22/6/11 - Manchester, so much to answer for

Distance - 7 Miles
Walk from - Walkingworld
Geocaches - 5
Famous person without socks - Rio Ferdinand
Breweries - 1

Manchester Architecture

Ellie has an open day in Manchester University today - so a day off work, a 7:30am start and a drive up the M6 with her mother and Ellie's friend so that they can go and learn all about student life (paying for chips by cheque) and I can get re-acquainted with a city that I used to know well.

Park up close to the Uni and walk with them up Oxford Road to drop then off.  I now have 4 hours and an excellent guide from walking world to take in most of the architectural highlights of the city.

First stop is the Sackville Gardens for a cache next to Alan Turing.

Caching doesn't have to be lonely

Sackville Gardens brings me out into Canal Street.  This is the gay area of Manchester and the road sign frequently lost its C.  Before 24 hour drinking, it used to be the only place you could get a late drink, so all roads used to lead here.  The last time I was in the new union, one of my team goosed an older homophobic team member who turned around and offered him a fight in a victorian boxer style.  It remains one of the funiest things i have ever seen.

Walk leads onto Portland Street.  There is a collection of three oldy worldy pubs that I am pleased are still here and haven't been taken away through progress.  In 2002, I was a frequent guest at the Thistle Hotel.  As I was uncultured in those days, we mainly went to city bars (and drops head in shame, Jumping Jacks).  However, I have fond memories of the landlady at the Grey Horse Inn who used to abuse us on every visit.  We took it as Northern Hospitality.

Head on up and then cut through Picadilly Gardens for a muggle central cache, which I soon find.  Avoid doing an Alan Bradley and head down Mosley Street.  In 2008, I met a manchunian native who tried to take me to Mr Thomas Chop House.  He got lost and this meant lots of walking around this area and all its alleys.

Get a bonus on the walk - a new greggs is opening and they are giving out free coffee...  This lasts me past the central library, midland hotel (where I stayed once) and onto the G-Mex.

Let me take you back to 21.07.90.  To get over the GazzaGate, Sonia, Danny, Jane and myself went here to see the mighty Inspiral Carpets at the peak of their organ based, strange haired fame.  Sonia and Jane were left in the seats whilst Danny and myself went down into the mosh pit.  The subsequent shuffly dancing that I performed kept Danny amused for the next 20 years.

Home of shuffly dancing

From the GMex, I pick up the canal.  Used to drink at Dukes 92 in the summer and at last, almost 25 years after I should have gone there, I have managed to find the Hacienda.  Its now been demolished and is a car park, but if you look carefully, you can see the quotes about the place in the building.

I merely read about it... 

Brought back the memories of New Order, Happy Mondays, God's Cop, the exotic sounding gun battles.... my own clubbing experiences revolved around talking Malcolm into letting me into the Severns Club, when I wasn't a member.

The canal is a hidden world within the City.  Soon comes out at Deansgate Locks.  Most of the clubs have now changed names, but there was a night in 2002, when I was in far end bar and Kylie was in the Sugar Lounge at the opposite end.  My chance to talk her into coming geocaching with me and I blew it.

The bar where I met an Antipodean Sex Midget (Almost)

Follow the canal down, under the railway and tram lines and then back up to Castlefield.  In 1998, I presented at Granada Studios and in 2003, I used to eat at the Ox - which at the time was Manchester's top gastropub - if such things existed then.  Today, its 11:45am and the chipper is open.  Go in and after a taxi driver orders a "Chip Barm Cake", I consider copying his order, but err on the side of caution.  £1.50 for a chip bap.... should have gone for it.

Liverpool street bring me back to Deansgate and I see exactly where the tallest building in Manchester (Beetham Tower) is loacted.  This is new to me.

One Day, I will stop at the Hilton

Used to install the world's most complicated printers for Abbey National along here in 1997.  Its the main shopping area, so I take detours up the side streets to see the posh shops, eventually winding up by the cathedral for another cache.  This is where I bump into Rio Ferdinand.  Its quite interesting really, he is sat outside the shops with his partner and presumably child.  Soon, people spot who he is and once the first person asks for an autograrph, a queue of peope all start waiting for photos etc.  He must like the fame, otherwise he would have been more inconspicous and wore socks.  I was more interested in successfully getting my cache.

Stop for a drink at the Old Wellington.  This is Manchesters oldest building and has quite a history - moved 300 yards, damaged by the IRA bomb etc.  Its also a great place to sit and read in the sunshine.

I am actually a lot happier than I look

Up past the Print Works.  2003, we take Alex to his first horror film here.  He didn't like it much and screamed most of the way through.  Then again, Scooby doo was particulary terrifying.
I now go off piste and look for the Marble Arch up on the Rochdale Road.  This a pub that comes with a reputation, with its own micro brewery on the back.  Lovely place in the middle of nowhere - the beer was great and tasted a lot like boddingtons to me.

Getting near the end of the scheduled walk now - and after picking up the canal again, I am back to Picadilly and pass the Place for Living.  This remains my favourite hotel in the land and I used to love coming here on a Monday night during 2002.  I notice that my chinese takeway - which was a run down, free standing building has been replaced with a shiny new glass and chrome place.

All that remains now is to return to the University.  I need to work on Ellie so that she makes this place her choice, so that I have the excuse to come here more often.

A fantastic trip down memory lane for me.