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02-07-2023, 12:50
Visit the Paul Bailey's Beer Blog site (https://baileysbeerblog.blogspot.com/2023/07/manchester-for-salford-university.html)
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Friday's day trip to Manchester was most enjoyable, and theperfect day out, where everything worked, even though not always quite asintended. My itinerary had been planned arounda 9:20 am arrival in Manchester, which would allow me time to revisit my old almamater. That isn’t a term I’d normally use, as despite its derivation it’s oneused much more by our American friends, than it is over here. My “nurturing mother,” to use the literal translation of this Latin term, is the Universityof Salford, an institution where I studied at from early October 1973 throughto late June 1976.
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The 5:00 am start was worth it, and with the sun having onlyjust risen, when I left the house, combined with the almost told absence ourvehicles, the only sound was that of birdsong. It was nice to be out and aboutearly for change, although it's not something I want to make a habit of. I walkeddown to Tonbridge station and jumped on the 5:30 am train to London Bridge. Iwas actually booked on the 5:40 departure, but I'm a great believer in gettingto one’s destination earlier should the opportunity arise.
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From London Bridge there are the joys of the Northern Line, andwhilst the revamped overground station has been a great success, it's now quitea route march down to the underground, in order to make my cross London connectionto Euston. I still arrived in plenty of time, enough to grab some breakfast, asdespite setting my alarm clock early, it wasn’t early enough, not even for a quickbowl of cereal, before leaving home.
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Unfortunately, my choice of “food to go” wasn't a good one,as the "Ultimate Breakfast Roll" from Upper Crust, failed to deliver, certainlyin terms of taste. Grilled bacon, and sliced sausage, topped with a fried egg slappedin a bun and then re- heated in a powerful microwave, seemed like a good enoughbet, but whilst the end result was filling, it was totally lacking in taste,and the only saving grace was the cup of flat white coffee.
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There is an outdoor space in front of the station, completewith fixed, sturdy, wipe down tables and benches. It is adjacent to where thenew HS2 Terminal is supposedly being built. I say supposedly, as a strapped forcash, UK Government, has put the new station building on hold for the next twoyears, and possibly longer, leaving an unsightly hole in the ground. Thisabandonment must seem particularly galling to all the businesses whosepremises were purchased (and demolished), to make way for the new station, andthe uncertainty surrounding yet more dithering by a government that has run outof ideas, continues to affect affecting the lives of local residents andbusiness owners alike.
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My train was shown as running on time, and as soon as thedeparture platform was announced I made my way down slope and boarded the 7:13 amAvanti West Coast service to Manchester Piccadilly. The train was comfortable,clean, and above all fast, the journey taking a mere two hours and 8 minutes, withjust three stops on the way (Nuneaton, Stoke on Trent, and Stockport). Avantihave come in for a lot of criticism since taking over the West coast mainlinefranchise from Virgin Rail, but on this occasion, everything worked like clockwork(the same applied on the return journey as well), and on a dull an overcastmorning, plagued by intermittent drizzle, I walked out of Piccadilly stationfor the first time in nearly 50 years, and headed into the heart of Manchester.
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My plan was to catch a train to Salford Crescent station, oppositethe university, but my research wasn’t sufficiently thorough, as it was onlyafter buying my ticket at Manchester Victoria, that I discovered I could havetravelled there from Piccadilly. It didn't really matter, because the walk throughthe city’s main shopping areas, allowed me to experience central Manchester upclose, for the first time, in nearly half a century. Considerably more of the centrehas been pedestrianised than I remember, but the most striking thing was theArndale Centre, completely rebuilt after the devastating IRA bomb of 1996, that devastated a wide area of central Manchester, includingthe hideous looking Arndale Centre.
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Work on the centre was well underway by the time I arrivedin Manchester, and towards the end of my time in the city, the Arndale Centreopened to much fanfare. Like many locals, I was not alone in thinking that theArndale, with its exterior of hideous yellow tiles, assembled a public toilet!It’s probably too harsh a comment to make, given the people injured by theblast, the businesses destroyed and the huge cost of rebuilding the citycentre, but from an aesthetic and practical point of view, the Provisional IRAdid Manchester a favour, which wasn’t just confined to the removal of thoseawful, yellow tiles.
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Walking towards Victoria station, the thing that struck memost is the reconstructed centre looks outward, with shops along many of thestreets bordered by the centre. In the 1970s original, the majority of retailoutlets were inward looking and could only be accessed from inside the Arndaleitself. So, despite the destruction, the injuries, and the enormous cost of therebuild, Manchester at last appears to have a shopping centre it can be proudof.
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The University of Salford was also much changed, as Idiscovered after exiting Salford Crescent station, and walking the shortdistance to my former seat of learning. Salford Uni was a very younginstitution back in the 1970s, and whilst plans had been drawn up to expand theuniversity, (including a model of what the place would look like in thefuture), these had obviously changed during the intervening years. Fortunately,there are still a number of buildings in existence today, that I recognisedfrom my time there.
