Jonathan Schofield takes a whimsical look around the region
Weir Mill is wonderful
I’m blown away by the quality of Stockport’s Weir Mill development (pictured above) by Capital & Centric which I will be visiting on the Stockport tour, 7 November. In essence, Stockport has gained, if you know London, a mini-King’s Cross here. Good new design is mingled with a fabulous refurb of mills that go back to the very earliest days of the nineteenth century. But there’s more to it than that.
There’s drama, real drama. The way the mighty Stockport rail viaduct leaps the River Mersey valley here and, while doing so, leaps over the engine house of the former mill is jaw-dropping.
The architects are BDP and I bet they had fun with this design despite the awkward nature of the site. The landscaping is exceptional too, from — who else? — Planit.
The experience and linger factor are enhanced with the outlets that have opened. There’s an excellent wine bar, Bodega, and an equally good restaurant, Social Osteria (an anchovy tostada was exceptional) in the older buildings. In the new build, there’s one of those blessed gems that light up life: a bookshop. This is Prologue, with a café that does cocktails.
If you’ve not been, take a look; it’s ten minutes from Stockport station. If you fancy something more traditional in terms of drink, then just round the back is the excellent traditional pub, The Crown.
St Michael’s put out to Pasture
A few years ago, I was in Bristol and ate by happenchance at Pasture restaurant (pictured below), which provided stalwart British meat and seafood dishes. Every dish was very good, with many of the ingredients sourced from the company’s own farm. This is the current menu. It wasn’t a cheap meal but it was excellent and the décor was as sharp as a pin. Pasture is now coming to Manchester within Gary Neville’s St Michael’s development. This is a major move for Pasture as they will be opening four, yes four, hospitality units.
There will be a classic Pasture as I experienced in Bristol (see pictures below) but also a restaurant on the first floor of the 220-year-old Abercromby pub (there’ll be a bar downstairs) plus a bar in the W Residences in St Michael’s tower. The latter will be connected to the Abercromby as part of the construction work. There’ll also be a Mediterranean restaurant provided by Pasture. The question is: do we really need another Mediterranean restaurant? The answer is incredibly simple: no. Looking forward to the classic Pasture, though, which should be opening in late 2027.
St Michael’s is no ugly duckling, it’s a swan
The tower at St Michael’s, designed by Hodder + Partners, is beginning to look splendid. This 144m (472ft) 43-storey tower is a fine and attractive addition to Manchester’s architecture. The external honeycomb effect catches the light beautifully.
Let’s go mad: Burke’s decorative exuberance
As usual, Neil Burke’s Black Friar pub at the junction of Black Friar Street and Trinity Way in Salford wins the international award for Most Decorated Pub in the World with its overly festive facade.
Resilience – what happened to that, dear traffic modellers?
The traffic in the city a couple of weeks ago was shocking in the city. Mancunians who wished to travel by car or bus across the city centre were log-jammed. It didn’t help that for much of that period the tramlines across the city were out of commission. With the incompetent changes on Deansgate and the ridiculous narrowing of the lanes at Irwell Street in Salford, plus all the other measures, there is simply no resilience with city centre circulation if one, that’s one, thing goes wrong. In this instance, it was a burst water main on Portland Street. They call it ‘traffic calming’ which in Manchester city centre translates as ‘traveller torment’. I can imagine the mandarins of city circulation sitting in their offices giggling and saying, “Hey, if we close this road, that’ll really annoy people”. The permanent traffic jams can’t be good, either economically or environmentally.
More on the Manchester School and Manchesterism
I was asked to be part of a panel last week to talk about Manchester generally before the nitty-gritty began with a construction and law seminar. I know what Andy Burnham means by Manchesterism, or ‘business-friendly socialism’ as he calls it. Still, it’s always good to get some corroboration. Casting the net wide, I came across this excellent article in a web magazine called Engelsberg Ideas. The article was called ‘The First Manchesterism Meant Free Trade.’ And the subtitle was, “Britain’s new prime minister could find inspiration in the free trade radicals of the 19th century Manchester School and in liberalism’s forgotten economic potential.” The article is by Max Skjonsberg. I adore this conclusion, so thanks, Max.
