Manchester

The decision to arrive in Manchester rather than Heathrow was a good decision. It is a smaller International Airport, no long walks and an easy run through passport control & customs.

I am staying in Salford Quays. The Quays are now very different to what they were 50 odd years ago when it was a heavy industrial area.

Salford Quays is an area of Salford, Greater Manchester, near the end of the Manchester Ship Canal. It was previously the site of the Manchester Docks, it became one of the first and largest urban regeneration projects in the United Kingdom following the closure of the dockyards in 1982.
These days you find plenty of hotels, apartments and restaurants here as well as the Imperial War Museum several art galleries, the BBC & theatres in the Quays. There are lots of lovely walkways along the quays.

Manchester has an excellent tram system (similar to the light rail/tram in Melbourne). It is very easy to buy tickets and understand the ticketing system. When I travel I often wonder why Melbourne can’t get their transport system working efficiently!

On the weekend I decided to explore further afield – first I went to 'Bury' a market town. The market was huge and sold everything from clothing, luggage and a variety of fresh produce. I did a price comparison meat was certainly far more expensive, other food products similar to home.

I discovered the ‘East Lancaster Railway’ – this is similar to Puffing Billy & mostly run by volunteers. Their service takes you to the outskirts of Manchester to some of the smaller towns and larger villages. I went as far as Rawtenstall. This was a delightful small town and I spent an enjoyable couple of hours wandering around taking in all the sights.

My last day in Manchester was spent with M & D who had recently moved to the Manchester area from Scotland. We met at Wilmslow a charming area in nearby Cheshire. I had my first ‘Pub Lunch” at the Two Tubs Inn – a lovely pub with a wonderful cosy atmosphere, and the food was great too.
Next on the agenda was a visit to the National Trust Property “Tatton Park & Mansion” a great NT property with fabulous gardens and grounds. I thoroughly enjoyed the day that included a drive through several smaller villages – I really enjoyed the drive as it showed me much of the scenery I had come to the UK to see.
The day finished with a welcome cuppa with M & D who were wonderful, hospitable hosts – a lovely day, thank you.

Salford Quays one of te many walks

A great place fo lunch !