Tag: Manchester

A sign outside a bookshop with the name House of Books and Friends

Explore Manchester’s Unique House of Books and Friends

On By elaineandjohnIn Books, Food and Eating Out, Manchester, Retirement LifestyleLeave a comment

If you’re like me and love books and a brew then a visit to the House of Books of Friends in Manchester would be an ideal way to spend some chilling time. This is housed in a listed building on Kings Street in the heart of the city centre.

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This is a unique space with a mission to help stop loneliness and isolation. This is from their website ” Our mission is to combat loneliness and social isolation. We want every customer or visitor to leave our shop feeling better connected with the community. By reinvesting our profit back in to projects and activities “every book sold makes a difference”.

Loneliness can have a devastating effect on someone’s life, often leading to depression and sometimes the taking of a person’s own life or an unbearable sadness that a person lives with for the rest of their life. It can become exaggerated by a society that values social media but has lost the value of close friends and neighbours. In an age where we have the opportunity to be more connected than ever, there are people who go for days, weeks and even months without having a conversation”

This is such a meaningful concept. Having visited this unique shop for books and a brew I can honestly say it has such a peaceful, friendly vibe about it. The staff are so friendly and everyone acknowledges your entrance and presence without being intrusive.

Books

I first found out about The House of Books and Friends via an Instagram post. I have to admit that from first impressions I didn’t think it was for me. I mistakenly thought it was a very niche store selling books that wouldn’t interest me. How wrong I was. On a morning out in Manchester I decided to pay a visit, I was instantly in love with it! I have returned several times since.

There is quite a large range of both paperback and hardback books. The range is from Fantasy fiction. LGBTQ+, children’s books and story’s through to contemporary fiction including crime and biographies.

As you enter there is usually a selection of the latest arrivals. I found a great crime novel Murder at the Sanatorium by Radnor Jonasson, an author I had not come across before. Such a great read and an opportunity to practice pronouncing Icelandic surnames in your head!

Seating

The book shop has several spaces to sit, read or work. These spaces range from sofa’s to tables by the tea and beverage area. Great tea and coffee is available to purchase, nice pastries and biscuits, also gluten free and dairy free options. In good weather there is a seating area outside on the pavement – but it is Manchester so its not always set out.

What is a real plus for me is an area in the back of the store. This appears to have kept most of the original features of the original building. The building itself, Manchester Club, is an impressive Victorian Gothic Grade II-listed building steeped in history, originally opening back in 1871 as a members club, with members including Winston Churchill. The building, is also home to the opulent bar and restaurant Grand Pacific on the first floor.

There are tables in a fabulous opulent room, dark wood original features. This room can be used to enjoy an afternoon tea or hired as a space for a celebration such as a baby shower or a meet up for friends or colleagues. There are usually visitors in there enjoying a read and a drink or working on there laptops. One space to highlight is the ladies toilet, I’m unable to comment on the gents area. The interior is in keeping with the buildings age and status, which means the pipe works and plumbing don’t facilitate the flushing of wipes etc. What is a lovely touch is that there is a selection of free female hygiene products for anyone in need. As someone who was a victim of period poverty in my teens this is something I’m passionate about.

Summary

In summary The House of Books and Friends has fast become one of my favourite space in the City centre of Manchester. If you love, books, a brew or even an admirer of listed buildings this is definitely worth a visit. They often hold events such as authors talks and book signings. In my opinion it’s somewhere you will love to visit for at least a second time and if you live in Manchester or visit regularly you will want to return again and again.

As I’ma born and bred mancunian I love to share fab things from my city – why not take a look at my review of Tast Catala Restaurant – just a stones throw from House of Books and Friends

Thank you for popping in and reading. If you enjoy my contact I’d love it if you return.

Elaine

The front window of Tast Catala Restaurant on King Street restaurant

Tast Catala Manchester – Restaurant Review

On By elaineandjohnIn Food and Eating Out, ManchesterLeave a comment

Introduction

Tast Catala is a Spanish Restaurant and bar in Manchester. It brings a taste of quality Catalan Cuisine and flavours of Barcelona to the city.

A photograph of the front of Tast Catala Restaurant Kings Street Manchester
Tast Catala King Street Manchester

Food and menus are created by an award winning chef – Paco Perez and it is part owned by Pep Guardiola, Manager of Manchester City and footballing genius.

John and I have visited on several occasions to enjoy a drink at the bar – In my opinion they serve THE best Bloody Mary in Manchester. Tis visit was our first time dining. I won £100 to spend in the restaurant as part of a Valentines competition. A review was not part of the prize and this is our choice to do so and our impartial opinions.

