Greetings from Manchester!

I travelled down to Manchester today. I am very fond of this city. The accent is so familiar, so like m'mum 's Lancashire twang, and everyone calls me 'love'. I've noticed so much kindness, starting when I fell down flat from some dodgy paving outside the train station. People rushed to help me up and kept asking if I was alright. Thankfully I was - I hadn't scraped my hands (vital for a massage therapist) and hadn't ripped open my leggings. Result!

I meandered around town and went to the public library to get two of their 'May Contain Books' jute bags. The woman I asked wasn't sure they had any left but when I said I'd come from Edinburgh she set about finding them for me. Turns out the ones she found had been used by the library - although it was impossible to tell - so she wouldn't take any money for them. [Friday morning edit - I'm going to bring her chocolates to say thank you.]

I was on my way back to my hotel before my evening engagement (doesn't that sound posh!) when I met Chris, the subject of today 's blip. He wasn't selling the Big Issue; he wasn't sat begging for money. He was stood telling the passersby about how he'd been homeless for 14 months and that the kindness of the people of this city had helped him find a job, find his dignity and get back on his feet. The word kindness stood out for me so I went to speak to him. We had a lovely chat and he's so clearly on his way up. He happily posed for a photo of me and said that he was the subject of a youtube video about being homeless in Manchester (I haven't found it - yet). He had heard about blip so may be looking for his portrait.

Chris is a top bloke.

Greetings from Manchester!