Millenium bridge, Salford Quays

Saturday
This morning we went for a walk up Helsby Hill, with Bernard, and Roger's sister and brother-in-law, Janet and John. It was a mixed morning weather-wise, sunshine and showers. Fortunately, the rain didn't last very long and we were under the shelter of trees at the time. The view at the top is quite rewarding - over the Mersey, and in the distance the Liverpool skyline, with the outlines of the Anglican and Metropolitan cathedrals.

Roger and I had a light lunch at Janet and John's, then the four of us went to Salford Quays for the afternoon. Formerly part of Manchester Docks, this area has been the site of one of the largest urban regeneration projects in the U.K. At their height the Manchester Docks were the third busiest port in Britain, but due to containerization and the limit placed on vessel size by the ship canal, the docks declined swiftly during the 1970s, before finally closing in 1982. One of the features of the development is the Millenium, or vertical lift bridge over the Manchester Ship Canal, near its terminus. We crossed the bridge to visit the Imperial War Museum North. One great feature there is the big picture shows, where continually changing images are projected onto the gallery walls all around you creating a total, "immersive" environment. The images are accompanied by music, sounds and reminiscences from the oral history archives, and are extremely moving. As we were coming out and walking back toward the bridge, we could see a ship coming along the canal and we realized we were going to be fortunate enough to see the bridge in action. The ship was one of Mersey Ferries Ship Canal cruises which operate between Liverpool and Salford Quays.

Once we could cross over the bridge we went and had a coffee in the Lowry Center, which contains two theaters, gallery space, cafes, bar and a restaurant. It is named after L.S. Lowry (1887-1976), an English artist born in the area. Lowry is famous for his scenes of life in the industrial districts of Northern England during the early 20th century. He had a distinctive style, and is best known for urban landscapes peopled with human figures often referred to as "matchstick men". Later, we went and had a Chinese meal at a nearby restaurant.

One year ago: "Take me out to the ballgame..."