Out of Manchester

Letter from UK (23-2): Getting Out of Manchester

Written in NYC

Manchester Quagmire
My stay in the UK coincided with a string of strikes, which included Air Traffic Controllers. I was scheduled on a direct Aer Lingus flight on a Friday. I checked-in online on Thursday evening around 7:30 pm, relieved, thinking it would be alright. Just to be safe, I checked my email the next morning and found out the flight had been cancelled (just half an hour after I checked in the previous night!) I was already re-booked the next day on a British Airways indirect flight (via Heathrow). I kept re-checking my emails and, sure enough, even those flights were cancelled later in the day! I was again re-scheduled to another BA indirect flight on Sunday morning at 7:30 am. It was fortunate that I had a place to stay with my relatives and I almost relished my extra days in Chester as the weather was good, unlike those for most of my stay.

Even though I did not have check-in luggage, I could not do online check-in and had to get up at 4 am the next day. I was at the airport at 4:30 am, and the line at BA was already long. Check-in did not start till 5:30 am. I was alarmed that there was another BA Flight to Heathrow at 7:00 and the passengers in the line were mixed up. When I moved half way through the line, the BA staff announced they were boarding the earlier flight first, so those passengers scrambled up the line while the rest of us waited. Incompetent crowd control but I must give praise to the passengers, who were overall quite disciplined and restrained, despite a few inevitable incidences. They would have been a lot noisier were they Americans. Perhaps a bit of that famous British Endurance is still in the country's DNA.

When I finally made it to the counter, I was told that I needed the ticket re-issued by Aer Lingus. This particular agent was highly competent, shuffling herself between a long call with Aer Lingus and checking other passengers in. After twenty minutes of to-and-fro, Aer Lingus offered an indirect flight via Dublin in the early afternoon. I grudgingly accepted.

For this I had to move to another terminal. It was nearby and accessible by walking. A word here on this airport. It is INFAMOUS, and rightly dreaded by all locals. Long lines and chaos. It's also the only airport I have visited where the pick-up's and drop-off's are mandated to take place in a parking-lot-like building that charges a fee (I understand there are a few others in the UK). What makes it utterly unpalatable is that the area is a good walk away from the terminals - really inconvenient and inconsiderate! And then there are the Terminals. T1 is the oldest but the newest T3 is not much bigger, nor better. Given that Manchester is a growing city, it seems to be poor planning. Check-in was uneventful, as the flight was many hours later, but I had to wait an extra half hour before I could swap myself into Security Clearance with my ticket.

Security Clearance was poorly controlled too, also with long lines. It was pretty thorough though and I was asked to open my carry-on by a very pretty and courteous agent. I thought it was for my Vinyls (big opaque circle on X Ray) but, no, rather, the 2 cans of Anchioves (too cheap to resist at 50p each).

I was fortunate to have a lounge pass with me, so I could kill time in relative comfort. One lounge had a great choice of food but was crowded, the other much airier but with modest food offerings. My Covid sensibility made me choose the latter. I finally had breakfast. The scrambled egg was terrible and the bacon and sausage just so-so, but the croissants and ham and cheese saved the day. It was nice to have some juice and coffee. I befriended those around me. Two businessmen, one of whom had just gotten back into vinyl! Crazier were a senior citizen couple on their way to Israel, especially the man, who worked the room and got to know everyone. I don't blame him, one has to make an extra effort if one is wheelchair bound. I stayed for lunch. Only two hot dishes, a pasta and a curried vegan rice dish, which was what I had. I consider this yet another sign that the UK has been reverse-colonized (at least culinarily) by Indians (walking through the ready-to-eat section of any supermarket and you will know what I mean). I had some salad but what I liked most was actually the Leek and Potato Soup! A glass of Sauvignon Blanc rounded it out. I forgot my duress quickly enough.

The only Dublin I got to see was what I saw from the airplane. It's a city that I'd love to visit, especially as a beer drinker. Despite my experience, perhaps Aer Lingus would still be in my future. Just stay away from the Beef Bourguignon, which holds the dubious honor of being the saltiest dish I have tasted (not just on a plane).