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These included the grand and ornate Peel Building, constructedin 1896, as Salford’s Technology Institute and College, which was the origin oftoday’s university. Its attractive, red brick and sculpted terracotta façade looksout across a lawn towards another building I recognised, and it was there that Iheaded to first. Known as the Maxwell Building, this 1960’s construction overlooksthe neighbouring Peel Park, as well as the River Irwell. I entered and aftertelling the lady at reception that I was a former student asked if it was OK forme to have a wander around the site. She told me that would be fine, and althoughterm had finished for the academic year, some of the buildings were still open,and I could take a look inside them, should I wish.
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I thanked her andheaded off for a nostalgia tour around the site. On the way I stopped for a lookinside the red-brick, Salford Museum & Art Gallery, an institution whichhoused paintings from the city's most famous, and best-known artist, thepainter LS Lowry. The art gallery in particular, had provided a welcome refugefrom academia, so I was looking forward to seeing some of Lowry’s work. I ofcourse, should have realised that the paintings have now, all been rehoused in thepurpose built, Lowry Centre, at Salford Quays.
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Fortunately, one memorable painting I remember from mystudent days was still on display, and it had the same impression on me, as itdid nearly 50 years ago. It is by the English painter, John Charles Dollman,and is titled, “Famine." The photo above, probably doesn’t do it justice, butwith its vision of a shrouded “death” surrounded by a pack of starving wolves,set against the backdrop of a bleak and frozen landscape, it’s enough sendshivers down anyone’s spine!
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Time was getting on, so after a quick tour of the rest ofthe Peel Park Campus, where the only building I recognised was University House – homethen, and now of the Students Union. This was a space where both students,staff and academics could relax, enjoy a drink, in one of two bars, or a meal inthe ground floor restaurant. With term time over, it wasn’t very busy, so I mademy way back to the station, ready to head back into central Manchester. On theway I received a WhatsApp message, from pub-ticker extraordinaire, Retired Martin (https://retiredmartin.com/), saying he would meet me at Sinclair’s Oyster House, close to ManchesterCathedral.
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The message wasn’t completely out of the blue, as we had provisionallyarranged to meet up, depending on Martin’s other commitments, so it was a nice surprise to hear from him, frustrated only by my having just missed a train and thenfinding the following one cancelled. I shall continue the narrative in the nextpost, as it details the four city centre pubs we visited together, as well asthe two I called into on my own.Follow Blog via EmailClick to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.
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Friday's day trip to Manchester was most enjoyable, and theperfect day out, where everything worked, even though not always quite asintended. My itinerary had been planned arounda 9:20 am arrival in Manchester, which would allow me time to revisit my old almamater. That isn’t a term I’d normally use, as despite its derivation it’s oneused much more by our American friends, than it is over here. My “nurturing mother,” to use the literal translation of this Latin term, is the Universityof Salford, an institution where I studied at from early October 1973 throughto late June 1976.
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The 5:00 am start was worth it, and with the sun having onlyjust risen, when I left the house, combined with the almost told absence ourvehicles, the only sound was that of birdsong. It was nice to be out and aboutearly for change, although it's not something I want to make a habit of. I walkeddown to Tonbridge station and jumped on the 5:30 am train to London Bridge. Iwas actually booked on the 5:40 departure, but I'm a great believer in gettingto one’s destination earlier should the opportunity arise.
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From London Bridge there are the joys of the Northern Line, andwhilst the revamped overground station has been a great success, it's now quitea route march down to the underground, in order to make my cross London connectionto Euston. I still arrived in plenty of time, enough to grab some breakfast, asdespite setting my alarm clock early, it wasn’t early enough, not even for a quickbowl of cereal, before leaving home.
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Unfortunately, my choice of “food to go” wasn't a good one,as the "Ultimate Breakfast Roll" from Upper Crust, failed to deliver, certainlyin terms of taste. Grilled bacon, and sliced sausage, topped with a fried egg slappedin a bun and then re- heated in a powerful microwave, seemed like a good enoughbet, but whilst the end result was filling, it was totally lacking in taste,and the only saving grace was the cup of flat white coffee.
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There is an outdoor space in front of the station, completewith fixed, sturdy, wipe down tables and benches. It is adjacent to where thenew HS2 Terminal is supposedly being built. I say supposedly, as a strapped forcash, UK Government, has put the new station building on hold for the next twoyears, and possibly longer, leaving an unsightly hole in the ground. Thisabandonment must seem particularly galling to all the businesses whosepremises were purchased (and demolished), to make way for the new station, andthe uncertainty surrounding yet more dithering by a government that has run outof ideas, continues to affect affecting the lives of local residents andbusiness owners alike.
