Belle Vue: Entertainment Showground of the World

Belle Vue was Manchester's very own playground, a magical place which gave millions of people memories they would never forget.

During its 150-year lifetime it wowed generations of thrill-seekers with its exotic blend of wild animals, circus freaks and dizzying roller-coasters. Originally a stately gardens for middle-class Victorians, Belle Vue blossomed into the city's biggest and best-loved tourist attraction.

From speedway and greyhound racing to big boxing bouts and wrestling tournaments, it also hosted concerts featuring international stars such as Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones and The Who.

Thanks to lost images newly unearthed in the Manchester Evening News and Daily Mirror archives, Belle Vue: Entertainment Showground Of The World pays tribute to a much-missed attraction.

From royal visits and celebrity appearances to the fairground rides and the tigers, chimpanzees and elephants that made Belle Vue their home, rare and unseen pictures will take you back to a bygone age.

Priced GBP4.99, this glossy, 84-page publication is a must-have souvenir for anyone who has had the pleasure of visiting Manchester's 'showground of the world'.