Ambience & Atmosphere

The restaurant has a casual vibe and has a sparse industrial feel. No soft furnishings or glitz and glamour.

Wall art inside Tast Catala

I have seen it described as cold and uninviting, we wouldn’t go as far to say that but can see why others have said it.

There are seats along the bar and an area of dining tables by the large window that looks over trendy King Street, always thought of as an affluent area of the city. On warm days you can drink and dine on the pavement terrace.

There is also a restaurant on the first floor.  We cannot comment on this as we have only ever been in the ground floor area.

This is how the official  restaurant online page describes the cuisine:

“Our Restaurant Menu features our full range of Tastets, Charcoal Dishes, Rice Dishes & Desserts. The Menu is influenced by the flavours of Catalonia alongside more well-known classics. Our traditional dishes feature Butifarra which is a Catalan Duroc Pork Sausage and Catalan Style Rice cooked in our Charcoal Oven”.

Service & Hospitality

We were the only people in the place – 2pm on a Thursday afternoon – the week after Valentines day. We hade booked in advance and were greeted immediately with our names as they were prepared for us. They sat us in the window.

A glass of wine and water on a restaurant table

Staff were extremely friendly and helpful. Taking time to explain the menu and make suggestions. I must point out that as part of the prize there was a bottle of Sparkling rose Chapeldown wine – as John wouldn’t have wanted any with his food they allowed us to take it home to enjoy at leisure  – a nice gesture.

Food & Food Quality

Dish Highlights

  • Appetizers: We shared 3 small plates – or Tastets. Sourdough bread with oil and tomatoes, Jamon Croquetas and Cod fritters with lemon and honey foam. These didn’t sound too extravagant or different from whats on offer at many other Tapas restaurants, but Wow! the flavours and quality were amazing! We holiday in Spain a lot but these were off the scale. The sourdough was super tasty with a great light texture. The croquetas had a super soft filling with a light crispy crumb. My favourite though was the cod fritters – such a lovely light batter and the lemon honey foam was like dipping them into a cloud. One of the most delicious things I’ve eaten in a while.  We found that this was ample food for us to enjoy.
  • Main Course: From the a la carte menu, John chose Sea Bass, served with their signature el Txringuito 1939 sauce accompanied by roasted baby potatoes and mushrooms,  and I chose Solomillo – pork tenderloin, celeriac puree, deep fried aubergine and meat jus. The portion sizes were ideal. Although the pork was a bit too pink for my liking but John and I are dinosaurs and like all meat well done, we cannot embrace the pink meat culture. We enjoyed everything we were served.
  • Dessert & Drinks: We did not order dessets or coffee but with our meal I enjoyed a chilled house white wine and John enjoyed his favourite Aspall Cyder.

As a side note we enjoyed the bottle of Chapeldown wine at home later watching Manchester City in the Champions League. This English wine is so delicious, soft on the palate with a delicate fizz – it will now be our go to celebratory drink

Pricing & Value for Money

Our bill came to £96. It’s not a budget restaurant but as its a unique experience and the quality of food and service was excellent it was worth it.

Overall Experience & Rating

Overall we enjoyed this experience, we expected that it would be very quiet when we booked. I think it is busy at the height of lunchtime and then gets busy again later in the evening. As its somewhere I am always going to return to for a drink when in Manchester it is somewhere we would have no reservations about dining there again. I’d be happy just to choose from the Tastets, small plates menu. In fact when we next visit for drinks I think we will definitely order a portion of sourdough oil and tomatoes to enjoy with out drinks.

We would probably give a score of 4 stars – just knocking 1 off for the lack of other customers at the time of our visit, affecting the atmosphere.

Final Thoughts & Recommendations

If you choose to experience the food here I suggest you make a reservation in advance, unless you are just dropping in for drinks sat at the bar, when seats are always available in our experience.

In fact if you’re passing we would always recommend popping in for a drink – quality cocktails.

If you’re in Manchester why not visit a free attraction – here is my review of Manchester Cathedral.

Please comment if you have visited to dine or drink yourself. And we’d love to know if you have any restaurant recommendations in Manchester – we love to try new places.

 

Thanks for taking the time to read

Elaine

 

 

Manchester Cathedral -A walk around the interior

On By elaineandjohnIn ManchesterLeave a comment
Manchester Cathedral with a blue sky
Manchester Cathedral

Manchester Cathedral is an iconic Manchester landmark. I’m a born and bred Mancunian in my 60’s and apart from a visit to watch a special Alicia Keys concert I am ashamed to say I’ve never really taken the time to visit and take a walk around inside. Therefore having a day to myself recently I took the time to visit. Here is my short visitors guide.

