When you need me, but do not want me, then I must stay. When you want me, but no longer need me, then I have to go.”
The hottest day of our holiday was not spent by a tarn in the Lake District or on a beach in Wales, but in the sweltering city, lugging stuff, unpacking stuff and moving furniture. So typical that Summer should arrive in full force, with temps knocking 30, when actually we would have appreciated a grey day with a hint of drizzle in the air.
Tuesday 7 September was ‘moving in’ day for No1 daughter. So back to the Burrs Country Park for the night of the 6th. In the morning we moved daughter out of her xtemporary accommodation, which was unfortunately on the ground floor, so in the evenings and in the night, people were banging on her windows and shouting obscenities, not really aimed at No 1 daughter, but just scummy dirtbags who desperately needed a clip round the ear and a kick up the arse.
At the new flat in Manchester, on the hottest day that Manchester has seen for probably a century, we unloaded the storage container that had parked outside, transporting its contents through 2 key coded doors and into the lift and then into the flat, all the time locking and unlocking the trailer. We then borrowed daughter’s car, so we could drop motorhome back at the campsite. Manchester is no place for a motorhome…no 1 husband had already sent a couple of likely lads away with a flea, well actually a “fuck off” in their ear, they said they were admiring the motorhome complete with bikes on the back. Only one had a bike, the other not and thanks to no 1 husband, it was going to stay that way.
By late afternoon, the flat was looking straight, majority unpacked and looking like home. I always forget that no 1 daughter has lived in Manchester for 9 years, it doesn’t seem that long ago that we dropped her at University in Manchester and she now has a lot of stuff!
Not having eaten since breakfast and just a few sips of water throughout the day, we were all ready for food & drink and luckily the new flat is a minute’s walk away from the Northern Quarter, a really vibrant and busy district of Manchester. After cocktails and beer at one place and we then moved onto Tariff & Dale, for tapas, a lot of tapas… Crab tacos, padron peppers, meatballs in spicy tomato sauce, cod in Parma ham with endame, focaccia with sun dried tomatoes & olives, cold meats with cornichons, which no 1 husband washed down with a stein of American Pale Ale. They had run out of pint glasses so only steins were available…apparently. Manchester had a Mediterranean feel to it that night, the air was warm and every outside table was packed, after the rigours of the day, it felt like we were on holiday – which we are!
It wasn’t a late night, everyone was hot and tired and no 1 daughter had work in the morning, we drove back to the campsite in her car.
This morning looked like being a scorcher, first stop B&Q to get a few DIY essentials for the flat – why are there never any sink plugs in rented flats? Every girl needs an adjustable spanner and a hacksaw in her toolbox…. Things that were missing from her already extensive kit according to no 1 Dad. After an hour of fixing a few minor niggles, it was time to say goodbye to no 1 daughter and Manchester.
No 1 daughter waved goodbye from her 4th floor balcony and as we drove away, there was a crash of what sounded like pottery. She had accidentally kicked one of her mini cactus plants off of the balcony, luckily not killing anyone. Death by falling cactus would certainly be a first for Manchester’s cause of death statistics!
The cactus survived the fall although the pot didn’t, so cactus is now planted in a huge planter outside the flat, that was empty. Sad ,as that little cactus was bought when no 1 daughter first arrived in Manchester, 9 years ago. Perhaps in 9 years’ time the cactus will have grown and become a talking point…
Next stop, the Welsh borders and Summer came with us. Once we had set up at a campsite in Chirk, we unloaded both bikes 😜, and cycled along the Shropshire and Llangollen Canal as we wanted to go over the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct . Walking the bikes through a couple of the tunnels was odd, especially a particularly long one as it really was pitch black in the middle and the walkway was narrow especially if you were pushing a bike. I really didn’t want to end up in the canal.
It was a lovely cycle and the aqueduct was spectacular and after a drink and some homemade cake, we cycled back to the campsite to spend the warm evening relaxing outside. The cribbage score is now 1 all, so tonight’s match will be tense.
RoundandAbout 