Revision as of 11:56, 13 May 2018

Manchester

Manchester is a city in the north of England, nearby Liverpool.

In one of the highlights of Manchester, the Chetham's library, are kept Robert Southey's Letters of Espriella in which says of Manchester that ‘a place more destitute of all interest it is impossible to conceive’.

We visited it in April (2018) (Fabrice did pass by once in 2017 in a failed attempt to get a Chinese visa; on our second visit, which was with Camilo, he also tried to get a Chinese visa, and also failed).

Things to do/see

• Chetham's Library (Mon).
• Castlefield park (canals and Roman amphitheatre)
• Manchester Art Gallery
• Manchester Cathedral
• The John Rylands Library (Sun).
• Town hall
• Victoria baths
• People's History Museum
• A beer at the Old Wellington
• St. Mary's Church
• Whitworth
• Heaton Park (far).

Chetham's Library, Manchester

Chetham's Library, founded 1653 in a 1421 building, is the oldest public library in the English-speaking world. It holds over 120000 volumes of printed books an other documents. Unlike the time of Chetham, would instructed ‘to require nothing of any man that cometh into the library’, its visit is today strictly regulated.

Marx and Engels used to meet there, in the window seat that you see in this picture above, where they developed the Communist Manifesto.

During the last few days I have again spent a good deal of time sitting at the four-sided desk in the alcove where we sat together twenty-four years ago. I am very fond of the place. The stained glass window ensures that the weather is always fine there. The stained glass is gone but the rest stayed there.

The guide also mentioned a meeting of Cromwell on the roundtable, but I could find no other mention of that.

Gallery

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  Elena with the Midlands hotel.

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  The canals of Manchester give it a special touch...

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  although not one that is particularly joyful or friendly.

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  In this area you can feel the proximity to Liverpool.

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  As most places in the UK, it nowaday combines traditional and modern architectures.

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  Manchester is a city of libraries... Here at the John Rylands Library.

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  Julia doing what you are supposed to do at the library.

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  Original extract of the Bible.

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  In the corridors of Rylands. They also have historical toilets but you shouldn't take photos I took one of Camilo but then I cannot show it

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  Gargoyles masking Albert on his square.

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  One of the surviving bricks building (at the intersection of Canal st. and Princess st.)

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  Christ taking all the space.

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  The favourite activity of Julia, as we were waiting for Camilo's visa.

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  The Old Wellington, oldest pub in town, by the Mitre, our hotel in Manchester.

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  Old and New inside Manchester's cathedral.

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  Chetham's library.

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  Inside. The window at the end of the corridor is Marx and Engels' alcove.

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  A Gutenberg printer.

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  A sample of their beautiful collection.

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  In the main alley.

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  At the Wellington; their speciality is pies.

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  In one of the less famous libraries: the Portico (private collection).