Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

[tikay]

Manchester was wet, miserable, dreary & full of dirty buildings which either need demolishing or cleaning.

So many dull buildings in the City Centre, though there were a few nice buildings in and around St Peters Square.

I stayed at The Britannia Hotel, which was nothing short of splendid in 1910, I'm quite sure, but is utterly dreadful now, though I did get lucky & have an en-suite bathroom & loo. Oh my, it was bad, odd for one so close to the City Centre, right adjacent to Piccadilly.

Can't think of a worse hotel I've used in Great Britain except - obviously - that dreadful one in Newcastle City Centre.

Still, I should not complain, it's all good I guess.

Here's Britannia Hotel, Manchester. Looks good from the outside, right? Looks good as you enter, too. I'll spare you the rest.

    

I'm surprised at this, I would have thought you of all people would be more appreciative of northern grit and one of of the great industrial cities.

Mighty odd choice of hotel and location for a corporate jolly as well.  The hotel is ranked about 95/120 on Trip Advisor and is adjacent to Piccadilly Gardens - the 5th top crime hot spot in the UK.

Well it was maybe not the best day to visit, early February, low grey cloud, persistent drizzle.

I'm trying to think of any City - London excepted, which I adore - in the UK I really like. Edinburgh, maybe, with the Royal Mile, or Newcastle with all those lovely bridges.

I used to visit Manchester several times a week on business, I was involved with the construction of the Arndale Centre - the pre Deansgate bomb version - so in a way, I contributed to it's dreariness, that building was just horrible. The service towers - lift wells, stair towers & vertical  service ducts - were constructed in "Slipform" construction, which is a constantly moving shutter, 24/7. Adzy knows all about that stuff.

Odd choice of hotel? Well I was paying, & I would only be in it for 6 hours, so just needed somewhere, literally, to sleep. Off the train at 14.15, drop my bags at the Hotel (we had been warned that laptops & I-Pads were not allowed inside Old Trafford), straight off to a 3pm meeting in town, then across to Old Trafford. (NIGHTMARE of a car journey). Then jump the tram back to the hotel for midnight, up at 6am to catch the early train back to London.

I have just remembered one really beautiful building I saw - love these sort of buildings. It'd been gutted internally, of course, but an impressive exterior.  

What do you reckon?

[tikay]

Ahh, apologies - wrong photo.

Now THIS is a beautiful building, & everything about it takes us back to the golden era of railways.

GREAT NORTHERN RAILWAY COMPANY'S GOODS WAREHOUSE

Isn't that great?

[BorntoBubble]

Inside that building I think has been done really well as well, good contrast of old and new.

Think those 8 seaters are something like £70k+VAT. I sit right in front of you then or maybe a little to the right I didn't spot you though.

I was lucky enough to get invited in one the other week, really is an amazing experience. How the other half live

[hhyftrftdr]

You certainly get some interesting sorts loitering outside that Britannia. Interesting sorts staying inside it too.

If you find Pogba mesmerising then your heart might stop if you watched Silva closely for 90 minutes.

[Marky147]

You certainly get some interesting sorts loitering outside that Britannia. Interesting sorts staying inside it too.

If you find Pogba mesmerising then your heart might stop if you watched Silva closely for 90 minutes.

Won't catch Tikay watching MMA.

[booder]

You certainly get some interesting sorts loitering outside that Britannia. Interesting sorts staying inside it too.

If you find Pogba mesmerising then your heart might stop if you watched Silva closely for 90 minutes.

Won't catch Tikay watching MMA.

 

[Archer]

I do “get it” with your enjoyment visiting a famous and iconic tourist attraction irrespective of what happened on the pitch.

As for your one and only visit to Maine Rd,  I would have been there that night but with, unsurprisingly,  no recollection whatsoever of the game. I was surprised to find footage out there:

[Archer]

Ahh, apologies - wrong photo.

Now THIS is a beautiful building, & everything about it takes us back to the golden era of railways.

GREAT NORTHERN RAILWAY COMPANY'S GOODS WAREHOUSE

Isn't that great?

Manchester is a dump or, more accurately, was a dump and some of the regeneration is superb. I know that building well and it IS beautiful.

If you like that you would love Castlefield which is only half a mile away from there:

Click to see full-size image.

