"Manchester" a Manchester Travel Page by Kaspian

Travel Dates: November 20-24 2008.

"So, have you done Manchester then?," my friend asks me as I stumble through the entrance to her flat. "Ersh... I think Manchester has done me," I slur.

This town knows how to drink! I've been dragged through 17 different pubs, lounges, bars, and nightclubs in the last four nights. And that's not counting repeat visits: Escape, The Horse & Jockey, Roadhouse, Via Fossa, Ye Olde Man & Scythe, Sam's Chop House, The Frog & Bucket, Spirit, New York NY, The Old Wellington Inn, The Hard Rock Cafe, Bluu, The Millstone, Jackson's Boat, Lloyds No.1 Bar... and those are just the one I can remember.

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Manchester (2008)

Why Manchester? Especially in November?!

Everyone, especially Britons, asked why I would go to Manchester of all places. There seems to be the thought out there that it's a tough town, full of rogues, a bit like the armpit of The Isles.

20 years ago, in 1988, I had a best friend for a summer named, Lynn. We were inseparable and hung out together almost every night for weeks and weeks on end. I was madly in love with her and wouldn't admit it to myself, but that's besides the point. Towards the end of the summer, her mother moved to England and she had no other choice but to go as well. We were both devastated. We wrote back and forth for about 4 years afterwards but eventually fell out of touch when she got into the rave movement there and I got into the grunge movement here.

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Manchester (2008)

Anyway, in 2008 we found each other on Facebook. We were both shocked to find out that we'd been Googling each others' names for years trying to reconnect. When her grandmother passed away this year, I asked if there was anything I could do, she should let me know. She wrote back immediately, "There is--come visit me!" When my own grandfather passed away several months later, in October, and my sister and I had to do most of the arrangements because my mother was sick, I decided to throw caution to the wind and book a flight to see her. I needed the break. And I always keep my word. And there was a VT Meet that Gillybob was putting together which I could attend at the same time as visiting my old high school friend.

In November? November just sucks, man. You have to do something exciting and outrageous that month to create a milestone, a wall, a mental barrier between yourself and the oncoming gloom of winter. I know a lot of people who get severely depressed that month--myself included. This trip was my Christmas present to myself.

And I had an absolute blast! The people were extremely friendly and there was cozy, little pubs everywhere. I'm so glad I went! And I'll maybe even go again next year....