Buzzing around Manchester
Earlier this year, I moved to Manchester and recently took some time out of my usual activities to explore the centre.
I started my journey at the central library, which I thought would be a great stop for a coffee and a brief read - and I wasn't wrong. The coffee shop prices were a little steep compared to the average branded coffee shop on the high street but given the location and calmness in the library, I can appreciate how it is justified.
My book of choice was the folio society's The Order of Time by Carlo Rovelli as pictured below.
Entering the library into Shakespeare Hall feels quite grand with the crests of historical figures and houses looming overhead. There's the Duchy of Lancaster, See of York, City of Manchester, See of Manchester, Lancaster County Council, Henry V, John of Gaunt, Edward of Woodstock, Lancastrian Collar, Henry VI, Margaret of Anjou, England, St. George, Manchester Grammar School, Manchester Grammar School, Shakespeare, St. Mary and the Manchester Regiment.
The window above the door is also Shakespeare themed -
Further into the Library is a Bee, the mascot for Manchester. There are many of these bees to find around Manchester.
For example.. I found this Alan Turing Bee near the Gay Village.
Back to the Library for a second though, the outside is just as grand as the inside. The picture doesn't really do justice to these very large pillars or the archways. To either side are additional archways which would make for some very artistic photography.
Walking around Manchester, it is impossible to miss the trams. I haven't yet ridden on one, but I'm looking forward to it.
As I was walking around the city centre looking for Alan Turing, I found this little guy from Space Invaders.
Eventually, I did find Alan Turing, or at least, a memorial to him. There are several around Manchester but this one is in a small park close to the Gay Village. I've been meaning to visit the statue for a number of years so finally got it ticked off my bucket list. Surprisingly, the park was very well kept and the statue had a queue of visitors when I arrived. I had to wait for a good 10 minutes to get the photos I took.
The Apple that Turing can be seen holding is supposed to symbolise Newton, the tree of knowledge and forbidden love as well as being a reminder of Turing's death. According to the Wikipedia for the sculpture, Hughes, the sculpture buried his Amstrad computer underneath the plaque as a tribute and the memorial location itself was selected because it is, or at least was, near the University of Manchester's computer science building's and the gay bars - of which Turing spent a lot of his time whilst he was a Reader at the University of Manchester's Mathematics department following WW2.
Just across the way are the gay bars, along with some artistic works -
A short walk away from the gay village, I found the incredible Grade II listed building that is James Binney House which appears to be home to an array of businesses, including a Tailor which has resided at the property since the 1970s. Below are my photo and a photo from the Tailors website from the 1980s!
As I continued my journey around Manchester, I came across some maintenance being done to Manchester Town Hall. What I didn't realise at the time, was that one of the buildings behind me, not that they can be seen from the photo, houses GCHQ in Manchester as they are supposed to be based just off Albert Square.
A little further round and closer to the Library is "Adrift" a sculpture by John Cassidy. It shows a man and his family on a raft "adrift" at sea. It was originally placed in the middle of a fountain, according to its history but I think I prefer it's current placing especially in the current climate as it's symbolic of how so many are feeling at the moment.
Speaking of which, as I ventured around the office buildings near Alberts Square, I found some particularly interesting legal documents stuck to the wall. It claims to seek the removal of refugees who have been residing in Lincoln Square after being denied Asylum. The documents were served in English and Arabic that I could ascertain, although it claims to have been served in 5 languages.
True enough, there was a tent city around Abraham Lincoln. There's a certain irony to the squatting here by failed Asylum seekers. Abraham Lincoln recognised he couldn't abolish slavery without causing the breakdown of the United States, and in present, similar societal cracks are appearing in the United Kingdom over Migration and I suspect the government knows it cannot "stop" Migration and it cannot allow it to continue either without causing a similar breakdown of the union. What happens, let us hope that the solution binds up the nation's wounds.
Over all, it was a lovely day buzzing around Manchester and whilst I haven't shared everything I learned or did. This is a good summation with some interesting tid bits. Sadly, no additions to the CoffeeShopWanker category but I have made notes of some intriguing places to visit so I can add some spots in future.
