Manchester, York, Newcastle
Considering it’s summer in Europe and sort of summer in England, Scotland and Wales there are stacks of people everywhere and I rarely get to in the same hotel. The bookings are steady so do book early. I’ve stayed at the Manor House twice in Earls Court, another hotel in the Victoria station area, and the Continental Hotel in Paddington. The Continental Hotel was the cheapest and offered everything the others did but at half or less the cost. Small single rooms are at 29 pound versus 80 or more at the Manor House or others. The good thing about Paddington is that it’s near the tube station and the Heathrow Express runs straight to the airport for easy arrivals and departures without paying for a cabbie.
I took the train to Manchester to see some friends I met in Pai, Thailand. I booked a couple nights at the Mecure Hotel and then was to stay with friends for a night or two. The train takes a couple hours to get to Manchester Piccadilly station and the hotel is a short walk from the station, most of them are. There are two Ibis Hotels and a stack of older more expensive ones to choose from. Check on line for good prices. And again, always buy your train tickets at least a day in advance for a considerably cheaper rate, in many cases half the cost of same day travel.
Manchester seemed more industrial than I expected except there are a lot of empty buildings around and refurbishing and new construction remain steady. It is gentrifying in Manchester, old run down areas are becoming the places to live. Many of the old warehouses have been turned into secure flats for sale but parking remains at a premium. The old mills still have huge chimneys sticking out of them even though they have long passed their use.
Most of the buildings are red brick or light gray stone. The cool thing about Manchester lies in its canals and the pub scene being created along its banks. The old pubs in city center are a hoot being unusually small and packed. The canal scene, such as The Wharf, are great destinations on a hot weekend afternoon when the BBQ is up an running. There is a cool China town in Manchester and a few good Thai restaurants in the same area.
My friends showed me around to the circular library, the museum, and we walked the canals to get in and out of town. The canals are all locks so every so far there would be a Watergate that would be manually operated by the boat owners or their helpers. Raising water levels or lowering them take a little time but what a way to travel into the city. I was told that I could walk the canal from Manchester all the way to Liverpool and to the sea. Of course the canals were built for industry transport in the first place but most of that has gone by the way side and now there are numerous canal boats that you can hire in advance and see for yourself. It’s a slow tour so expect it to be all day or two. After a great time in Manchester I hopped another train to York.
I didn’t have a hotel in York and had to bounce around to find what I was looking for. I pulled into a guest house/hostel and it was still expensive because I’m traveling solo in a double bed room. It was better and cheaper than the Travel Lodge around the corner. It was close to the wall of the city and near the cathedral so there were many ways to get around. It is not a big town but is has a great deal of history. There are of course numerous pubs and restaurants on almost every street. I was told to go to the Trembling Madness and that was worthy. Downstairs is a spirit shop but upstairs is a proper pub with good food. I also spent time in the Evil Eye just down the road. It has a mostly Thai menu or at least Asian influence and the music is contemporary.
It was a lightly raining day when I arrived and pretty much remained that way for three days. I didn’t really have a lot set up for York considering I wasn’t really supposed to be back in England. I was supposed to be in Slovenia and Germany and Poland. Next time.
I hopped a train to Newcastle where I did have a reservation at the White House in a suburb of Newcastle, in the student area but they were all on holiday to home or the rest of Europe. I took a cab to the hotel and there I remained for three days of leisure. I ventured out a few times to see the town but I really did have some writing to do so I really just parked. The river Tyne is a sight with its many bridges, one rotates over to let boats through. I sat with a woman on the river having wine for half a day and enjoyed her world and perspective. Back at the hotel stag and hen parties are popular and big groups of men and women show up in droves because there is a bar and a restaurant and outdoor seating when the sun makes an appearance.
I decided to go to Kendal in the Lake country so I booked a ticket via Manchester with a return to Manchester. Unfortunately there was a festival on in Kendal and all hotels were booked unless I wanted to spend an arm and a leg. I retreated to Manchester and checked into an Ibis for a couple nights before heading back to London where I was scheduled to see a rave and then head off to Lands End and the Jurassic Coast. Of course all plans made have a clause at the end and simply states, maybe.
My friends were busy in Manchester so I continued to write and explore the town on my own and that suits me just fine. I meet new people that way and that is what its all about. A little more about London coming and then we are out of Europe and England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. I will return when my friends invite me to weddings or there’s a book fair or something but it may be awhile. My heart and mind are elsewhere.
