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Discovering Manchester 2nd Edition |
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Due April 2010 |
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This stylish walking guide is guaranteed to satisfy both Mancunians and visitors to this historic city. Detailed topographical information is placed in an historical context, yet relates very appropriately to recent and current developments within the city. |
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This is a new service in which we can keep our publications as up-to-date as possible. We would appreciate your comments, additions to walk instructions etc, and after consultation with the author will add any appropriate amendements to the site as soon as possible. If you would like to send us comments or alterations, please use the mail address below or e-mail us. Please check the latest updates below and feel free to print off and keep with your book. |
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| Page 7 | The internal alterations in the Marks and Spencer building are largely complete, and it now contains, in effect, two separate stores, each with its own network of escalators. (They are connected by passages on each floor.) A ground floor passage now runs between Corporation Street and New Cathedral Street, bisecting the light well and dividing Marks and Spencer (on the Market Street side) from Selfridges (on the Exchange Square side). The wall climbing lifts on either side are incorporated into one or other of the stores. The arrangement of Marks and Spencer remains the same, but Selfridges boasts a magnificent Food Hall in the basement. It is interesting to contrast this with the Marks and Spencer Food Hall next door. How the other half do live! The former contains a very trendy Sushi Bar - complete with a revolving food conveyor! | Oct 2002 |
| Page 12 | The Cathedral Visitor Centre is open Tuesday to Saturday, 10 - 4.30, Sunday, 12 - 4. Admission free. The Cateaton Street entrance to the Cathedral Visitor Centre is the only one in use, as the Cathedral Yard door is intended as an emergency exit. The display does not (as intended) include any archaeology, but there are reproductions of the Roman Word Square (p. 216) and the fragment of St. John's Gospel (p.56). | Oct 2002 |
| Page 18 | A (badly worn) brass of Sir John Byrom and his wife Margaret may be found to the right of the entrance to the Jesus Chapel. It probably dates from around 1460, and was originally on the floor of the Lady Chapel prior to its destruction by bombing. | Oct 2002 |
| Page 19 | There are two interesting brass plaques to the right of the Chapter House door. One bears a Latin inscription in honour of Warden Heyrick. He managed to retain his Wardenship of the Collegiate Church at the restoration, despite being a founder member of the presbyterian 'Classis' (local church organisation) during the Commonwealth period, when the state church was all but abolished. Was he, as the inscription suggests, a genuine moderate and concilliator, or was he a self- serving creep? The other records the death and burial of Lady Barbara Fitzroy in 1734. She was the daughter of the Duke of Cleveland, an illegitimate son of Charles II and one of his more notorious mistresses. Nobody knows what this grand daughter of a king was doing in Manchester, though she appears to have been estranged from her family. A Victorian effigy, in the mediaeval style, may be found near the Fraser Chapel. It is of Hugh Birley, a former M.P. for the city, and a champion of the established church. The Frazer Chapel's latest addition is a modern altar piece by Mark Cazalet. The Holy Family are seen to be enjoying a meal of chips (washed down with Boddington's beer!) in Castlefield. To the left, St. George releases the dragon that we all, to some extent, are chained to, against a background of urban dereliction. To the right, St Denys carries his head from his place of execution, the Mount of Martyrs (Montmartre), to his place of burial (St. Dennis, north of Paris) by way of Market Street! | Oct 2002 |
| Page 20 | The fragments of brasses, to the left of the entrance to the Regimental Chapel, are of Sir Alexander Radcliffe and his wife, dating from around 1540. They were once on the floor of the Choir. | Oct 2002 |
| Page 34 | The Royal Exchange Shopping Centre is in process of being cleared, prior to redevelopment. Ancient World is said to have reopened in Chester. | Oct 2002 |
| Page 41 | Dr. Peter Waring's house now fronts a Virgin store. The eighteenth century house frontage opposite, is above a branch of Reed. Boardman's Entry can be found to the side of Blu. | Apr 2003 |
| Page 57 | Northcliffe House has been demolished, and has been replaced by a large construction site. The first phase of the Spinningfields development is under way. | Apr 2003 |
