Ra!n Bar

An unusual venue for a morning meeting. It sits beside the Rochdale Canal and a remaining in-water arm of the Manchester and Salford Junction Canal.

I asked where the name came from.

It had lain derelict for years, and then in 1990 (judging by a big brass plate in the floor) J.W.Lees brewers converted it into a bar.

But before all that it was apparently an umbrella factory. Not sure about that claim. From what I can see online it was a silk warehouse in 1927, although a big umbrella factory did sit opposite.

Arriving at the allotted time we had to ring a bell by the front door. The chap who had taken delivery of a load of beer barrels then opened up for us. We were taken up an impressive stairwell (possibly original) to the boardroom on the top floor. An impressive room, with lots of dark wood panelling (possibly original too).

Coffee and tea were on hand. As you would expect early in the morning.

Did we sparkle ? Impossible on a Monday morning.