I'm from near Manchester and don't have a particular accent although maybe I would seem to have if i was to someone I ws speaking with who is from a different area of the Country. I just don't think I have.
I regularly meet with colleagues during the course of my work from around the North West and the ones from north of Manchester such as Rochdale, Wigan, Bolton, Bury. Oldham etc do tend to have quite strong accents that relate to their area but I've just started working with a girl who has no accent at all and i had no idea until she told me that she is born and bred in Wigan so maybe she is just a bit posh?
I would think as she speaks so well, Claire and i don't mean posh but clearly that she might have had elocution lessons?