Manchester: Turing to Pride

Some places never cease to surprise, shock or delight. Manchester, the world's first industrial city, is the venue for the Big Weekend the culmination of Manchester Pride. The highlight of this year's event will be the parade through the city tomorrow, starting at 13:00.

Manchester Pride has been variously called Absolutely Fabulous, GayFest, Mardi Gras and EuroPride since it was held for the first time in 1990 as a means of supporting people affected by HIV.

The world’s first stored programme computer - known as the Baby - was built by a team at Manchester University in 1948 which included a brilliant mathematician called Alan Turing.

Prior to the outbreak of war he had invented the Turing Machine, - the forerunner of the modern computer - which could alter a set of inputted instructions. During the Second World War played a crucial role in deciphering the German 'Enigma' code.

His career was ruined when he was convicted for homosexuality in the 1952 for his sexual relationship with a man from Manchester. Turing was spared jail, but he was obliged to take injections of oestrogen designed to reduce sex drive.

In 1954, his body was found at his Wilmslow home next to a half eaten apple, which had been laced with cyanide. The half eaten apple was adopted as the symbol of computing giant Apple, in his honour.

Sexual activity between consenting males was decriminalized in 1967.

Visitors to Manchester can discover more about the city - and some of the rich characters who have inhabited it - with the Manchester: Then & Now audio guide.

Unlike a conventional guided tour, listeners have the flexibility to stop, start and listen again to any part of their commentary. To hear an audio sample form the tour please click here.