The head of Manchester's Red production company on the region's advantages as a working base
I'm from Manchester, so in coming back here I wasn't making a statement about being outside of London. But all the same, I would not dream of going back to the capital now. A lot of the writers in drama that I most admire are from the north-west. I've always found it a very creative area.
When I started out at Granada Television, I found I was surrounded by interesting people. So many great writers have come from around Manchester – many from Coronation Street, such as Jack Rosenthal and the director Michael Apted. I can understand why people are finding it difficult to uproot if they've got partners or children to move. But in terms of the quality of life, it's so much better here. The city is so close to beautiful countryside, you can get to work in five minutes – and there is a real creative buzz.
The BBC hasn't filmed a lot in the area, and it was further hit by the consolidation of ITV. But there are some brilliant places to film such as Ramsbottom, where we shot the upcoming BBC drama, Exile.
And while there are powerful voices in every region, I think here, particularly in comedy, there is a warmth to the writing. The geography, the buzz – you really can do it all here.
Nicola Shindler founded the Manchester-based TV production company Red, whose credits include Queer as Folk, forthcoming BBC drama Exile and ITV1's Scott and Bailey