Clear skies over Manchester. April has been the most amazing shade of blue this year. We went to Ancoats on Sunday afternoon, and this is what we saw.
By happen chance we went to visit Gawthorpe Hall just before it shuts up for a major repair programme. It's great. There is some amazing plasterwork from the 1600, looking as opulent and dazzling as when the Yorkshire lads stuck it up. Still very impressive. It spent much of it's life let to tenants so side stepped major refurbs allowing all these original bits to survive until some Pugin bloke stuck his oar in. He did do some nice tiles though. The textile collection is very inspiring too.
I had this yearning, probably born of too much Gaskell (if such a thing is possible) to see engines. We forced the little one to come with us to Anson Engine Museum. It happens to be in an old pit village that our forebears worked in. Why do you like these? she asked me. They are beautiful, created things, made for action, crafted by skilled people, enduring for years, they smell good and everday people made them and worked alongside them.
Inner city hell, just as spring arrives. This is the end of curry mile. On a Saturday. Made the first born look round PLatt Hall Costume Museum.