A Brief history of Manchester Cathedral

Manchester Cathedral, originally a collegiate church founded in 1421, became a cathedral in 1847 after the creation of the Diocese of Manchester, and is a notable example of Perpendicular Gothic architecture. It is a Church of England Cathedral and Collegiate Church of St Mary, St Denys and St George.

A black plaque on a post outside Manchester Cathedral displaying the name of the cathedral
The name of Manchester Cathedral

The cathedral is known for its Perpendicular Gothic architecture, with notable features including the wide nave (widest in England), fine 15th and 16th-century carvings, and magnificent post-war stained glass windows.  lt has been a venue for various events, including the first public meeting of the campaign to abolish the slave trade in 1787. 

Early Origins

The site of the cathedral has been a place of worship since at least the 10th century, with a church destroyed by Vikings in 923, later rebuilt and mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086. The church was extensively reconstructed and further enlarged following the creation of the Diocese of Manchester and its attainment of cathedral status in 1847.

The area around the cathedral is pedestrianised and is accessible for anyone with mobility issues. And great bonus is that its free to enter.

I visited on a midweek morning and there were quite a few other visitors around. The cathedral was really a large space to walk around with many smaller chapels inside. It wasn’t fully set up for a service – mostly a vast open space at the time of my visit. I think different smaller chapels are used on differing occasions.

The interior of Manchester Cathedral

There is an area devoted to Manchester people who have fought for the Country in World Wars, The Regiment Chapel, and within this dedicated areas acknowledgments are made to many nationalities who fought alongside us. In the seats of this chapel are Perspex figures used to represent victims of war, the day I visited the figures were decorated to represent Holocaust victims, quite symbolic figures.

Like many Cathedrals and churches there are so many amazing sculptures and statues, I’ve got to admit I have a ‘thing’ about any statue. The details fascinate and amaze me.

An interesting fact I discovered is that in the 19th Century the Reverend Joshua Brookes performed nearly 2000 weddings – often in mass groups. This is because if couples were from separate parishes they had to pay two fees to be married – if married at the Cathedral then only one was required. This made it popular with the poor in the area. Thousands applied every year and, in the early to mid 1800s, the eccentric Reverend Brookes refused to let them leave disappointed. In 1821 alone he personally conducted 1,924 marriages, that’s more than 5 a day. During busy periods he married people in batches of twenty.

A Personal Connection

Interestingly for me, whilst researching my family tree I found that my maternal second great grandparents George and Annie were married there in August 1864. I thought they were posh! but researching for this piece I now understand why – my ancestors were from poor working class backgrounds, my maternal side mostly living and working in the Greengate area of Salford.

Anyway I digress – as I usually do in my conversations! If you visit please take time to admire the magnificent stained glass windows, they are not the original as the Cathedral was very badly damaged by bombing in the Manchester Blitz of 1940 and again the Fire Window in The Regiment Chapel is a replacement following an IRA bomb exploded nearby in 1996.

A red coloured stained glass window

If you are visiting Manchester I recommend you take some time – even only 30 minutes to look inside the Cathedral – if it’s raining as is usual in Manchester it is somewhere to while away some time away from the horrible weather.

 

Also whilst visiting the Cathedral please take a moment to also visit the Glade of Light Memorial garden which is just outside. This was created to pay tribute to the 22 victims of the Manchester Arena bombing in 2017. Each victim have there name etched into marble to be forever remembered. It’s very moving to pay your respects and see some of the individual flowers and mementos left by their families.

The Glade of Light Memorial

Thank you for reading I appreciate you taking the time out of your day. If you have visited please let me know or if you wish to comment please do so – I love to hear from you and my email is always open: thebuzzingmancs@gmail.com

 

A Blue Moo’s Views – 3 Things I’ve learned about Manchester City week ending 15th November 2015

On By elaineandjohnIn UncategorizedLeave a comment
  1. I really miss the Premeiership and Manchester City during International Breaks
  2. The wonderful. silky skills of Sergio Aguerro may be on display in the next game at The Etihad versus Liverpool

Sergio Aguero holds up a Manchester City shirt with his old No 16 on the back as he signs them for fans

  1. It doesn’t only rain in Manchester – the City players involved in the Argentina versus Brazil game in Buenos Aires had their game cancelled minutes before kick off due to torrential rain

Image result for argentina vs brazil postponed due to rain