Back to the UK after 50 years

[OZDUCK]

When we did the trip in 1972/3, I and my two brothers were on Dad's passport. As Dad's Dad was from the UK he got automatic entry, while Mum had to go through a different passport control queue.
And you're right about the pricing. When we were there the UK was switching over to decimal, so you had old and new pence in circulation. From my recent trips there, I work on what we pay in Australia in dollars and cents, is what you'll pay in the UK in pounds and pence. Even a pub meal isn't cheap.
@OZDUCK, it will be interesting to hear of your experiences, including recreating old photo scenes.

We have only been in areas new to us so far. In Manchester the pub meals have been generally about 80% dearer. Meals that would be around $26 in Perth have been around 18 pound here.

 

[JohnM]

A little late aboard (I have an excuse ), but slipping into 1B as it's free.

 

[OZDUCK]

The menu was certainly not very exciting





I had the small but tasty cheeseburger and then spent the next five hours failing to get any sleep.



Breakfast was mostly unremarkable but fine.



There were some nice sunrise views I had facing backwards.

 

[OZDUCK]

We took a slightly different route into Doha than I have experienced previously. I assume do to the current hostilities.

But this mean I got some nice views



Katara Towers





The Pearl Island

 

[OZDUCK]

I really hate trying to do a TR on a phone. My wife has been flat out writing her own one for family and friends on the Laptop. I will try to get some time with it tomorrow evening.

 

[OZDUCK]

However I will through in some random photos of the grand Victorian and Edwardian buildings in Manchester.











Built as a cinema in 1911



The Brittania Hotel. Built in 1856 as textile warehouse and converted to a hotel in 1982.





Market building built around 1882





I like this mixture of railway infrastructure

 

[Flyfrequently]

I really hate trying to do a TR on a phone. My wife has been flat out writing her own one for family and friends on the Laptop. I will try to get some time with it tomorrow evening.

You are doing very well at it @OZDUCK
All my AFF stuff is on my (Samsung) phone.
I actually find it relatively easy - possibly 'cos I'm not used to the ipad

 

[OZDUCK]

We were lucky enough to by arrive and leave Doha by airbridge gates this time. We entered right next the Al Mourjan Lounge so we used it. I didn't like it last time and I liked it even less this time. Still hot and noisy but also overcrowded on this visit. In order to get a meal you had to queue up to give your name and they would call you up when a table became available. My wife tried to see what was available she was told she had to walk a different way to even look. In the end we were only there for about 30 minutes and just walked slowly to our gate. The airport itself was at least as busy as I have ever seen.

A few of the people waiting for tables.



I refused to be blackmailed by QR into paying for seat selection - Sin$108 per seat per leg - and tried my luck when check-in opened 48 hours out. This worked on the first leg but not on this one. So for the first time since we travelled on a dry-leased LATAM B787 between Doha and Barcelona and return in 2018 we had to sit together in J - the horror. As far as I could see the flight was full. J certainly was.

Our aircraft had ben swapped from a B777 to an A350 -10 which actually made me happy. Our seats were also swapped around to be rear facing but we were still in Q Suites so it was no great hardship.

Again the menu was not very exciting.





I had the smoothie and the Chia Pudding. The pudding surprised me by being very tasty. A bit like a refined version of sago.



We both had the salmon bagel which was tasty but small.

/





About as excited as I got with my seat.

 

[OZDUCK]

Obviously no photos out of the windows. But most of Europe was under cloud anyway.

On takeoff the aircraft did a definite wiggle to avoid Kuwait.





The cloud broke up a little as we came in to land











The taxiways seemed very narrow at Manchester





We sat here for about 20 minutes.

 

[OZDUCK]

I have read lots of complaints about Manchester Airport but it worked well for us. It is certainly not attractive but seemed functional. We had a long walk from our gate to the big immigration hall with loads of passport readers seemingly well signposted. Were through in less than a minute and our bags were already on the belt. There was an even longer walk to the train station. The staff there were helpful and with our prebooked tickets we were soon on the way for our 22 minute trip to Manchester oxford Road Station.

