Going North. in The odd entries from life …….

Going North.

I had thought of going to Manchester one day, after thirty years there I have some good friends, but I didn’t think I would go soon; the option came though a television program abut Sir John Betjeman.

I watched the program set in Betjeman’s life in Cornwall, a few minutes after the program ended the phone rang, it was Chris friend from the Stockport years, Chris and Dianne were good friends and we had our children around the same time.

Chris had been watching the same program and link of Cornwall and thought of me down here, we had a chat the came the offer to stay with them; I was off on the 30th October.

Tuesday 31st October.

It was a short visit but the two day’s were rather full, a walk round China Town then lunch with some work friends all retired now. In the afternoon I had coffee with two of the mangers I got on with. In the last year they were very kind. After the hard time we had with my Father-in-Law went into a home, they arranged a week off for me; it was the first time I have been hugged by mangers – ladies both!

Wednesday 1st November.

Wednesday was a planed day, in the morning was a visit to Dunham Massey Deer Park close to Manchester, we didn’t go in the house or see any Deer but we had a nice walk, a short walk across park then in to the garden; the weather was more like September.

After the Park we went back into Manchester and the Castlefield Canal Basin, over looking the Basin is a old Pub built abut ten years ago; that’s the way it is these day’s. The food was very good and in large amounts, I left a little on my plate it was the same with my large glass of red wine; I’m worried about myself ………

It was another walk after lunch, round the Castlefield Canal Basin, there are many high new building around the Basin; near all of the Basin’s building are new leaving the Basin the oldest. Dusk seemed to come early, due to the high buildings around. The tallest is the gray tower, it is the Beetham Tower more known as The Hilton Tower. It is the highest tenth in the UK and highest in Manchester; 169 m or 554 feet ….

Chris and I finished the day with a trip to the cinema to see ‘Blade Runner 49’ it was in a art cinema and we were in the smallest screen, just abut 50 seats but we had plenty of sound; no problem with hearing!

I thought it was a good film but the first film is the classic, as Ridley Scott put it ‘what is out of the windows’ I thought the end suggests a third film; roil on number three ……

Thursday 2nd of November.

Going South.

I was ready to take the bus to the station, my friends were not having it, so I had last trip in their five door Mini; I like the new Mini’s.

Four Stations, three Trains and one Liverpudlian.

Since I’ve been in Manchester the Piccadilly Railway Station as grown in to half for Trains and the rest is Shopping, of the two the platforms are far the quite, on the other sides of the gaits is like shopping two day’s before Christmas.

Birmingham’s New Street Railway Station is less busy than Piccadilly Station, but was platform 11! There are just as many shops but mare up market but I could find platform 11, I found some one who worked there, he pointed to a shopping mall and at the end were platforms 9, 10 and 11 and a train waiting.

One of my moans of rail trips are the mobile phone, not the phone its self just so many people bent over the things all the time, then came the Liverpudlian; she didn’t bend over her phone but it floated abut.

Her hair was short and white on the back, on the front it was longer and pink, she told me she was gay and I was shown a picture of a hansom lady with uncoloured hair in here phone. Once I told her I went to church she asked if I looked down on her life choose; no I let people live there lives – as long they have respect for others.

After that came out the plastic cup and a bottle of white wine, I was overfed a drink but I don’t drink in mid day. On the other side of the carriage a young girl had and eye on my friend, she had the uniform of a higher School, no coloured hair or cloths you like that school; while I’d been away I saw the girl talking and offering my friend a biscuit. When we were near to her station she bought two small bottles of white wine, one was for me and at the station she gave me the other half empty bottle; the rest of the trip was rather bland.

I find Liverpudlians to be generous, the city of John, George and Ringo and not forgetting Roger McGough.

Plymouth Station was a push over, off the train and a walk across the platform and wait for third train; and no shopping Mall.

As I neared home I was thinking where to get off, Truro or St Austell! At Truro I would miss the bus and wait an hour for the next bus, or get of St Austell I wait twenty minutes for the bus and a hour trip home; it was a nice dusk and seat for me, there are poor seat at Truro – more lake something you lean on; I chose a seat under a St Austell sky with a darkling blue the light going on.

15:30 GMT 08:11:2017

Last updated November 08, 2017