TWENTY years ago Ewan MacColl's song Dirty Old Town seemed to have set Salford's image in stone. How quickly things can change. The city, just a stone’s throw from the centre of Manchester, has been comprehensively redeveloped and lovers of art and theatre, history buffs, sports fans and those who just want to shop ‘til they drop will find plenty to excite them We based ourselves at the Old Trafford Lodge and chose to spend most of our time, prior and post-cricket, in and around The Quays area.

There's plenty to do and we started our day at the fantastic Imperial War Museum North, housed in Daniel Libeskind's incredible aluminium-clad building, designed as a permanent visual reflection of war. The museum is free to enter and you could quite easily spend the day here. There are guides to provide tours or you can make your own way round the various exhibitions, follow the timeline of the war or watch one of the films on offer.

Displays include the 220 metre Time Line, which explores the history of conflict throughout the 20th and 21st centuries; Time Stacks, containing large trays of mini-exhibitions which visitors can select at the push of a button, and the award-winning Big Picture which transforms the Main Exhibition Space into a massive auditorium where visitors are immersed in 360-degree audio-visual shows. Action Stations around the gallery provide activities for all the family, including exploring the smells and creatures of the First World War trench or trying to make and break codes to see how important secret languages are in wartime.

Food and drink-wise there are plenty of bars and restaurants, including Lime, Bella Italia, Café Rouge, Coffee Republic and Pizza Express, and we fuelled up at the latter, and were impressed by both the food and the lovely views.

Next up was The Lowry, the stunning waterfront home for the arts, which boasts galleries showing the work of LS Lowry alongside contemporary artists, several theatres, plus gift shops, cafes, bars and the fabulous Lowry Restaurant overlooking the waterfront.

Most impressive is the world's largest collection of LS Lowry's work, which comprises more than 300 paintings and drawings, examining all periods of his career and facets of his work. With guided tours, daily talks and the Meet Mr Lowry film, visitors can gain a fascinating insight into this remarkable building and the life of one of Britain’s most popular artists. Definitely worth a visit.

Then, of course, there's shopping and The Lowry Outlet Mall has made The Quays a mecca for the discerning shopper with big-names and stores offering discount prices — up to 50 per cent lower than the high street — all year round. Each year more than 3.2 million people browse the 85 stores, including Whistles, Karen Millen, Flannels, Windsmoor, Molton Brown, Suits You and Marks & Spencer.

For those not into shopping, if you time your visit right, there's the cricket at nearby Old Trafford. On the day we were there, Lancashire thrashed Nottinghamshire in a Twenty20-tie. You can watch from the stands or, if you take advantage of one of the balcony rooms at the county's newly refurbished Old Trafford Lodge, from outside your room — perhaps with a drink or two from the downstairs bar.

The new four-star Ramada Manchester Salford Quays hosts the Italian restaurant, Stresa, a stylish addition to Manchester’s scene, which offers an á la carte menu at decent prices. The food is good, nicely presented and not over-priced and, importantly for those with families, the setting is relaxed and it's just a few minutes from the Lodge, at which prices start at £49, including free car parking and continental breakfast.

After a comfortable night's sleep and an enjoyable light breakfast, I left confident that this area, with mediacity.uk already well under construction and its waterfront landscape constantly developing, will become an increasingly popular tourist attraction as the years go by.

  • To find out more about the range of exciting cultural, leisure and retail activities available to the whole family at The Quays (including exclusive offers and accommodation) visit www.thequays.org.uk