WOW
We had a fantastic day!
We all met at the cafe/bar at Victoria station, and we joined more and more tables as beaming RootsChatter joined us.
The talk by Manchester Cathedral archivist Christopher Hunwick was breathtaking. He talked for an hour and a half, but it only felt like twenty minutes. I could have listened to him all day. Heard of Death Registers - yes! But have you heard of Sexton Records? Do you know how much it cost to bury somebody? Fancy knowing for how long the bell was tolled at your ancestor's funeral? We saw images of items that were previously not seen for a hundred years. We saw records of dole payments for widows of Strangeways tradesman, and the aprentice schemes that some of the sons were put onto.
We saw a slide of a forged seal that secured land withing the diocese of the Cathedral.
Did you know that marriages in the cathedral were lined up, with over a hundred marriages in one day? Sometimes the groom was left in the public house, so a stand-in married the bride "by proxy" (if only I could have got away with that!).
If you ever get an opportunity to hear Christopher Hunwick then please go and listen to him, and tell everybody you know to go too. He will bring the subject alive in a very very special way. He is the best speaker I have heard to date.
The food at the Cathedral visitor centre was great. I opted for the cumberland sausage with mustard sause, with veg. Mmmmm. Lovely pot of Earl Grey tea, I was happy as a pig in mud. They had laid out a big table for us, with little red napkins as we all sat almost under the historic "Hanging Bridge". Our compliments to the Chefs!
All of us (bar five scaredecats) went onto the BIG WHEEL. This wheel was much bigger than the Parisean wheel I went on some months ago. At the top we saw the snow capped mountains of the Pennines, and a staggering plan view of the Cathedral. For the footie fans, the grounds of Old Trafford were all too plain to see too. The view was breathtaking.
Down to earth with not too much of a bump, we then went in to the Manchester Cathedral and looked around. We found the "angel stone" which dates back to a year like 1634 or something hideously early which we were told about earlier in the talk. Also we found the "Noah" character in the Roll of honour book!! The Cathedral was very peaceful indeed. I couldn't quite explain the pacific feeling in there - it was almost tangible. The choir practised, and we were mesmerised. Having lived in the area of Greater Manchester for 13 years or so I had not gone in there. Now I know I had missed out until today.
A fair good stroll along Deansgate, and down a few streets, we bundled into the People's History Museum. By flag staff and union book we learnt of the plight of the working man an woman to assert their right to work in good conditions and for the rights that we take for granted today (the end of child exploitation, fair hours and the right to vote for women amonst a myriad of other things). Although a small museum, this evolving museum left me with a feeling that we owe so much to the drive of the people that walked before us for what we all just expect today. The badge making was fun, but I managed to get a badge stuck in the machine! Sorry!
We made farewells to a few after the museum, then went (via a diversion in a noisy beer tent) to a Weatherspoons pub for a couple. Again we joined a load of tables together, and made Manchesters first non-smoking pub look more like a beer-keller with a long bench! Had a really good natter in there, which was brilliant.
On from there to China Town and to the "Hong Kong" restaurant where we devoured far too much delicious food (and Ticker went off early with a little take away doggie bag so that he could catch his train). We went for the "Banquet C" option.... We just couln't finish it. Stuffed to the gills.
We went to a bar on Canal Street, which was a bit of an eye opener.. then to the Lasse O Gowrie for some very good real ale and great conversations as diverse as the beers on tap there.
A tram ride and taxi later, Sarah and I got home and jumped straight into our slippers!
What a lovely lovely day. I wish we could have brought all the RootsChatters back with us. What a great warm bunch of people. I just know that we are all related.
Trystan
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