ONE WEEK on, and the city of Manchester is staging a "fun weekend" of free pop concerts and a celebration of the England football team's place in the Euro 96 quarter finals.
This is "to banish the fear factor", says Mr Pat Karney, the chairman of the city council subcommittee.
"We are not kidding anybody. We know there is a fear factor, especially among the parents with youngsters. But people can feel safe because there will be the strongest police presence the city has ever seen.
To rebuild confidence in the peace process the doors of Manchester Cathedral will be opened today for the first time since last week's bomb to encourage passers by to light candles for peace and reconciliation.
The candles will "serve as a witness to our resilience and the regeneration of the city," said the Bishop of Manchester, the Right Rev Christopher Mayfield.
Meanwhile, an article in the Manchester Evening News has called on the Prime Minister, Mr Major, to visit the bomb site. The editor, Mr Michael Unger, said the people of Manchester feared becoming "another Westminster statistic" and would "inevitably be forgotten" by the politicians in London.
Efforts to identify those who planted the bomb have resulted in nearly 2,000 telephone calls to Greater Manchester Police headquarters. The Assistant Chief Constable, Mr Colin Phillips, said he and his officers had gained "great heart and determination" from the public's response.
Mr Phillips revealed that the police had also received many calls offering information on the Irishman who paid £2,000 for the truck which carried the bomb.
The leaders of the city council have revised the figure of the cost of bomb damage in and around the Arndale Centre to £500 million. The centre is likely to remain closed for some time, and only when the building is assessed for asbestos damage will a decision be made on whether it should be reopened or demolished.