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My train was shown as running on time, and as soon as thedeparture platform was announced I made my way down slope and boarded the 7:13 amAvanti West Coast service to Manchester Piccadilly. The train was comfortable,clean, and above all fast, the journey taking a mere two hours and 8 minutes, withjust three stops on the way (Nuneaton, Stoke on Trent, and Stockport). Avantihave come in for a lot of criticism since taking over the West coast mainlinefranchise from Virgin Rail, but on this occasion, everything worked like clockwork(the same applied on the return journey as well), and on a dull an overcastmorning, plagued by intermittent drizzle, I walked out of Piccadilly stationfor the first time in nearly 50 years, and headed into the heart of Manchester.
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My plan was to catch a train to Salford Crescent station, oppositethe university, but my research wasn’t sufficiently thorough, as it was onlyafter buying my ticket at Manchester Victoria, that I discovered I could havetravelled there from Piccadilly. It didn't really matter, because the walk throughthe city’s main shopping areas, allowed me to experience central Manchester upclose, for the first time, in nearly half a century. Considerably more of the centrehas been pedestrianised than I remember, but the most striking thing was theArndale Centre, completely rebuilt after the devastating IRA bomb of 1996, that devastated a wide area of central Manchester, includingthe hideous looking Arndale Centre.
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Work on the centre was well underway by the time I arrivedin Manchester, and towards the end of my time in the city, the Arndale Centreopened to much fanfare. Like many locals, I was not alone in thinking that theArndale, with its exterior of hideous yellow tiles, assembled a public toilet!It’s probably too harsh a comment to make, given the people injured by theblast, the businesses destroyed and the huge cost of rebuilding the citycentre, but from an aesthetic and practical point of view, the Provisional IRAdid Manchester a favour, which wasn’t just confined to the removal of thoseawful, yellow tiles.
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Walking towards Victoria station, the thing that struck memost is the reconstructed centre looks outward, with shops along many of thestreets bordered by the centre. In the 1970s original, the majority of retailoutlets were inward looking and could only be accessed from inside the Arndaleitself. So, despite the destruction, the injuries, and the enormous cost of therebuild, Manchester at last appears to have a shopping centre it can be proudof.
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The University of Salford was also much changed, as Idiscovered after exiting Salford Crescent station, and walking the shortdistance to my former seat of learning. Salford Uni was a very younginstitution back in the 1970s, and whilst plans had been drawn up to expand theuniversity, (including a model of what the place would look like in thefuture), these had obviously changed during the intervening years. Fortunately,there are still a number of buildings in existence today, that I recognisedfrom my time there.
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These included the grand and ornate Peel Building, constructedin 1896, as Salford’s Technology Institute and College, which was the origin oftoday’s university. Its attractive, red brick and sculpted terracotta façade looksout across a lawn towards another building I recognised, and it was there that Iheaded to first. Known as the Maxwell Building, this 1960’s construction overlooksthe neighbouring Peel Park, as well as the River Irwell. I entered and aftertelling the lady at reception that I was a former student asked if it was OK forme to have a wander around the site. She told me that would be fine, and althoughterm had finished for the academic year, some of the buildings were still open,and I could take a look inside them, should I wish.
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I thanked her andheaded off for a nostalgia tour around the site. On the way I stopped for a lookinside the red-brick, Salford Museum & Art Gallery, an institution whichhoused paintings from the city's most famous, and best-known artist, thepainter LS Lowry. The art gallery in particular, had provided a welcome refugefrom academia, so I was looking forward to seeing some of Lowry’s work. I ofcourse, should have realised that the paintings have now, all been rehoused in thepurpose built, Lowry Centre, at Salford Quays.
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Fortunately, one memorable painting I remember from mystudent days was still on display, and it had the same impression on me, as itdid nearly 50 years ago. It is by the English painter, John Charles Dollman,and is titled, “Famine." The photo above, probably doesn’t do it justice, butwith its vision of a shrouded “death” surrounded by a pack of starving wolves,set against the backdrop of a bleak and frozen landscape, it’s enough sendshivers down anyone’s spine!
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Time was getting on, so after a quick tour of the rest ofthe Peel Park Campus, where the only building I recognised was University House – homethen, and now of the Students Union. This was a space where both students,staff and academics could relax, enjoy a drink, in one of two bars, or a meal inthe ground floor restaurant. With term time over, it wasn’t very busy, so I mademy way back to the station, ready to head back into central Manchester. On theway I received a WhatsApp message, from pub-ticker extraordinaire, Retired Martin (https://retiredmartin.com/), saying he would meet me at Sinclair’s Oyster House, close to ManchesterCathedral.
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The message wasn’t completely out of the blue, as we had provisionallyarranged to meet up, depending on Martin’s other commitments, so it was a nice surprise to hear from him, frustrated only by my having just missed a train and thenfinding the following one cancelled. I shall continue the narrative in the nextpost, as it details the four city centre pubs we visited together, as well asthe two I called into on my own.Follow Blog via EmailClick to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.
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