Around the city centre

A walk up the Rochdale flight of nine locks this morning saw us reach Go Outdoors where our son exchanged some of his hard earned currency for a new pair of leather walking boots.  He did well with the price getting them to agree to price match a lower price he had seen online and then requesting they honour their pledge to take 10% off any genuine lower advertised price.  I must remember that.

The satellite dome technician sent an email advising the controller box was being returned by Royal Mail.  It will mean a trip to the post office tomorrow where we will (hopefully) collect it.

On our walk back to the boat we wandered through a part of the city centre not previously seen.  The first building of interest was the old wholesale fish market.

Actually the frontage is a facade which has been retained to mask the modern glass and steel commercial premises behind.  I wanted to see inside The Printworks having seen it on the map and not knowing what to expect.  It didn’t take long to realize the building is a former printing works which has been converted to restaurants and fast food outlets.  It also contains an Odeon cinema.

Opposite was the Arndale Centre which we had already visited.  However around the corner was yet another interesting building.  The National Football Museum which looks rather new.  Admission is free but I’m starting to tire of museums.

Looking in the opposite direction was the Corn Exchange. 

When we arrived in the UK I thought a corn exchange building was the venue for buying and selling corn.  Bruce (nb Sanity Again) subsequently informed me all types of grain were traded.  In 1996 the building was damaged as a result of an IRA bomb.  It was repaired and then renovated as a shopping centre in 2014.

We walked back to the boat via what I thought was the main railway station.  However on entering it we discovered it’s now the Manchester Central Convention Centre.  Oops, wrong railway station!  A few back alleys later we reached Deansgate Castlefield Railway Station.  This is a new light rail (tram) station on the northern side of the canal.  Deansgate heavy railway station is on the opposite side.

Looking east up the Rochdale flight

The opposite direction.  Waiouru is just out of sight.