| Page 75 | The refurbishment of the Market Street frontage of the Arndale has commenced. | Apr 2003 |
| Page 79 | A plaque commemorating Harrison Ainsworth, the Victorian novelist, should be noticed on the wall of the old National Westminster Bank. (He was born in a house on this site.) His romantic historical novels include 'Rookwood', which created the legend of Dick Turpin's ride from London to York. | Apr 2003 |
| Page 80 | There is a blue plaque commemorating Dr. Charles White on the side of Lloyds Bank. | Apr 2003 |
| Page 82 | The shop giving access to the Reform Club lavatories is currently vacant. The Reform restaurant has changed hands and is to reopen in June, 2003. | Apr 2003 |
| Page 95 | The public lavatories have not, as yet, materialised. The new glass enclosed pavilions are complete - but empty! The remaining Moorish frontage of the former Kardomah Café has been wantonly demolished and not replaced. A sad loss indeed. | Apr 2003 |
| Page 97 | The arcades leading to Chinatown are sometimes closed at weekends. The Plaza's Bernard House has been superseded by a low nondescript block that seems a little out of place. A very useful Marks and Spencer food supermarket has appeared at the Mosley Street corner. | Apr 2003 |
| Page 100 | Despite a seemingly large area of new space for temporary exhibitions, the Manchester City Art Gallery have introduced a policy of changing the pictures insome of the smaller galleries from time to time. If your favourite picture is missing, be sure to complain! | Apr 2003 |
| Page 106 | A fuller description of the Gallery of Craft and Design can now be given. The original fine moulded ceiling is particularly noteworthy. The fine silver from the Assheton Bennet bequest is located near the entrance, with the Thomas Greg collection of British ceramics to one side. Turn left, and proceed around the large room in a clockwise direction. Small children will be immediately drawn to the historic doll's house of 1850 and the other dolls and toys collected by Mary Greg. Items associated with 'personal rituals' include a cosmetic jug (illustrated with a cartoon of 'old women ground young'!). A superb christening robe exemplifies the theme of 'life events', while a number of items such as tea pots and caddies introduce 'social rituals'. The displays are now themed according to the material or technique of manufacture - artefacts made of glass and wood (particularly furniture). A variety of objects constitute a 'touch experience' along one of the walls, before we explore the world of synthetic materials, including plastics. The display themes now move on to shape and colour, before returning to the social context of applied art and craft. Objects utilised in religious ritual and devotion represent the 'spiritual' life. Amongst them may be found the exquisite Madonna With a Goldfinch, an early Italian work, painted in tempera on a (gilded) wooden panel. (Legend has it that a goldfinch once impaled itself upon Christ's crown of thorns, thus accounting for the hue of its breast. Thus, in the picture, is the cosmic event foretold.) The 'telling tales' section is full of souvenir items, but the 'industrial' section is perhaps more significant. Here, the exhibits derive from the former Horsefall Museum in Ancoats, intended to educate and inform the late Victorian working class about the development of industrial design and artistic taste. The eighteenth century houses now front a Weatherspoon's pub |
Apr 2003 |
| Page 112 | There is an error in the description of the Midland Hotel. The Winter Garden disappeared in the 1960s reconstruction. Afternoon tea currently (March 2003) costs £11.95. | Apr 2003 |
| Page 115 | The 263-bed Radisson Edwardian will open in the Free Trade Hall in the summer of 2004. Construction work may temporarily mask the frontage. | Apr 2003 |
| Page 129 | Venus Urban Gardens are no longer with us. | Apr 2003 |
| Page 130 | The Castlefield Gallery (Open Wed to Sun 1.00 - 6.00pm, late opening Thurs, free.) has reopened on the continuation of Deansgate, near the Packhorse Inn. It sells a variety of (mostly affordable) art, often featuring local artists. There is now access, by means of an archway in the Deansgate Quay housing development, through to the Bridgewater Basin. |
Apr 2003 |