Burnham and Labour in the 21st century can draw a great deal of inspiration from the Manchester School. The Anti-Corn Law League was made up of radicals who criticised the status quo and attacked oligarchy and privilege. While representing a growing force within British society in the form of the middle class, from its earliest days Manchesterism presented its programme for national prosperity as serving the interest of all classes (‘nationalising the interest’, as Cheryl Schonhardt-Bailey has called it). Cobden’s message to workers continues to resonate:
Mine is that masculine species of charity, which would lead me to inculcate in the minds of the labouring classes the love of independence, the privilege of self-respect, the disdain of being patronized and petted, the desire to accumulate, and the ambition to rise. I know it has been found easier to please the people by holding out flattering and delusive prospects of cheap benefits to be derived from Parliament rather than by urging them to a course of self-reliance; but while I will not be the sycophant of the great, I cannot become the parasite of the poor.
Richard Cobden or Dickie for short
Richard Cobden is one of my historical heroes. So, while conducting a tour of Stockport earlier this year, the group and I found something distasteful in the gentleman’s right hand. The free trader, Stockport MP and general good egg really didn’t deserve that treatment despite the undoubted agility of his defiler to clamber up there and place exaggerated emphasis on the term ‘member’ of Parliament.
Shrewsbury taxi advice
I was in the delightful town of Shrewsbury recently to write about the nearby Roman city of Wroxeter. The best pub is the Admiral Benbow, a proper boozer that one, full of eccentrics. Indeed, the whole town was eccentric.
We went to the station to get a cab the four or so miles to Wroxeter. A black cab came along, and the first person in the queue got in. The taxi driver, seeing us, helpfully said: “There’ll be another taxi along soon.” He paused and continued with: “It will be a black vehicle with, on its roof, a lightbox featuring the word ‘Taxi’.” He was being serious.
“Well, I never. Who knew?” I said.
Now, I’ve been given lots of very good advice in my life, which it has been my choice to ignore, but amongst all the unnecessary advice I’ve been given, this was top of the scale.
By the way, I’m collecting Roman remains. This was my visit to Richborough, Kent, a couple of years ago when I achieved an ambition. I’ll write about Wroxeter, pictured below, soon.
Let’s all go to Cali’s in Manchester by the Sea
Cali’s in Manchester by the Sea, Massachusetts, has $1 oysters. Wow. Bargain. Let's go, it's looks pretty as a picture that Manchester, see below. There are way more than fifty Manchesters across the globe named after the parent city in the UK. This is a piece I wrote about the various Manchesters recently. I find it particularly beguiling that there’s one on the Rio Manuripi in the Bolivian Amazon, a very, very remote place. The reason for this Manchester is rubber as mentioned in the piece.
Bike tours
I arranged for twelve bikes for a group of jolly Belgians last week. These were from Manchester Bikes on Chapel Street in Salford. If anybody wants a bike tour, let me know.
Can you help: former YMCA, Peter Street?
I’ve got a building research side of my business together with a colleague, Ric Frankland, and I’m finishing off some work on St George’s House, formerly the YMCA on Peter Street. If anybody has any memories, I’d love to hear them on [email protected]. If you want any research on your building, then click here for more information about Your Place. Revealed. We produce some lovely material.
Quote of the week
“For others, I can’t speak - but personally, I haven’t become wise on anything. Certainly, I’ve been through this and that; and when it happens again, I say to myself, “Here it is again.” But that doesn’t seem to help me. In my opinion, I personally have got steadily sillier and sillier, and that’s a fact.” Christopher Isherwood from A Single Man, 1964.
Isherwood was born at Wyberslegh Hall, High Lane, near Stockport. He was the author of Goodbye to Berlin, published in 1939. The book was the inspiration for the film Cabaret starring Liza Minnelli.
Upcoming tours
Saturday 14 November 10.30am Kimpton Clock Tower Hotel Tour, Saturday 21 November 10am Manchester’s Incredible Interiors, Saturday 28 November 10.30am Friedrich Engels and Karl Marx in Manchester. Wednesday 25 November 3pm The Secrets of York. Sunday 30 November 1pm Exclusive: The mighty ruin of St Luke’s Church. Every Saturday at 1pm, The Manchester Music Walkabout. GIFT VOUCHERS FOR 2027 vouchers available.
All pictures from Jonathan Schofield except Manchester by the Sea from Wikimedia.
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