Emma's adventures on board the 52

Emma climbed on board the 52 to discover north Manchester

Does Manchester have a north/south divide? It's something that interests poet Mike Garry.

He's all ready written about the delights of everything south of Piccadilly in 'Manchester Meander'.

Now, as part of a commission for the 'Made in England' project, he's doing the same for north Manchester.

And the inspiration for this poem? Partly the 52 bus route, which is why BBC Radio Manchester's Emma Goswell got on board to meet its regulars:

"OK, I admit it, I'm a Southern lily-livered Jessie and the type of stereotypical Chorltonite who buys overpriced organic mung beans and wears knitted yogurt.

"So when I was asked to follow in Mike Garry's footsteps and spend an afternoon riding the 52 bus route which starts in Failsworth - my first reaction was 'where's that?'

Jackie was on the bus home after failing to win at bingo

"Like many south Mancs, I rarely have reason to venture north of the invisible border located somewhere around the Northern Quarter's Swan Street.

"It turns out the Northerners are the same. When I asked several North Mancunians if they'd ever been to south Manchester, the reply was 'why would I want to go there? I've got everything I need right here' - which is fair enough.

"Waiting for the 52, I made two friends in as many minutes; Anne, who was busy stuffing chrysanthemums into her shopper and told me she loved living in Failsworth and wouldn't move if you paid her, and Rachel, who 'd just been to the docs to get some jabs for her gorgeous baby girl.

"I wound the next hour through the bustling streets of Cheetham Hill and the hairpin bends of Harperhey and there wasn't a frown or tut at my tourist-like innocence."

"Like the best Hollywood blockbuster, there was laughter, honesty, controversy, frivolity and even a man who nearly reduced me to tears.

'Everything smelt of roses'

"Harold from Newton Heath had been in the area so long, he could remember when it was all fields and folk travelled by horse and cart.

Mickey could never be "mithered" to leave Higher Broughton

"He worked down the long closed Bradford pit for 22 years. I had no idea there was a coal mine so close to the city centre, but Harold worked there until an accident split his skull open - half a century on, you could still see his scar.

"And did he miss it? 'No, when I came out I got a job in another trade with clean air. Everything smelt of roses!'

"Harold may not have fallen far from the tree, but plenty of other 52ers had. Near North Manchester General Hospital, I met Brone, who was from Lithuania and in '1947 I come to England, probably before you were born'.

"She'd come here and had a married a nice boy from Preston, and now has a huge family with plenty of grandchildren.

I was bowled over with the friendliness and openness of people in north Manchester Emma Goswell

"Caroline, who got on just near Harpurhey's Embassy Club hadn't come as far, but did have an equally impressive accent.

"Originally from Scotland, she'd come to work as an accountant, but found herself unemployed thanks to the recession - it's 'last in, first out', as she put it.

"She was en route to the job centre - a journey she'd been making for a year to no avail, but she was determined to remain upbeat.

"In Higher Broughton, on got Mickey, who used to work in the clothing trade and had lived there all his 69 years, because he 'didn't fancy moving'.

"Not that he stayed for love, as he doesn't 'like Broughton at all, but for some reason I've never got round to moving. It's one of those things - I just can't be mithered.'

The life-saving 52?

"Everything and everyone was friendly and chatty, so nothing could have prepared me for Kenny from Cheetham Hill.

"Kenny gets the bus 7 days a week from his home to Salford Shopping City, where he hangs out, drinks coffee and checks out the flea market.

Kenny says getting out on the 52 "keeps me on a steady level"

"If he didn't, he 'would be depressed in the house right now - I would be thinking of self harming, which I do. I'm not ashamed to admit it because it's an illness.'

"The stigma that's associated to mental health is so deeply entrenched in society that it's seen as a badge of shame, rather than, as Kenny points out, an illness that can affect anyone.

"So I was in awe of the courage which Kenny showed in talking about his condition. His problems are far from over, but he has sought help, is taking medication and he's getting out and about every day.

"He says the 52 has saved his life, because 'if I was sat in the house, depressed and fed up, I'd do some serious damage to myself. Getting out like this keeps me on a steady level.'

"He's the kind of person who makes you look at yourself and you find yourself thinking about days later.

"Before I knew it, the driver was throwing us all out at Pendleton and we were traipsing off on our separate ways, with our tasks to complete, shopping to tick off and people to meet.

"In an hour, I'd mithered 20 people, shoved recording equipment at them and interrogated them - and not one refused.

"They all wanted to talk and share their life and experiences with me.

"I was bowled over with the friendliness and openness of people in north Manchester and in all honesty, I don't think I would have had that same response in south Manchester.

"Even if I'd tried bribing them with mung beans."