For pounds 12 (pounds 8 for kids) you can tour the stadium and soak up the club's history in its museum but matchday tickets are hard to come by. After that we headed for Liverpool - a 50-minute train ride away - and again the main attraction for me was music.

I followed the Beatles heritage trail and headed to the area round the old Cavern club where the Fab Four played early gigs. There is an authentic replica of the original club and The Grapes and The White Star pubs remain untouched since when they were Beatle haunts.

The city centre tourist office has leaflets which show you where the main Beatle landmarks are. I stopped at Penny Lane and Strawberry Field to get a feel for what inspired Lennon and McCartney and saw the song-writing duo's childhood homes.

Finally, we visited the historic Albert Dock, where you'll find The Beatles Story museum.

You can also take a trip on the Mersey ferry immortalised by Gerry And The Pacemakers - another evocative trip for music fans.

MAILFILE

Cloud 23, Beetham Tower, 303 Deansgate (phone [phone])

Pesto Restaurant,115 Deansgate (0161 831 9930)

Michael Caines at Abode, 107 Piccadilly (0161 200 5678)

The Cavern Club: www.cavernclub.org

Old Trafford tours: www.manutd.com

LATE DEALS

BENIDORM 30 Oct from Glasgow on October 30, seven nights all included at three-star hotel, pounds 319pp.

FUERTEVENTURA 26 Nov from Glasgow on November 26, seven nights self-catering at three-star apartments, pounds 259pp.

GRAN CANARIA 1 Dec from Glasgow on December 1, seven nights self-catering at three-star apartments, pounds 219.

TENERIFEfrom Glasgow on January 16/23, seven nights selfcatering, three-star, pounds 259.

SHARM EL SHEIKHfrom Edinburgh on January 21, seven nights all-included at four-star hotel, pounds 409pp.

CHICAGOfrom Glasgow/ Edinburgh, on May 7, three nights room-only at three-star hotel, pounds 519pp.

CANADAfrom Glasgow on August 29, 16 nights on Rockies Western Wonders tour including Alaska cruise, from pounds 2299pp MILANfrom Edinburgh on November 12, threee nights roomonly at threee-star hotel, pounds 175pp.

PRAGUEfrom Edinburgh on January 22, three nights B&B at twostar hotel, pounds 149pp BERLINfrom Glasgow on January 25, three nights B&B at three-star hotel, pounds 165pp.

To book the above and more see www.barrheadtravel.co.uk or call 0141 304 5800.

CAPTION(S):

The Salford Lads Club, right, is a must for fans of the Smiths; WAG-spotting outside the Old Wellington Inn; Richard at Strawberry Field which inspired Beatles; On Beatle trail at Liverpool's recreated Cavern Club; Go scuba diving with dolphins at Egypt's Sharm el Sheikh