TIMOTHY PETERS from the publisher Imagine a magical place tucked away amidst majestic mountains that hosts year-round outdoor recreation from sunrise to sunset. Visualize a countryside where rainbows seem so close it feels as if you could touch them. Experience a community with shopkeepers and innkeepers tending to all your needs and welcoming waitstaff at chef-owned restaurants serving a wide range of cuisine—all who, by the way, know you by name. Envision a place where you can stroll through historic streets and in every nook and cranny can find award- winning, world-class musicians performing on hilltop terraces, in homes and fields, and along riverbanks. Fancy innovative, dramatic and musical theatre in converted barns and state-of-the-art stages and film screenings, galleries and events galore. Dream about a wedding day on a mountaintop, lake front, field, or ballroom. Whether you are local, resident part- timer, or visitor I invite you to engage in the magic of Manchester life. I would like to extend a very special thank you to Leonard Kenyon who took my inspiration and illustrated this outstanding cover. Also, a special thanks to all the talented creatives and spectacular venues, brilliant photographers, and gorgeous brides and grooms who shared their gifts with us so that we could share them with you.
P.S. Just a side note: this is literally the view from my office chair—imagine! 8 manchester life | manchesterlifemagazine.com –Marcia Lissak