Back to that Manchester, with the lads...

Playlist - Sat

Various Artists - Cloudland Blue Eclectic Selection 2019

Various Artists - Cloudland Blue Eclectic Selection 2020

The Beatles - Let It Be

Up just after four...

The view from the office this morning...

Picked up around five by Jane, Bob and Olly...

The boys were off to that Manchester for nephew Craig's stag weekend (many having already been there since Thursday - we had been following proceedings on the Whatsapp)...

Security was rammed but we were soon through...

...and to our gate...

The forty or so minute flight was a little "hairy" with much turbulence and an alarming landing - but not as bad as I'd been expecting, given the stormy weather...

Above the clouds though, all was calm...

Safe on the ground...

A reasonably long walk to the station then onto the Blackpool train, which would drop us off in the city centre...

Picadilly reached...

...and our apartment was just round the corner...

Nice pick Bob!

We could not access our suite until around 3pm but were able to leave our bags at reception before enjoying our breakfast...

Out into the slightly brighter weather although rain was once again forecast for later...

Outside our gaffe, we bumped into brother in law Keith, coincidentally wandering past...

A walk to the Northern Quarter

..where Keith left us to get his own breakfast - an arrangement having been made to meet up later...

We wondered if these belonged to one of our party post last night's revelry...

A wander around...

...inevitably led me to Vinyl Exchange - where "a few" of their bargain CDs were partaken of by your correspondent...

Nothing enticed over the road at Piccadilly though...

 Meanwhile Olly was buying some trousers - quite possibly, his equivalent of CDs...

We met up again at O'Sheas, where everyone was gathering...

I took it easy, initially, with a coffee...

..and some porridge for lunch...

In the bathroom, it seems the latest football technology is not universally popular...

My first Uber - to the Star Inn in Salford - with the boys in the back...

Everyone was here and the plan was to watch this afternoon's English League Fourth Tier match between Salford and Colchester...

Towards 2:30, a walk to the ground as the heavens opened...

Due to misunderstandings re tickets etc, we were forced to walk all the way around the stadium to almost exactly the spot where a steward had advised we'd have to walk all the way around the stadium, before gaining entry...

Atrocious weather - which is often good for a game of football...

In the end, Colchester got the away win 2-1...

Back to the Star Inn to try and get warmed up and for more drinks...

..followed by another Uber back to the apartment where we finally were able to check in and check out the digs...

Very nice indeed...

A ten minute walk into the centre found as at our private room for tonight's Indian meal...

Kudos to Craig's best man, Lee for having organised everything in advance...

Top man!

Tasty fayre...

...and we all enjoyed lashings of curry, rice and side dishes (preceded of course by poppadoms, chutneys and pakoras), washed down, of course with, between us, about a million pints of Cobra...

Then, to Canal St...

...and Via, where Anne and I spent an excellent evening probably more than a decade ago now on the night of the Gay Pride Parade with Stockport chum Craig and his brother Pete...

The music was banging and the atmosphere was top...

But it was too much for some in the party and so we made our way to somewhere quieter...

Again, a coffee was the drink of choice as we headed towards what would be the end of the three musketeers' night (the others staying up till around 5am, enjoying some boxing match or other)...

Olly was a little the worse for wear but very much enjoying himself with the stars of nephew Craig's TV show "A View From the Terrace"...

We were opposite FAC51, the Factory Records Night Club...

Some of us found themselves there but we made our way home...

Bob was in his element...

Back at the suite, Olly was a little "tired and emotional" as they used to say in acting circles, while Bob enjoyed a bottle of wine and I sampled today's purchases via Youtube - it seems I didn't get any real clunkers despite the low cost...

Olly conked out and I soon left Bob to it...

An excellent day's celebration...

Highlight of the Day : Manchester/Salford with "the lads"...