"Bleatings from Manchester..." Manchester by BarneyUK

I lived here in Manchester for a while with Gillybob, who is a roving Shepherd. She took me to America for the Fredericksberg VT Meet, where I got to meet lots of new friends. (Some that Suvanki hasn't met even)!!!!, Gillybob was responsible for getting me pierced, while I was there!!

The last weekend in November Gillybob invites her VT friends to Manchester for Manchester Christmas Baaarkets

Suvanki had told me what a Great meet this is, and I was excited that I'd be joining in the fun this year!!!!

I wasn't expecting it to be so cold - I was glad I had my woolly coat! Also some of these VTers kept giving me sips of a drink called Glewein, which they said would warm me up - they didn't tell me that it would make me dizzy and give me a woolly head !

So, It was time to leave Gillys house where I'd been her guest for the past few weeks. Gillybob packed me into her baaag, and took me on the baas to a place called Starbucks, where Gillian handed me back to Suvanki - she was surprised to see my new piercings- especially the one from a U.S Marine!!! Suvanki wonders how Gillybob got THAT!!!

Suvanki had a present for me - a new baaag, to transport me around in....It has a lovely bright Union Jack on it!

It was great to meet leics, Ricky and Sheila and Mikebird again...also so many new faces and names to remember.....

Before I knew it, Suvanki was clipping a badge onto me (Ricky52 had made me my very own VT badge!!-Thank Ewe Ricky) then she was telling everyone that they needed to show me around Manchester, and take photos of me :-0 and then put the pics on their pages in something called a travelogue ....I'm going to be SO Famous!!!!

I was just going to prepare my best poses, when Suvanki asked who was going to be the first volunteer...well I thought they'd have been fighting for the chance to be seen with me, but they were a bit reluctant- star struck probably!......it's understandable....

Before I knew it, I was flying through the air - and I was 'Caught' by a chappy with a badge that said he was davesut.
I was choked to meet him.......really I was... he had quite a strong grip around my neck!!!! but he soon released it, to stuff me head first into my new Union Jack baaag!!! I think he was hiding his feelings quite well ;-)

We all headed over to Albert Square, and the European Christmas Markets, which was a very exciting place- lots of nice food smells.

There were lots of baaaas too where I tried some of my first glewein. I was starting to win Mr Sut around too!....just as I was snatched by Mikebird, who disappeared with me, before Balam could claim some time with me..I was really enjoying the attention from such lovely men ...Fab-u-lous!!!!....errrrr cough, cough, deep voice now!!!!!.....Ladies, Where are the Ladieeeees?????? Hmmm nearly forgot myself for a moment ( I AM a pretty boy though!!!) ;-)

I was taken into the Town Hall, which is very impressive (and warm) and found that this was were Suvanki had disappeared too, along with leics and Mickeyboy07, Alyf1961 and spidermiss. I had my photo taken a few times - I would have been quite happy to show off some more poses!!!

Suvanki was my next 'host' - Great!! She'd surely take lots of pictures of me- her camera is permanently in use isn't it?!! How wrong was I....I was back into my baaag, while she took photos of everything in sight...statues, stall holders, garlic, even knitted (fake) sheep...Honestly!!!! When she wasn't snapping away, she was supping glewein (AND she didn't share a drop with me)!

It was nearly time to meet up with everyone to move onto the next market.

Spidermiss requested the pleasure of my company...it was her first Christmas Markets meet too, and she was very happy to pose with me for photos.

Me and Gillybob in Cafe Rouge

We headed across to Brazennose Street, where there was Christmas mewesic being played. We headed off to a church that's known as The Hidden Gem- It looked like a sheep friendly place, because there's a stone carving of a sheep over the door!! Suvanki even managed to remember to take a couple of photos of me here! Again, it was nice to find a warm place, but we were soon out into the cold again.

We spent the rest of the afternoon stopping off for the VTers to re-fuel with glewein and food- Did they share with me, Did they heck! If I'd known which baaar Team Balam were holed up in, I'd have gambolled over there!!!- THEY do share their drinks with me (Though I think they had ulterior motives - I'm sure I heard them discussing taking my photo (Really, that's so kind..) of me in a puddle at the end of the night!)..is this a Manchester tradition???

After visiting another Church (St Ann's) and mooching along through the markets, we met up with most of the group, and went to a place called Cafe Rouge for food! Oh yes, I was getting excited now.....I'm learning that when these VT people sit down for a meal, they take LOTS of Photos!!! That is when they're not signing post cards! I can't write yet, (so Suvanki has to sign my name)- I'm sure MY autograph would be So stylish if I could !

Yes, they couldn't wait to snap me!!! I had my pic taken with everyone!!! I was videoed too!

I ended up on Ryans head- lucky he doesn't wear that icky hair gel - Sooo difficult to remove from my fur. I did have a bit of 'a moment' when Team Balam positioned me on a wine bottle for my photo, and Suvanki even put me in a shopping trolley....What WAS a shopping Trolley doing in a restaurant!!!

At the end of the night I was sitting happily with Mr Sut, who admitted he'd bonded with me...He was sitting there stroking me, when it was observed that he looked like the evil Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Number1) from the Bond films...did my new friend think I was a white Persian cat??? So is that what he meant when he said he'd Bonded with me???? See this in the video...

After our meal, we said our Goodbaaas to those that were leaving for home, or for more entertainment. I went with Suvanki, Gillybob, Team Balam, Fen and Olya (I'm sure that Suvanki is spelling that wrongly) to The North Pole!!! No, Not THE North Pole, but a baaaa that serves more of that hot wine stuff.

Suvanki had a cup of this, no chance of her sharing! then it was time to say Good-baaa to my friends, as I had to catch the train to Sheffield with Suvanki, where there was some cold white stuff called snow waiting for us......I think The North Pole might be warmer than Sheffield.

I'm looking forward to seeing all of those photos of me...either on your Manchester travelogues or Home Page, and Suvanki can put up a link , or you can forward them to Suvanki to put in my personal album/Manchester travelogue

My Newe friend Spidermiss

leics was the first to have photos of me 'doing' the Christmas Markets

• Pros:Ewe'll have a Great time here!