Weekend Reflections: #Manchester #daytripper Southport

My freelance writing day was Thursday this past week but as it was so sunny, I put my pen and paper in my day pack and hopped onto the 0844 train at Manchester Victoria.  Northern Rail wove its way through lush green parts of Salford and Lancashire. By 1004 I was at the coast in a swelteringly hot Southport (22°C and rising).

More on that another day- it’s mostly an elegant 19^th Century resort with some tasteful modern trappings, with beach, pier and a vintage amusement arcade. A coastal path takes you among reeds, river and sand, flutterbys, natterjack toads, bunnies and birds and much more. 

Sefton Borough Council have done well to minimise Southport from being a typical chintzy British seaside town full of chips, candy floss and tack, but it’s there if you want it, as in this photo!

Taking part in Weekend Reflections.

Skywatch Friday: #Manchester #daytripper Conwy

There is so much natural beauty within an hour or two drive or train journey from the heart of Manchester.

Last Sunday we walked up Mount Snowdon, which was glorious, and I’ll post more on that on Sunday - if you missed my Instagram and Facebook feeds this week where I was banging on about it of course!

On the way back we stopped in Conwy at the marina and enjoyed food and drink at the Mulberry pub while looking out at this little lot of expensive seaworthy hardware, while the sun set.  A special end to a lovely, lucky day.

Taking part in Skywatch Friday.

More hours please...

Dear diary, it's been a varied few days- amazing walk up Mount Snowdon on Sunday followed by exploring the area and rounded off with a drink and meal watching the sunset over Conwy Marina. Near perfection!

A Veggie BBQ with the family on Monday night, an impromptu , make food while the sun shines thang.

Great Manchester People's Assembly Against Austerity Meeting on Tuesday with two inspiring Zimbabwean asylum seekers from WAST, spurring us all on to do more and pushing the Convoy To Calais refugee action on 18 June (more on this later).

The PhD students at RNCM gave some fascinating talks in the Research Forum on Weds including some real avant garde stuff - photo above.

Today I'm grabbing the last of the summer in spring sun on my day off- catching a train to the coast at Southport as soon as I post this. But back in time for Horsebeach and other bands at Night and Day tonight. Also want to get to some of the 25 events on this evening as part of Manchester After Hours. Not enough hours in the day...

Future community art space @FutureArtists on Chapel Street? Hope so!

Following the successful Kickstarter campaign from 2014 and into last spring to get the Honest Coffee cafe up and running on Chapel Street (red door on the left) Future Art, who were behind that success, are now raising funds to turn the blue building on the right into a community art space. Read all about it and please try to support it! At a time when galleries, libraries and other spaces are being closed and cut by the Tory government the people have to fight back by taking to and backing initiatives like this.

Signposts and flags

My Peak Forest Canal walk last week provided these interesting sights- an old signpost on the towpath and the lovely coloured flag of Derbyshire.

Monday Mural: Levenshulme lady

In a former Post Office in Levenshulme, there are some reminders behind the bar of its postal past, with old letter racks. It's now known as the Buttery and among lots of interesting talking points this lady on the wall lit up in red, stands out.

Monday Mural.

Bugsworth Basin bliss

I had a day off on Thursday and jumped onto a Northern train at Piccadilly. I took it to New Mills where I joined the Peak Forest Canal towpath. Heading out to its two branch line ends at Whaley Bridge basin and here at Bugsworth Basin, where limestone was once quarried.  Stunning weather, stunning vistas, happiness personified!

Weekend in black and white: Earthlings Experience

From 1500-1700 tomorrow (Sunday) on Market Street outside Boots, Come and learn about the Manchester Earthlings Experience. The Earthlings Experience visits Leeds today.

They show UK farm and slaughterhouse footage on laptops wearing masks to create curiosity and to allow the public to make a personal connection to what they see free from judgement. 

Some people will offer educational literature and open friendly discussions. The focus is not on shaming individuals, but understanding that most of us were ignorant to the harm we were causing and to impart our knowledge. Watch more here: and learn more still at the Facebook page.

Taking part in the Weekend in Black and White.

Skywatch Friday: Dinting diorama

I went to see a friend in Glossop on Tuesday night. Dinting was actually the nearest station to her house. Just a little way eastwards from Manchester it's into that wonderful countryside that surrounds us. This view from the station shows for me how Manchester has the best of both worlds- a thriving city flanked by some wonderful countryside. 

I caught the last train back to the city at 2240 and soon fell asleep. I don't know how long I was snoozing on board at Piccadilly station on an empty train but I could have been there all night if I hadn't woken up...

Taking part in Skywatch Friday.

Under the bridge Trinity blossoms #VoteGreen vote Wendy @Sandhyamma

A view from under the bridge on Gravel Lane (the same bridge in my header above). This is Trinity Church where I will be voting today for the Mayor of Salford and proudly putting my X next to Wendy Olsen of the Green Party. More to read here and there's a video here.