Life in the UK
I love living in the UK. At least in the smaller town of Chester, and putting that dreadful Manchester airport aside. I could take nice walks. Even in the center of town, nature is not far away. The supermarkets offer more varieties than the US ones and prices (even after Brexit) are very reasonable. Restaurants are more expensive but still cheaper than NYC. There is always pub fare of course, reasonable and reliable. I love checking out the Thrift Shops periodically (I have been to every one of them). Most of all, the people are very friendly. Yes, I could live there!

Chester center. Gate and cathedral in background.

Downtown Liverpool

Classic Pub Fare in Liverpool. Interestingly, the great Irish Guinness is always among the cheapest beers. BUT not the cheapest, which is American Coors. I asked why the UK, with all its

great beers, would have that lousy US beer. Answer is, lowest cost and highest profit.

On the double decker to Liverpool

Canal Side in Chester

A Room with a View

Free coffee at the very nice Waitrose supermarket

Letter from UK

Click pics to enlarge.

Letter from UK (23-1): Much the Same?

Here I am, in the UK again after many years! As before, visiting family in Chester. This is the best time to visit the UK. The weather is a lot less sweltering than in NYC. Some rain and as usual unpredictability, but also a fair dose of sunshine. Just lovely. For short chronicles of my previous trips, see here.

Chester is a small to medium sized city, quite affluent and has weathered the pandemic well. It really hasn't change much but for sure a few charity shops and a second-hand electronic shop (with just a little hifi) had closed. It is for sure fewer and fewer charity shops have any LPs of worth.

I love shopping in the supermarkets here, very good offering of a huge variety of food. Hummus, Taramasalata, curries, whatever. More fun than in the US.

 

Today we took a trip to nearby Wrexham (just inside Wales). I'm very glad to report that it seems to have undergone a facelift. No longer a feeling of being dilapidated. Unfortunately, the small CD and LP store in a historic narrow alley that I wrote about before has disappeared, surely a victim of the pandemic. Prices are considerably cheaper than in Chester. I had a nice lunch with a pint of a local ale.

Also took a short trip to Manchester, which seems growing and vibrant! Near the Children's Hospital, an entire street of Middle Eastern and Indian Food. I had a nice Shawarma.

Still a few Audio Magazines on the rack

My only findings in 1 store

Nice Sourdough, hummus and a surprisingly excellent sauvignon blanc

Compared with previous iteration, even more in the garden

Manchester Children's Hospital. Unusual design that is a functional failure imho.

Chester, Canal Side

Letter from the UK: 2017 (1)

A beautiful Day by the Dee River.

Letter from the UK: 2017 (1)

Article finished in NYC. Click pics to enlarge.

During times of stress, everyone copes in a different way. For me, a two week stay in Chester, UK (my third visit; previous ones reported here) had a soothing effect. For the classical music fan, the UK is great for LP hunting, which continues to be the best relaxation I can think of.

L: By the Canal, Outside the New Waitrose; R: Roman Remnants and Clock in Town Center.

Going Somewhere?
My visit was not long after the Manchester Terror Attack, and heavy security was apparent at the Manchester Airport. Chester is an important retail center of Cheshire (think the Cat), equidistant from Manchester and Liverpool and is steeped in history. As the Royalty sometimes visit its famous racetrack, the historic town center is well preserved. As is usual for a smaller town, the locals are a lot friendlier than their big city counterparts. It is also apparent the city has seen some urban renewal in the past years (like the nice new central Bus Exchange), all of which look good to me.

It was my luck that it neither rained much nor got too hot during the two-week stay. I was able to make frequent forays into City Center. Walking (and biking) along the Canal has always been a pleasure, indeed the local's preferred way of getting around. About midway is the new Waitrose Supermarket, which rose from the ashes of a drab old shopping mall and is a worthwhile example of urban renewal and solid architecture (more pics here) that beautifies our lives. Incredibly, with a Waitrose card one can get a free coffee (good) each day, which one can enjoy in its cafe or on the outside steps. For Happy Hour, I'd have a Sierra Nevada Ale, surprisingly not only available in the UK, but at a cheaper price than stateside! One employee actually told me it's his favorite, and the English know their beers!

The Canal goes everywhere and connects with the beautiful Dee River. On a sunny day, one wants for nothing to just sit by its banks and watch people of all races and faith mingle under the sun (top pic); it is enough to restore one's faith in humanity.

