Wading is a real joy. Waders are the way. I take people down the River Medlock in Manchester a couple of times a year in waders. Here though, Laurel and I are splashing about in the gorgeous River Dunsop in the Trough of Bowland. The bluebells were lovely and that purple/blue is untampered with. Meanwhile in Waddington there was one bit of Twitter, Elon hasn’t bought. #troughofbowland
Zannetti glass back at Manchester AirPort. Love the parachute allusion too. Good to see it yesterday along with the totally of its day, 60s, Elizabeth Frink work commemorating Alcock and Brown’s first non-stop flight across the Atlantic in 1919. This is the press release about the glasswork. ‘As part of the £1.3bn project to redevelop Terminal 2 the chandeliers have been brought back – but not quite as people remember them.
‘The airport has worked with Denton-based artist Liam Hopkins of Lazerian and Manchester School of Architecture students to use the old chandeliers to create something new – influenced by a public consultation that shaped the final design.
‘The 517-piece design includes colourful parachutes with the stunning glass droplets, from the original chandeliers, welcoming passengers as they move from the security hall to the departure lounge.
‘The installation, named Atmospheric Reflections of the North, references the North’s industrial heritage and weather with a nod to the airport’s own history as a training facility for the Parachute Regiment in 1940 during World War 2.
‘Aviation Minister Keir Mather MP came to see the chandeliers being installed with Chris Woodroofe, Managing Director of the airport last week. They became the first people to attach special commemorative tags to the chandeliers. When the installation is complete each of the 517 droplets will be adorned with a small tag recognising individual colleagues, stakeholders and other partners involved in the decade long transformation of Terminal 2.
‘The project to reimagine one of the Terminal 1 chandeliers was announced as part of the 85th anniversary of the airport. Previously hung in Terminal 1 prior to its refurbishment in 2003, the chandeliers were originally commissioned as part the overall design of the terminal by architect Stefan Buzas. They were created by Italian glass maker Bruno Zanetti at the Venini factory in Murano, Italy. ‘
Three years and counting since I first exposed ‘fat cat’ millionaire Barry Tucker’s vile treatment of Manchester’s heritage. The owner of Euro Car Parks also owns a pair of lovely Georgian Grade II listed properties on Byrom Street, Manchester, his home town. He is letting them fall down. On Friday I bumped into Manchester Central MP @LucyMPowell campaigning with Councillor @Joand7 . I highlighted the neglect and dangerous condition of these important heritage assets. Tucker’s hand needs to be forced on this site. Why aren’t they up for sale, why doesn’t he repair them? Following my original article vulturine lawyers @Mishcon_de_Reya threatened to sue Manchester Confidential. Fortunately @PrivateEyeNews also published my report on Tucker’s dereliction of duty and advised us not to back down in face of the threats. We didn’t. It was a Pyrrhic victory though as nothing has been done since. Please step up @ManCityCouncil . @Eurocarparks_CS explain yourselves.
This is the article I wrote in 2022:
/manchester/neglected-euro-car-parks-millionaires-shameful-treatment-of-manchesters-heritage
Crazy stuff. There’s something missing here. The missing thing is the lights in the West Tower of Deansgate Square in Manchester, where there are three hundred and fifty flats, or call them apartments if you will, and there’s no electricity. There’s no power. The lifts, are on a different supply, but people there will have to go to sleep in the dark and wake up without a cup of tea. Or residents have been offered a £120 for accommodation tonight and £40 for food and drink expenses. It looks like the power will be out for four days as a new part has to be manufactured. This is not good in an apartment block that opened to residents in 2019. What went wrong with the power supply? Why has it failed? Lots of questions residents will want answered.
Secrets of Ancoats & New Islington tour. 10.30am Saturday 11 April. I cycled around the route earlier, and these are some of the things I’ll be talking about. This is one of my most popular tours, and I love conducting it. /secrets-of-ancoats—new-islington.html
Two cities, one view, and spring at Beeston Castle
Beeston hill is a lofty rock that demanded to be crowned by a castle. The hill is the last outpost of the Peckforton hills, an outlier in splendid isolation. From 500ft above the Cheshire plain the views are uninterupted and take in two major British cities.
Manchester is 31 miles away and Liverpool 22.5 miles away but the towers of both cities can be seen appearing to shiver with the distance. Is this only place in the region where both city centres can be observed from a single location?
I think so
Is this the only place you can see two of Britain’s major conurbations in one view without being a bird?
I think so.
There’s even a third city contained in the view, albeit much smaller. Chester and its cathedral lies to the west just 10 miles away.
You not only get the views. You get the history as well from Neolithic times through the Middle Ages to today. Call it 6,000 years of a story.
During the English Civil War Parliamentarians starved out a small force in 1645. The victorious Parliamentarians found that ‘theire was neither meate, Ale nor Beere found in the Castle, save only a peece of Turkey pye, Twoe Bisketts, a lyve Peacock and a peahen’.
To wander Beeston Castle and hill on a bright early spring day through its shattered walls, its lovely woods and long lawns is a real pleasure. And at the top you get the prize, the wide views and a trio of distance cities.
As a lunch recommendation The Swan Hotel in nearby Tarporley has an excellent menu and is a very comfortable, almost elegant, inn.
It’s not rural and it’s not on a hill, but my Ancoats and New Islington tour on Saturday 11 April at 10.30am will reveal surprises and fabulous stories. Check the bio for a link.
#theswantarporley #beestoncastle #visitcheshire #visitmanchester
Manchester city centre jay, a notoriously shy bird, two yards away through glass on my balcony. The beauty of nature, the arrival of spring. #mancitycouncil #bbcradiomanchester #manchesterconfidential #twitchersofinstagram #cyanlines
After decades of doing this, I think this first group shown here in three photos is probably the most eclectic group I have taken around. Guests were from Turkmenistan, Paraguay, Bolivia, Chile, Comoros Islands, Djibouti, India, Lebanon, Syria, Zimbabwe, Switzerland, Bangladesh. I once counted I had taken 103 different different nationalities around. It’s now up to 107. Can you guess the four additions?
On these tours the insights you get into lives in other countries are fascinating.
This eclectic tour was private but come on a public tour. This weekend I’ve got three tours Southern Cemetery, Music and Truly Madly Brutal (architecture - not something unspeakable).
This is what guests are saying: /guest-comments.html
Great mass @cyanlines 3 walk yesterday- going down Oxford Rd corridor and discovering beautiful new parks replacing what were once roads and car parks as well as loads of history on our doorstep- thanks to @jschotours and the loads who turned despite early rain