| Page 135 | 135 It is 100 Barbirolli Square (not 101). It should be recorded that this building stands on the site of 'Tommy Duck's', one of the great pubs of Manchester. It was located in a late eighteenth century house, and got its name in a most singular way. A signwriter was inscribing the name of the landlord, one Thomas Duckworth, on the fascia boarding - but ran out of space. Thus 'Duckworth's' became 'Duck's'! In its final incarnation, the interior was unique, owing nothing whatsoever to a 'designer' but deriving from the interests and eccentricities of the landlord and his cronies. There was a priceless collection of Victorian theatre and music hall posters, a skeleton within a glass lidded coffin, and the 'piece de resistance', a ceiling covered with a fine collection of ladies knickers. These ranged from the skimpiest pieces of lace to capacious 'bloomers'. (Female regulars were asked to donate a pair, which was duly autographed, dated, and pinned up with due ceremony.) A raid by a group of women who were determined to reclaim them soon passed into the city's folklore. Sadly, the pub was demolished in a rather dubious episode. It is said that the perpetrators were fined for knocking down a listed structure without consent. 'Hanging, drawing, and quartering' would have been more appropriate. | Apr 2003 |
| Page 138 | Finnegan's Wake has reverted to its original name of the Brunswick Hotel. The 61 bedroom (and five penthouse suite) Rossetti hotel has opened in Number 107. The eclectic furnishings (including pre war German mannequins) also include the Café Paradiso. | Apr 2003 |
| Page 152 | The Rochdale canal was re-opened throughout on 1 July 2002 by Fred Dibnah, a well known local personality. The Huddersfield 'Narrow' Canal (accessed beyond Ashton) re-opened in May, 2001. It is now possible to sail the 'Pennine Ring' going outward by either canal and returning via the Leeds and Liverpool and the Bridgewater canals - or vice versa. The brick warehouse on the far side of the former Dale Street basin is currently undergoing restoration. A new development now straddles the Jutland Street basin. | Jul 2003 |
| Page 155 | The second stage of the restoration of St. Peter's Church is in progress. | Jul 2003 |
| Page 156 | Opposite Victoria Square, across Oldham Road, is a part of the Forbidden City of Old Peking! The ancient Chinese Roof and the Pagoda at the street corner betoken a new development by Wing Ip, a very large Chinese supermarket. (Members of the public are cordially invited to join the restaurant proprietors laying in their weekly provisions.) Although there is a very useful cash machine on the Oldham Road side, entrance to the complex is obtained by the path from the corner of Thomson Street, skirting the Fire Station and Brigade Training School (notice the Lancashire and Yorkshire railway memorial on the left, all that remains of the large goods yard that occupied this site. The Wing Ip complex also contains a Chinese restaurant (what else!) rather curiously called 'Glamorous' - perhaps something was lost in the translation. (Due to open by the end of June, 2003.) | Jul 2003 |
| Page 166 | Sadly, the Coliseum Shopping Centre has closed. It appears to be the usual story of a property developer wanting higher rents after a proposed refurbishment. But where did all the quirky 'alternative' shops and stalls go? | Jul 2003 |
| Page 175 | Before crossing the canal by the iron bridge, make a short detour by continuing along the towpath to Worsley Mill. Dating from 1896, this former flour mill is distinctive, with gables of a differing size and the original portal served by the canal arm clearly visible. Ascend the steps to Egerton Street to view the large canal side development by Urban Splash (p.168) on the opposite side of the road. Worsley Mill will shortly contain an office and shop (target opening for September, 2003) operated by the Manchester Civic Society. Publications and leaflets relating to the society's work in preserving Manchester's architectural heritage and promoting urban renewal will be available. St George's Church (p.131) is in the vicinity. | Jul 2003 |
| Page 186 | The Castlefield Gallery has removed to Deansgate (p.130). | Jul 2003 |
| Page 190 | There is an excellent overview of 'Coronation Street' from the windows of the 'Xperiment' children's area! Access to online computers is now available in a nearby centre. | Jul 2003 |
| Page 214 | The new wing of the Manchester Museum is greatly behind schedule. A target date has been set for July 16, 2003 at the latest. The new café is, however, up and running, and can be entered from Oxford Street. (The old entrance having been restored, with the curving glass sheet consigned to oblivion.) | Jul 2003 |
| Page 228 | It should be Hang 'em and Bang 'em! | Jul 2003 |
| Page 229 | The Salford Cinema is across Trinity Way. | Jul 2003 |
| Page 232 | The Boer War memorial was unveiled by Edward VII and Queen Alexandra in 1905. | Jul 2003 |
| Page 234 | 'Life Times' is up and running, but it is a constantly changing exhibition. However, the interactive local history centre is noteworthy. | Jul 2003 |
| Page 244 | It is now possible to describe the interior
of The Imperial War Museum North in greater detail. There is no access from
the waterfront, so follow the path to the left of this frontage round the
opposite side to the main entrance. In this area, a lift ascends the tower
comprising the 'air shard', from which there is a particularly fine view.
