Manchester

We really enjoyed ourselves here. It was the first time I actually explored the city. I said to Minty that I didn't like the way they were building huge contemporary buildings right next to some stunning buildings from the 18th and 19th century. Can't understand how they build brand new buildings and let the old ones right beside them just rot. The city grew on us with each passing day. The best thing about it all was the people. They were ridiculously friendly. We got chatting to loads of different folk in Old Trafford, on trams, in restaurants, in pubs. It was brilliant! Don't mean to insult anyone, but I didn't think English people were as open as this. I was expecting them to be a little standoffish. If anything, they were more friendly than the Irish or Scottish.  Photos to follow

The further up North you get the friendlier the people are x

3rdforum wrote:We really enjoyed ourselves here. It was the first time I actually explored the city. I said to Minty that I didn't like the way they were building huge contemporary buildings right next to some stunning buildings from the 18th and 19th century. Can't understand how they build brand new buildings and let the old ones right beside them just rot. The city grew on us with each passing day. The best thing about it all was the people. They were ridiculously friendly. We got chatting to loads of different folk in Old Trafford, on trams, in restaurants, in pubs. It was brilliant! Don't mean to insult anyone, but I didn't think English people were as open as this. I was expecting them to be a little standoffish. If anything, they were more friendly than the Irish or Scottish.   Photos to follow

Mancunians are English, England is the finest nation on the planet   We have a lot to put up with too, Irish Scots Welsh and call centres,

I recall Dermo saying over a pint or two the best bit was the shopping centre trips...

Adam Mint wrote:I recall Dermo saying over a pint or two the best bit was the shopping centre trips...

  Shopping   Womens work

The building below was renovated approx twenty years back, the main building shown in Dermos picture was converted in to apartments, behind it the stables were converted in to offices, the advertising sign was not touched in any way during the renovation and remained faded, then about two years back they repainted the sign, nice and bright and fresh it was,,, well for a few months that was, then all the new paint fell off and it was back to the faded version that had been there for years,,, so much for modern products, personally I think the faded version suited the building better...

I met up with Dermo in a pub just round the corner from it as it was the closest to where Dermo was stayin, it's a pub I've been frequenting recently as they have live music, nobody's paid to play, people just arrive ad hoc with their instruments and have a sesition, talk in the pub one night was about a parking space for sale in Paradice Warf the said apartments, why the talk, the cost,,, £75,000...

Bargain

Never did here what you paid for that one in TRG...

  mmmm...

Know a lad who bought a new apartment same area as Dermos photo, didn't take up the option of a purchasing a basement parking space as it was £25,000 and he didn't drive, this was about 10 years or so back, came to sell the flat, couldn't get rid, nobody wanted it cos there was no parking, ended up renting the place out...

Parkings becoming a huge issue in the area, local councillor drinks in fore mentioned pub, she was in the night the £75,000 car parking space was topic, she said what was happening now that the house (apartment) building industry was taking off again new builds were appearing everywhere, problem being they put up a two hundred apartment block with only 50 car parking spaces in the basement,,, so people are having to pay to park on the numerous derelict sites that have become car parks, but these sites are fast disappearing with all the new builds,,, what's already happing is she is getting complaints from her constituents who live just on the edge of the city centre that the "townies" are parking in their streets inabeling them from parking where they live...

Don't know if you noticed Dermo, but that street your hotel was on (Pollard Street) is a main route in and out of town, through the day it's clear because of single yellow lines, come evening when the parking restrictions don't apply it's a solid line of parked cars both sides, street becomes a total logjam as its reduced to one lane,,, only a matter of time until it's double yellows, then where are all them car owners who live in the apartment blocks around there gonna park,,, quarter/half a mile or so up the road in the residential areas I expect...

The councillor girl says her and many other councillors from areas with the same issue are in constant argument with the planning department for allowing these huge developments with inadequate parking but the counter argument that allways seems to win is " it's green, people don't need cars they'll use public transport etc etc",,, No They Won't...

mmmm, wonder how much my space is worth,,, bring it on...

Your Beetham Tower one, a bit info, it was designed by Ian Simpson of the Beetham Organisation he's designed a number of famous sky scrappers including the Urbis in Manchester and the Beetham Towers in Birmingham and London. He actually lives in the top floor penthouse which cost him £3m and occupies the two top floors of the building. His Penthouse includes 21 trees which were shipped from Italy and put in the building before the roof was built.


Halfway up the building it splits from being The Hilton Hotel or residential apartments, the level where it splits is a bar/restaurant, been in the bar a couple of times,expensive,,, part of the bar area juts our and has glass floor sections, scary,,, but not as much as the price of the drinks...

Pictures show jutty out bar bit and penthouse...

Adam Mint wrote:Never did here what you paid for that one in TRG...

  mmmm...

  Two

Two euros,,, you was ripped off...

That feckin' skyscraper will blow over in a strong wind...

I don't like it, it's boring and looks out of place,,, if it were a council hi-rise you'd refuse to live in it...

No doubt the twat that built it got an award

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

And he did, 2007...

  Jeez

Adam Mint wrote:I recall Dermo saying over a pint or two the best bit was the shopping centre trips...

Adam Mint wrote:I don't like it, it's boring and looks out of place,,, if it were a council hi-rise you'd refuse to live in it...

I like the building itself but as you said, out of place, as were 100's of others. These modern buildings can be exceptionally good in the right setting. Demolishing existing buildings or just letting the rot ( and some of them were feckin huge!) and mixing in this modern stuff, I just don't get it. It will ruin the character of the city