Where Ian and Bex reside

[floppybootstomp]

Link to a BBC video on Manchester's regeneration

Looks good to me.

To me, that high rise building and the general landscape reminded me of Half Life 2

I've only ever been to Manchester once, I stayed there for about two weeks working in 1979. I can't remember the name of the place where I stayed but it was south of the city.

I was working on the last ever British Gas old style processing and distribution site. It was over five years in the making and came online just as Natural Gas superceded old style Gas and thus earned the dubious distinction of being redundant the same day it was completed.

Those who wish to protest loudly and rant off about taxpayer's money please do so now

That's the way it goes sometimes....

Well, they had to use the old big steel vessels for something so they decided to use some for storage tanks. I had to X-Ray all the large seam welds on them to make sure they were safe. The ones I done were going to store odourant, the stuff that makes odourless Natural Gas all smelly as a safety precaution for leaks.

As the storage vessels were not pressurised at all and there was no contamination danger through spillage I found the testing of the tanks to be a complete waste of money but hey - it kept me in work

I had worked in lots of places all over the UK at that time and found the majority of towns to be friendly, in particular Liverpool and Newcastle.

But Manchester just didn't do it for me. With the exception of one co-worker who seemed to worship Karl Marx, I found most folk to be distinctly unfriendly and quite aloof. The whole place just struck me as miserable.

It seems, hopefully, that that's changed.

The revitalisation of the canal banks and in particular the recognition of a Gay area, seems Manchester is moving with the times.

I do mourn the passing of The Hacienda, even though I never went there the place is a legend, but the 2009 Manchester seems far removed from the place I visited 30 years ago.

And what about that fella in the video? DJ and writer. Reminds me of Neil Tenant of the Pet Shop Boys.

Two questions:

1) Bald?

2) Gay?

Not that it's of any importance of course but those questions did occur to me as I watched

 

[Madxgraphics]

1.) Bald ?

2.)Gay ?

1.) No he has hair, although receeding..

2.) Well it was rumoured that Toyah Wilcox was once his squeeze, So again i'd say no....But there again I have heard that club he DJ'd in in MAnchester had a few gay nights, so just maybe...lol

 

[Becky]

Speaking as someone who spent her first 18 years living in the south (Dorset), when I came to Manchester I found it wonderfully refreshing. People are generally very friendly and the city has got a great atmosphere. I can't quite put my finger on it - it's unique to the city I think. I couldn't say the same for anywhere I know in Dorset - folk are generally stuck up and rude.

Of course I'm making some sweeping general statements

Now that I'm here I wouldn't move away

And by the way - Castlefield (mentioned in the clip) is where we live - I choose every new pair of shoes based on whether I'll be able to walk over cobbles in them.

 

[Ian]

Haha, you can actually see our flat on one of those shots Good find Flops! Yep, the tower reminded me of that exact same thing too

There's a few more photos of Castlefield that Bex took here on her phone a while back.

It's a great place to live in the Summer, as it's right in the middle of Manchester but is a really relaxing place quite distinct from the main city center (although I can walk to it in 5 mins).