The entrance itself leads to a ground floor area comprising an information
point, a cloakroom, cafeteria, toilets, and an exceptionally well-stocked
shop. Lifts ascend to the upper floor, but it is best to ascend a flight
of stairs to the landing on the main level. The entrance to the right accesses a Special Exhibitions Gallery, but most visitors go straight through into the main exhibition area - where they come face to face with a Harrier V.T.O.L. 'Jump Jet', seemingly mounted just like a model. This highly successful fighter and ground attack aircraft entered service in 1969, fitted with an unusual engine that could be 'vectored' into a down ward thrust mode. This meant that it could vertically take off and land in a confined space, yet still perform as a normal jet aircraft. (It could also engage in some pretty unorthodox moves in a dogfight too, even avoiding missiles!) Its flexibility proved a godsend in the Falklands War, and it remains the only British military aircraft purchased for use with the American armed forces. We now traverse the displays in a clockwise direction, starting with the wall to the left of the entrance. Here is the pageantry of war before 1914, characterised by the ceremonial helmets only slightly disturbed by the khaki adopted for the guerrilla conflict against the Boers. All is utterly changed around the corner, where displays illustrate the 'Great War'. Search out the 'hardtack' biscuit and read the comment inscribed on it, for the exhibits depict life in the trenches. Linger in front of the video of the Battle of the Somme. Some of the scenes are posed in training areas, such as the wild rush 'over the top', but others are authentic. The wounded man being carried down the trench died a few minutes after the cameraman finished filming. Other aspects of the conflict are shown. Notice the tail of a shot down German albatross fighter, no doubt kept like a sporting souvenir. And it is clear that the campaign on the Eastern front was every bit as horrible as that in Flanders. Of course, everyone expected a great naval battle, but the German high seas fleet only once ventured out in force. The result was the inconclusive battle of Jutland, marked by the ship's bell from HMS Iron Duke, the British flagship. The scene changes, with the new angle of wall, to life and times on the home front in Britain. It was the first war in which Britain was bombed from the air, and there are relics of the great hydrogen filled Zeppelin airships (the Manchester area was twice attacked by the 'gasbags') and the twin-engined Gotha bombers. There is a computerised casualty base where you can trace ancestors who laid down their lives for king and country. An enclosed area, the first of the 'silos' is situated in the angle of the walls. It is devoted to the theme of the experience of war, and contains a curious display in the manner of a series of filing cabinets of personal effects and letters. There are mementoes of the recruits in both wars and the period of 'national service'; badges of the 'pals battalions' (p.122); and a most poignant exhibit - a letter from a nine year old boy to Lord Kitchener, pleading to be allowed to enlist and take part in the game that older boys looked forward to. Other material relates to the experiences of prisoners (including those in Japanese camps); internees; and evacuees who were labelled like luggage. The ship's bell of the Lusitania is exhibited. This liner, sunk by a U-Boat off Ireland in 1915, had a dramatic effect upon public opinion in America. The next set of displays, enclosing Silo two, is devoted to the inter-war period. The relics of the Spanish Civil War, in which many local men fought as volunteers in the International Brigade, are noteworthy. A 1932 German ballot paper reminds us that the majority of the German people did not vote for Hitler - he was invited to form a government by the leaders of other right-wing parties, in an arrangement that they thought they could control……Video film illustrates such charming activities as organising boycotts of jewish shops and book burning. "Where one burns books, one later burns men." Silo Two contains displays about women and war. Contrasting videos reveal all manner of participation by women in armed conflict and a variety of female peace campaigns. Look for the pair of wire cutters used at the Greenham Common protest. Next comes a long section about a variety of aspects of World War Two. A sea mine is surrounded by a display concerning the war at sea. There is an army 'bren' gun; a 'mickey mouse' gas mask intended for children: and a target map of Hamburg (the centre was destroyed by a fire storm created by allied bombing). Of course, this was seen at the time as Nazi Germany "reaping the whirlwind" of what they had sown. Indeed, the video film of the Battle of Britain and the 'Christmas Blitz' on Manchester are