Wales. R: On the bus to Wrexham; L: Wreham; Bottom, Llandudno.

One Country, Two Systems?
This time I did some research and decided to do a day trip to nearby Wales towns. I decided on Wrexham, and was pleasantly surprised by the new double-decker bus, with facilities like a sun roof, tables (fixed or fold-down) and WiFi. It was like traveling on a bullet train, at a slower speed. Between cities one sees huge swarths of grazing pastures. It almost makes me want to sing the old Chinese communist propaganda song 南泥灣, which extolls the bright future of a land of riches, with herds everywhere (遍地是牛羊). And the land is laden with historic semi-ruined castles.

Being a resident of Hong Kong, I am painfully aware of the slogan "One Country, Two Systems". So it is fascinating to travel to Wales. Once one enters, signage is bilingual, with Welsh everywhere. I understand - a pacifying gesture, since, as per what I was told by a record shop proprietor, less than 10% speak the language. Surely politically weighted, Wales gets higher social security benefits than the rest of the UK. I am not sure that is enough to suppress their separatist desires (think Scotland, Ireland).

Wrexham is a much more blue-collar town than Chester, and the contrast is stark, not something one can gleam from wikipedia. It is certainly less pristine and falling apart at the seams a little more, yet I find it quaintly fascinating.

I wanted to have a pint, but unusually felt estranged from many of the local pubs, sprawling Welsh speaking spaces laden with Rubenesque figures. It was not that I felt intimidation, no; it was that I felt I should not have intruded into their space.

I was also taken to seaside Llandudno again. It was a very nice day, and the place reminds me a little of Brittany.


Vinyl Hunting
In the Chester town center there are numerous charity thrift shops where one may try one's luck at vinyl hunting. On Brook Street there is a great rock and pop vinyl shop called Grey & Pink. It is pricey but I bit the bullet and paid GBP 20 for a Led Zep IV in good condition. In wrexham, in a narrow alley I found a great record shop and bought a few LPs. The owner was quite friendly and we chatted quite a bit. No luck this time in Llandudno.


Gears There is not much around, but in a shop close to the Chester train station I scored a mint condition NAD 3020 (my third). I paid GBP 100, which is a fair price. Better than Ebay.

pics from the net.

Letter from UK 2013 (1)

Here I am, in Chester UK, again (last year's visit). This time I brought miserable weather! But this cold morning is sunny at least.

For the last month I was in NYC, but unlike previously I no longer had access to the internet at home and just had too little time at the library. Here in the UK I have good access to the internet and hopefully shall finally be posting a bit. There's too much to catch up!

The day before last I took a long walk and picked up a few LPs. I was particularly happy with the pictured humble Heliodor issue. Two quid for the Madeleine Peyroux CD ain't bad either.

Letter from UK 2012 (3): Liverpool

Letter from UK 2012 (3): Liverpool

On a windy and dreary day we visited Liverpool. In many ways the city is like Manchester, with few tall buildings and an even more compact central area. One can see the radio tower everywhere, and the broadcasts were redolent with, what else, The Beatles.

Albert Dock To a New Yorker, this looks like combination of South Street Seaport and Red Hook. The re-vitalization of the waterfront is on all counts a highly successful effort.

Merseyside Maritime Museum This is a very nice museum for kids and adults alike. I enjoyed the exhibit on the fascinating tale of the tragic fates of three cruise ship associated with Liverpool, the RMS Lusitania and RMS Empress, and the Titanic of course. The story of the RMS Lusitania, sunken by a German U-boat, is especially engrossing, and I noted that the exhibition (probably deliberately) did not cover many points discussed in depth in the wikipedia entry.

As Liverpool played an important role in the slave trade, the International Slavery Museum, enclosed within the same compound, proves highly educational.

Tate Liverpool This branch of the Tate came as a most welcome surprise. On exhibit in the small spaces are literally the who's who in modern art, from the Dadaists to Andy Warhol, as well as little known names. The various artists seem to play off each other in the relatively small space, and I enjoyed it more than many larger modern art museums. My favorite has to be Marcel Duchamp's infamous Fountain.

After a quick meal at an Irish pub I managed to get a few LPs from the charity shops on Bold Street before retreating back to Chester.

