The Real Wine Fair North – Monday 27th February 2017

'Following the success of last year's event, we are delighted to announce the return of “The Real Wine Fair… Goes North!”, a focused tasting of 100+ wines made by growers who work according to the philosophy espoused by The Real Wine Fair.

The tasting will take place on Monday, 27th February at B.eat Street; a unique location in the very heart of MANCHESTER, and will be open to members of the trade. The tasting will run from 10:00 to 17:30.'

A nostalgic return to Manchester nearly 50 years on

 Manchester City Council

(above and below)

I first came to Manchester in late September 1966 to start life as a student at the University. I had been offered a late place on a Biblical Studies course. I had never applied for this course and clearly was offered the place in order to put bums on seats at the start of the year. I was assured that I could rapidly change course, which I did as Biblical Studies required a knowledge of classical Hebrew and classical Greek and I not a word of either language.

Normally at this time of year a group of friends, who were students together in Manchester during the second half of the 1960s meet up in a seaside resort that has to have a pier. However to celebrate 50 years on from 1960 we have returned to a much changed Manchester.  

 Just as in London there is construction going on everywhere in the centre.
 

 A rather dwarfed pub – Rising Sun 

 Chopin playing on Deansgate 

 Manchester Cathedral

 River Irwell

 Trams at Victoria Station 

 

 Map at the entrance to Victoria Station 

 Victoria Station

Monday was very hot before reverting to wet and overcast today (Tuesday).

 National Football Museum 

(above and below)

Ancient and modern – Harvey Nichols

Manchester Technology Centre

 The Quad, Manchester University 

 University buildings cleaned up since the 1960s

The Krobar opposite the Students Union on Oxford Road. In the 1960s it was called The Windsor Club and members could continue to drink there during the afternoon and late into the evening and early morning when the Union Bar was closed.

The Students Union on Oxford Road covered in sheeting and scaffolding. The Bar, which used to be downstairs is now on the ground floor. We noticed that students queue in line to place their order and there is now table service for food etc ordered at the bar.

 Inside the Union

 

A peerless group from Manchester

 The Royal Victoria Hotel, St Leonards 

Every year for the past 24 years a group of us (The Jet Set) that were at Manchester University together in the latter part of the 1960s meets up for a couple of days by the seaside. This year it is Hastings, although we are staying in St. Leonards as Hastings doesn't appear to have any hotels.  The one criteria is that the seaside resort must have a pier. Fortunately we don't specify whether the pier is open and functioning as Hastings Pier is still being repaired after a fire in 2010. Even though Hastings Pier is not open it is way more impressive than the stub of concete at Skegness that passes as their pier. It is no wonder that Joe Wadsack fled Skeggie to seek his fortune in London. 

There was a time when we stayed in rather dubious, if characterful, bed and breakfast places in Brighton etc. However with the advancing years our group has moved remorselessly upmarket until this year we are lodged in a Best Western Hotel –  The Royal Victoria Hotel, St Leonards. In places this is a little faded from its glory days. However, much less faded than many of the other buildings along the seafront in the direction of Hastings.       

 The rather grand interior of the first and ground floor of the hotel

The sea looking towards Bexhill