Another post from Manchester where, with my original plans for the day thwarted, I spend an afternoon roaming the city centre and dodging the showers as the weather turns increasingly wet. In doing so I check out a new bar, and visit several other familiar and less familiar places along the way.... I'd stayed overnight in Manchester after the previous night's gig and awoke to a bright sunny morning. I got myself up and wandered out of the Travelodge around half past 9 and headed round the corner to Koffee Pot on Oldham Street for some breakfast. It was already quite busy there but I soon got sorted out with a table and shortly afterwards I was tucking into a Scottish breakfast they called the Big Yin, the usual fried breakfast with the addition of haggis, square sausage, and potato scone. Over what was a delicious but very filling breakfast, washed down with a couple of mugs of Builders Brew tea, I formulated my plans for the rest of the day. I fancied going to Stockport, whi...
I've been back over the Pennines and revisited a few old favourite haunts followed by a gig in a new venue on a typically wet Manchester evening. I had a good evening overall, although unfortunately one of the places turned out to be an unexpected let down.... The spots of rain started to appear on the window as soon as my train slipped through the Pennines, somewhere between Walsden and Littleborough. By the time we arrived in Rochdale, little streams were flowing down the glass, meeting each other, coalescing, and changing course as the train rocked and railed along the track. We arrived in Victoria, and I decided to stay dry, at least for now, at least on the outside, by heading to the Victoria Tap for a Welcome to Manchester pint. The small bar was quite busy with a mid-afternoon crowd but I got served pretty quickly. I went for a pint of a beer from a new brewery to me, Coleys, who are based nearby in the Weaste area of Salford, just off Eccles New Road. Their website descr...