'With the exception of a few people, I think that notion of being a ‘character’ has gone now...'
What’s your name?
Nathan
Cox or ‘Nathan Photo’, depending where I am really.
What do you do?
Photographer/networker/various
other titles that probably can’t be repeated here.
Where do you live?
The bit
of the city centre they forgot about…
Tell us the story of how you ended up in
Manchester.
I came
here almost twenty years ago to study documentary photography (just as it died
a death) and fell in love with the place. There was a brief sojourn across a
county line, but who can imagine living anywhere else that isn’t the centre of
the known universe? Manchester is my home now.
What’s great about this city?
Everything
from the chavs to the kids, from the old gangsters to the Village, from the Northern
Quarter to United; all beautiful in their own Manchester way.
What’s not so great?
The
apathy that seems to be gripping us at the moment.
Do you have a favourite Manchester building?
Urbis
was always my favourite but I’m not so sure now that it’s the new football
museum, so I’ll have to say the Royal Exchange, for the way it sums up Manchester,
plus it’s my Mum’s favourite place to eat. And I know it’s not a building but I
f****** love the Mancunian Way for
its bizarreness, so much so that I’m working on a photobook of it, but don’t
tell anyone.
Do you have a favourite Mancunian?
Tony
Wilson, because he was right.
What’s your favourite
pub/bar/club/restaurant/park/venue?
Right, read this as fast as you can, in no particular order: Bohemian Grove [at
Islington Mill], Urbis Gardens, Piccadilly Gardens, Harvey Nichols and
Selfridges, MMU, the Star and Garter, Soup Kitchen, Cord, Chorlton Green, Mint
Lounge, Kraak, Common, 2022NQ, to name but a few……
What do you think is missing from Manchester?
With
the exception of a few people, I think that notion of being a ‘character’ has
gone now; it’s become a little grey these last few years.
If I was Mayor for a day I would …
Give
all the traffic wardens a day off because they work so hard, stop the new
developments in favour of redeveloping old buildings, then show me arse on the
Town Hall steps cos that’s the bet I had a while ago…
Who else would you like to nominate to answer this questionnaire?
Jonny Abstract, the original DJ, or David Eaton, the original
photographer
Nathan’s
photography can be seen in the Manchester Evening News and on the
shortblondehair website, here.
See more 'Manchester: In Residents' interviews right here!