[TightEnd]

I think you are a fan of DID?

If you missed it please catch this morning's with Nigel Owens

one of the best, funny, emotional and moving

[tikay]

I think you are a fan of DID?

If you missed it please catch this morning's with Nigel Owens

one of the best, funny, emotional and moving

The Rugby ref bloke?

Missed it this morning, had a bit of hoohah to sort out Next Door, but I thought it was the 75th Anniversary show today, with David Beckham? (He's an ex-footballer, played for Manchester's finest, I believe).

I do love that Show, & Kirsty is just right for it. I thought Roy Plomley was irreplaceable - rather like Angus Deayton on HIGNFY - but she is just the job.

[Woodsey]

Ahh, apologies - wrong photo.

Now THIS is a beautiful building, & everything about it takes us back to the golden era of railways.

GREAT NORTHERN RAILWAY COMPANY'S GOODS WAREHOUSE

Isn't that great?

Manchester is a dump or, more accurately, was a dump and some of the regeneration is superb. I know that building well and it IS beautiful.

If you like that you would love Castlefield which is only half a mile away from there:

Click to see full-size image.

If you want to see a building that has been renovated fantastically in Manchester go to the Palace hotel, was getting a bit run down before, they have done a brilliant job and restored it to its former glory.

[Doobs]

Ahh, apologies - wrong photo.

Now THIS is a beautiful building, & everything about it takes us back to the golden era of railways.

GREAT NORTHERN RAILWAY COMPANY'S GOODS WAREHOUSE

Isn't that great?

Manchester is a dump or, more accurately, was a dump and some of the regeneration is superb. I know that building well and it IS beautiful.

If you like that you would love Castlefield which is only half a mile away from there:

Click to see full-size image.

If you want to see a building that has been renovated fantastically in Manchester go to the Palace hotel, was getting a bit run down before, they have done a brilliant job and restored it to its former glory.

If they had restored it to its former glory, wouldn't it be an insurance office?

[tikay]

Ahh, apologies - wrong photo.

Now THIS is a beautiful building, & everything about it takes us back to the golden era of railways.

GREAT NORTHERN RAILWAY COMPANY'S GOODS WAREHOUSE

Isn't that great?

Manchester is a dump or, more accurately, was a dump and some of the regeneration is superb. I know that building well and it IS beautiful.

If you like that you would love Castlefield which is only half a mile away from there:

Click to see full-size image.

If you want to see a building that has been renovated fantastically in Manchester go to the Palace hotel, was getting a bit run down before, they have done a brilliant job and restored it to its former glory.

If they had restored it to its former glory, wouldn't it be an insurance office?

Where people took Refuge, maybe.

Just googled it, looks a very fine building. Should be in London really.   

[Doobs]

Ahh, apologies - wrong photo.

Now THIS is a beautiful building, & everything about it takes us back to the golden era of railways.

GREAT NORTHERN RAILWAY COMPANY'S GOODS WAREHOUSE

Isn't that great?

Manchester is a dump or, more accurately, was a dump and some of the regeneration is superb. I know that building well and it IS beautiful.

If you like that you would love Castlefield which is only half a mile away from there:

Click to see full-size image.

If you want to see a building that has been renovated fantastically in Manchester go to the Palace hotel, was getting a bit run down before, they have done a brilliant job and restored it to its former glory.

If they had restored it to its former glory, wouldn't it be an insurance office?

Where people took Refuge, maybe.

Just googled it, looks a very fine building. Should be in London really.   

If I had started my career a year earlier, that is where I would have started.  If it isn't clear, I am not a chamber maid. 

There is a Refuge bar of some kind there now, and you can tour the vaults etc if you stay there. 

[The Camel]

Went to Brentford v Brighton today.

Probably the first time I've stood on the terraces for 25 years. What a backward stadium Griffin Park is.

Cracking game though. 2-0 to Brentford at , they miss a penalty early in the second half. BHA level at 2-2, only for the Bees to get a third in the 94th minute.

But Hemed nicks an equaliser in the 97th!

Highlight of the afternoon was the Brighton fans chanting at Brentford supporters "Shit Queens Park Rangers, you're just a shit Queens Park Rangers"

#apt