worth a glance. Other sections deal with the Desert and Jungle wars. The former was a rather unique affair. The Eighth Army and the Afrika Korps fought each other in a harsh landscape almost completely bereft of 'civilians'. It was thus a 'soldiers war' - each side respected each other, and thought of themselves as a group of professionals who just happened to be in a position where they had to kill each other. It was one of the few instances (perhaps the only one) where a degree of chivalry prevailed. Both sides tuned in to Belgrade radio to hear Lale Anderson sing Lilly Marlene, and, sadly, sometimes advanced into battle against each other singing this song. The Eight Army did not adopt any form of convention dress code, as might be seen in Jon's cartoon of 'Two Types'! Explore Silo Three before continuing with the wall displays. This Silo deals with impressions of war - myths, propaganda, and children's war toys. The material relating to the liberation of the concentration camps (which created a profound impression in Britain at the time) is real enough, though, and introduces the displays about the post-war world. Inevitably, various episodes of the 'cold war' are dealt with, including the Cuban missile crisis (which brought the world to the closest point it has ever been to a nuclear war), the invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968, and the implosion of the Soviet Empire in the 1980's - notice the piece of the Berlin Wall. In perusing this display, we pass a Russian T34 tank. The allied nations contributed in a variety of ways to the defeat of the Nazis. The Soviets tied down a large part of the Nazi land forces and more or less ripped the heart out of the elite Panzer (tank) regiments at the Battle of Kursk in 1943. The principal instrument of victory was the T34, simply designed, rugged, and manufactured in enormous quantities by emergency factories set up beyond the Urals, out of range of the German bomber force. Fortunately, drivers and mechanics could be recruited from the former inmates of the machine tractor stations, set up under the auspices of the Five Year Plan. Silo Four looks at the contribution of the Commonwealth in the last war. The video of the almost forgotten exploits of the East African troops in Burma is particularly interesting. Silo Five considers the role of science and technology in modern war. Look for the 'Protect and survive' leaflets issued by the Thatcher government in the 1980s. These were mercilessly satirised at the time and feature in 'When the Wind Blows' (a cartoon book and film) by Raymond Briggs. The final wall display deals with the post cold war era, and features the break up of Yugoslavia. The last silo concludes with the effects and impacts of war. It is all summed up by the three wheeled invalid carriage, but the 1945 plan to rebuild Manchester is interesting. Of course, there was no money to carry it out - and a good thing too, for the place would have ended up looking like downtown East Berlin. The main exhibition space contains three exhibits. Most people are drawn to the ubiquitous '25 pounder' field gun, but do not neglect the fire brigade pump trailer and the Trabant Car. The former saw great service in the 'blitz' - there was such a shortage of proper fire appliances that many of these pumps were towed by requisitioned taxicabs. The latter remains, of course, the icon of the collapse of the Berlin Wall - a two stroke fibreglass bodied chariot of freedom. Last, but not least, search out the 'time stack' situated in the rear wall of Silo One. Here, a kind of dumb waiter arrangement summons a selection of artefacts that can be personally handled and inspected. You are in the midst of a large arena. In the course of your progress around the displays, concentration will have been interrupted at least once by an audio-visual presentation. The 'Big Picture Show' utilises most of the wall space in the arena, using sixty projectors. The shows are usually given at hourly intervals and last around fifteen minutes. Current subjects are 'Why War?'; 'Weapons of War'; and 'Children and War'. Please be advised that these shows contain loud noises and flashing lights, so you should retreat into a Silo or leave this area when a show is announced if you feel it will affect a medical condition or frighten small children. A canal side restaurant is located in the 'water shard' part of the building. |
Jul 2003 |
| Page 245 | Against a background of great controversy, the owners of H.M.S. Bronnington decided to remove their vessel to the historic ships collection at Birkenhead. Whether it will ever return is anyone's guess. | Jul 2003 |
| Publication Date | ISBN | Pages |
| April 2010 | 9781850588627 | 180pp |
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Phone (44) (0)1269 593100 Fax: (44) (0)1269 596116
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