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Letter from UK 2012 (2): Manchester

Letter from UK 2012 (2): Manchester

This article is dedicated to my friend Daiwok, former Mancunian, Fish-n-Chips authority, Midas, fine chef and Lenco-maniac (sorry if I missed other attributes).

On a fine day I am glad I got to spend a few hours in Manchester. There was little on the way. Power lines and animals grazing on the pastures outnumber buildings and people, even cars. 

Despite the lack of tall buildings in the horizon, one immediately knows one is approaching the city by the appearance of nondescript housing blocks. More, for someone who has gotten accustomed to genteel Chester, I felt an injection of adrenalin, an inkling of the energy of the city. The gritty thoroughfare was lined by shops catering to the various minorities, mostly Afro-Caribbean, outside which people congregate. In a few moments I saw more "colored people" than days in Chester. I guess it was like getting into Manhattan through Harlem.

Although much grit has remained, the city feels energetic; urban renewal (some say thanks to the 1996 IRA attack) and competent designs are everywhere to be seen. I like the dearth of tall buildings and the manageable scale. Around every corner, you get to see the new meeting the old. Even the gargantuan Arndale Center seems well integrated and not so imposing.

My driver parked just outside the center of town, in the big Wing Yip Chinese supermarket. The tower at the entrance is garish (what do you expect?), but surely great advertisement. It is reasonably well stocked, but not to the standard of ones in New York, catering mainly to the Cantonese. Its one distinguishing feature is its adjoining warehouse, where you can buy provisions in the bulk. I was told there is little difference between retail and wholesale here, as the same store caters to both clienteles.

Walking down Oldham Road, I soon got to Oldham Street. I had done my homework (visit this great website for music shopping), and surely I found the famous record shops. As I expected, Manchester is THE rock and roll town, and they only have pop music. But I was not disappointed, indeed glad that vinyl is thriving. Solace once more came in the form of an Oxfam shop, where I scored a few classical LPs.

Pass the craggy expanse of Piccadilly and one arrives in Chinatown, which looks like any other smaller ones (like Philadelphia). I was taken to a small Casino for a cup of free espresso, not bad! As usual, mostly Chinese inside (sad), mostly senior citizens. The Chinese here seem the same breed as our US 唐山 variety; unlike NYC, the PRC presence is yet not overwhelming.

Just at the edge of Chinatown is the Manchester Art Gallery. Obviously the Chinese don't hang out here. Judging by its holdings catalogued on its website, the small museum probably shows only a tiny fraction of its collection. It houses mostly an English collection, particularly the pre-Raphaelites. I was told by the very friendly staff that, unlike their more high-brow cousins down South who concentrated on the Europeans, Mancunians collected under-valued British Art. I enjoyed the Turner and Francis Bacon, also a few small works by more famous names, Renoir, Modigliani, Sisley, Boudin and the likes.

The cold and grey returned in the afternoon. So it is this morning in Chester. 

Letter from UK 2012 (1) Chester

Letter from UK 2012 (1) Chester I

Greetings from Chester UK!

I brought great weather to this part of town. Since I arrived, the sun just followed me wherever I went. Where I stay is tranquil and comfort to the soujourner, if myself the infrequent traveller can be called one, and at  this stage I am more of one in my hifi journey than real life.

This is still mostly fairy book and picturesque England, yet this tourist town is quite sophisticated and very friendly when it comes to foreigners. I chuckled in delight when I saw the "Roman soldiers" giving a guided tour to little kids clad in fake armor. Easter signs are everywhere. There is a special "Alice in Wonderland" show somewhere. Somehow, I like the preservation of innocence of a bygone era. Much more palatable than Asians dressed as Mickey Mouse in Asian Disneylands! Kids are lucky here.


Walking around the center of town was a delight. I bought an LP from the local OXFAM shop, but didn't have much luck otherwise. The pictured record store is huge but caters only to pop music.

As usual, I don't eat out much, but lunch at the French Chez Jules was a bargain. Later, before I headed home I had a pint of local ale and it proved even more special; I delight in tasting unheard-of varieties. Not warm, but slightly cool, perfect. Great beer! Real Ale!

But the best was walking along the Canal. Quay-side bars are but one sign of rejuvenation. I do wish I had a better camera!