We are staying at the Roomzzz aparthotel on Princess St in Central Manchester.








We went for a quick walk around the area







An old assurance company building. It reminded me of the 'pirate' assurance buildings from the Monty Python short " The Crimson Permanent Assurance"



The Manchester Town Hall is undergoing massive restoration work

 

[OZDUCK]

As we had been awake for around 30 hours by now we decided to have a quick meal at a nearby pub.

A pub has been on this site for several centuries but this building dates back to the late 19th C.











The food was delicious



Steak and Pale Ale Pie



Fish Pie





And then we fell into bed.

 

[OZDUCK]

I have finally been able to snaffle some time on the laptop as my wife has gone to bed. I have really fat fingers on the phone and spend as much time retyping as I do typing.

Our first visit that morning was to the nearby "Gay Village".





One of Manchesters numerous canals ran through the middle of it. This one was the Rochdale Canal







Nearby was a memorial to Alan Turing. Complete with the, to me, somewhat unusual addition of a representation of the apple that some believe he used to self administer cyanide.





We were still a bit tired so we decided to play our usual game of 'hop on a tram and see where it goes'. I saw a tram heading, or at least I thought so. to Eccles. This immediately bought back memories of "The Goon Show" so I demanded we catch it. I also promised my wife some Eccles cakes. What I didn't realise was that we had to change trams halfway there. A very pleasant ticket inspector was checking our tickets - tap and go on credit or debit card - When she realised that we and another two people were lost so she gave full instructions on how to backtrack onto the correct tram. As an aside we were on 5 trams that day and checked three times and only missed out on a 4th check because all the locals began moaning that checks had been done at the previous station.

We had to reverse trams at Old Trafford station and so got a glimpse of the Cricket Ground



We eventually made it to Eccles and found it to be just a run down outer suburban area with numerous boarded up shops. With not even a sign of an Eccles cake. About the only thing you could get here was clinical depression.

This was the nicer part of town.



However we did get a good light lunch from Morrison's - meal deal for £7.50 all up.



The trams are all fairly new as the network was only re-opened from 1992 on. One oddity is that instead of bells the trams use an imitation steam whistle to warn off other traffic. Apparently a nod to the historic steam trains used in the area. They operate both on the streets and on dedicated trackways like a light rail system.

 

[OZDUCK]

The only good thing that came out of this trip was that when I was talking to the other 'lost' couple it was pointed out that we could go to Lowry exhibition just down the tram line.

This area ids called "Media City UK" and is a major reconstruction of the old Salford Docks which were part of Manchester Port on the Manchester Ship Canal.















The Salfr0d Quays Lift Bidge

Salford Quays lift bridge - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

What did the EU ever do for us?

 

[OZDUCK]

The Lowry exhibition is free entry and has the "worlds biggest Lowry's exhibition". It was fairly small but very interesting.

L. S. Lowry - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

https://www.thelowry.com/lowry-360-5htn

I like to make my wife stand next to strange animal statues for the amusement of our grandkids.



We also paid a short visit to the nearby Imperial War Museum of the North. It is also free admission. You could spend 30 - 60 minutes there but it was not especially interesting and I wouldn't recommend a special trip just to see it.





Poppy 'blooms' that once formed part of the display at the Tower of London in 2018.



Matilda 2 tank from WW2 in RAF colours as it was a training tank for airfield defence.



Bomber flight crew clothing from WW2.





Wellington gun turret



Harrier jump jet



The Coronation Street Experience was also just a few hundred metres up the road but nothing would get me there. The theme music is enough to cast a chill on my soul.

The Coronation Street Experience | Manchester

The Coronation Street Experience, Manchester the official home of Corrie. Step onto the iconic Coronation Street set in Manchester.

www.coronationstreetexperience.co.uk