Enjoying retirement
In The Red Rose County
We had read that the now famous London bakery had opened in opulent King Street so we thought we better try. Verdict - excellent. I liked their use of the Manchester Alphabet in their lobby.......... We then set off to walk to The Black Friar in Salford about which we had heard very good reports and wanted to scout for Frances's birthday coming up. Salford is a place no-one goes to. The inferior little brother on the other side of the Irwell. but really it has a lot to offer and on our walk there was plenty of interest. What was the original 'model lodging house' we wondered. "When this Model Lodging House opened in Bloom Street it was the first of its kind in the country. It offered accommodation for 285 men and some lodgers were said to have lived there for over twenty years.'' It is now swish apartments. The Victorians and Edwardians loved to embellish their public buildings and always cared for the architectural details. Here - Gas Offices. A church in a shed, not quite so architectural! Sacred Trinity was the first parish church to be built in Salford. It was founded in 1635 by Humphrey Booth, a prominent local merchant. The church was granted the full dignity of a parish church in 1650, and during the following century was the scene of much activity. In 1733 the Evangelist, John Wesley, preached inside Sacred Trinity but was forbidden access to its precincts on his return in 1747. The main body of the church was rebuilt in 1751 in the contemporary Georgian style. It is the only one of its name in the country. Located on a peninsular of land between Chapel Street and the Salford Approach to the former Exchange Station, the former Chapel Street Police Station was built in 1888 by Arthur Jacob, the Salford Borough Engineer. It is listed and is now used as offices. We arrived at The Black Friar, very unassuming (like Salford), and dwarfed by giant flats. But what a revelation inside. Seeking just a drink and a look at the menus we sat just here at the bar...very nice too. The courtyard garden and bar looked exceptional. What a find. We then made our way to our ultimate destination the Bridgewater Hall over the bridge into Manchester........ and via Parsonage gardens, a rare green oasis in Manchester city centre....... We were at the Bridgewater to hear the third of the Elgar Oratorios - The Kingdom. The first two oratorios had been exceptional. This 'The Kingdom' as performed by the Halle and massed choirs was a once in a life-time experience. That's all I can say. It was stupendous.
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August 2023
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