From Deansgate To The Canal - Photos of Manchester, 24th June 2016

Blob Thing is currently writing about one of the days out he had with me.  It seems like a long time ago.  That's possibly because it was quite a long time ago.  I've been enjoying looking through pictures as he's been choosing photos for his blog posts and I wanted to post some of them myself.

These were all pictures taken on 24th June.  We had already visited the John Rylands library which was enjoyable - although I prefer the relaxed atmosphere in the Lit & Phil Library here in Newcastle.  At some point I want to visit the Working Class Library in Salford too, and perhaps combine that with the main Salford art gallery, staring at paintings by Lowry until I get bored with them or get thrown out of the gallery for singing the number one hit by Brian and Michael.  Trivia:  That record featured backing vocals by the St Winifred's School Choir who (unless the feat has been repeated) are thus the only act ever to have been a one hit wonder twice.  Trivia two:  Spirit in the Sky has been a one hit wonder for three different acts.  I used to love my music trivia and it is a great relief to everyone that I have forgotten most of it.

It was a great day out, including plenty of surprises.  It's easy to get surprised when you walk in a city you don't know well and have very few specific plans.  If you're visiting a museum you know that you're visiting a museum.  If you intentionally get lost you never know what you might find.  My only plan that day was to wander to the canal and walk along it.  Bookshops weren't planned until I was on the bus - and I totally failed to buy books of Greater Manchester walks.  The library wasn't planned either but it was there.  Roman ruins weren't planned.  Just the canal.

So here are a few pictures of the first part of the post-library wandering undertaken by Blob Thing and myself.  The first picture is chronologically the last in this post.  But if I put it first I know that people on Facebook will have to put up with seeing my face when I share it.  A picture of me with Beetham Tower behind me, rather than Deansgate with Beetham Tower behind it.  Sometime I want to go to the top of that tower.  On a very clear day.  From there you can see Snowdonia and the sea.  I'm quite amazed by that because it's a long way from Manchester to the sea.  One day I will find out whether the claims are true.  Maybe the owner will let me into his penthouse suite.  Or give me a chance to walk on the roof.  Maybe not!

I'm not going to talk about these pictures at all.   They're self explanatory.  Here you are:  Part one of the day, from Clare to Pukeko.  Really.