Oh Manchester! - my second ode to MCR

Oh Manchester! Promise me you'll never change,
or maybe do, maybe grow and learn,
but promise we'll still enjoy a swift half, or two,
on my return!

Oh Manchester! Don't cry those hefty salty tears,
why not give me a spot of sunshine?
We've had three really good years!

When we first met I'll admit I was a bit scared of you, Manchester
You were bold, brash and upfront, but you always told the truth,
A trait I admired, even if you were occasionally uncouth.

Oh Manchester! We fell in love quickly,
sealed the deal and bought a house together,
you taught me loads about DIY and how to enjoy bad weather

Look Manchester, its true we're going on a break
And that's a fact we'll both have to get used to
But I'll be back from time to time
The rules of a break were always hard to stick to!

Over time we'll both garner new friends, Manchester,
But it'll be more than I can take
If you replace me with another Essex-girl
Leaving me shouting 'we were on a break!'

So how can I show you Manchester, that my love for you is true?
I had your face inked on my leg, bae!
And nothing spells love like a tattoo!

Oh Manchester! Never change!
Or maybe do?
But know the truth is, I'll always love you!

My adopted city

The people of my adopted city are made of sterner stuff

There is coal within their bones

I think it got there during years of outdoor PE in the rain

That sort of stuff makes you tough

You can laugh at southerners in coats on nights out in January; you’re made of sterner stuff.

The people of my adopted city have tea within their veins.

‘Would you like a brew?’ passes for ‘how are you?’

And its rude to say, no you don’t like hot drinks…

And there’s little that can’t be fixed with a cup of tea and a listening ear.

The people of my adopted city know there is muscle in unity.

Whether you’re United or City; humanist or theist,

If you live on its streets you are family, you are welcome.

You are already in community.

My adopted city of coal, tea and unity

Took a hit yesterday to our most vulnerable spot

It would be easy to retreat to our trenches and forget our coal, tea and unity...

Thankfully Mancunians are made of sterner stuff.

Moving to Manchester: Behold I am doing a new thing

On the 25th of September I boarded the first train out of Westcliff station with 1 large bag of clothes, my knitting (its essential) and my work laptop. These are the fundamental things one needs to begin a new adventure. Lots of people told me I was crazy. And I'll admit as I left Euston in the dark(!) I thought they might be right.

Holding sleepy eyes open

I am a planner. I love a plan. But just one week before I caught the train my accommodation fell through. Sat sobbing on my friends couch I wondered, 'how on earth can this be the plan?'. But thanks to a mutual acquaintance I secured a bed for 5 nights with a really awesome and adventurous family.

First Impressions
My first impressions of Manchester weren't great. As anyone who has ever walked from Manchester Piccadilly to the centre can testify its not the best introduction to Manchester - now imagine carrying all your dearest possessions along with you and trying not to look like a target whilst consulting google maps. I went to Costa, bought a bacon sandwich and then caught a bus to Horton Road where a friend of a friend was looking for a lodger. I was plied with tea, sunshine and even offered a lift to my next stop: adventurous family in Levenshulme.

Adventurous Family
Let me paint the picture for you. I had not met them in person. We had exchanged a couple of facebook messages. Despite having two under 5's (and a secret third baby on the way) they text me their house alarm code and left their door key in a bright pink welly boot. Adventurous family were seriously cool; they had Orla Kiely style wall-paper in the dining room. When I arrived they were out enjoying a birthday walk for Adventurous Dad. The time had come for me for a nap on their sofa - shoes off naturally. I woke up to two curious girls peeking round the door-frame looking at me.

Adventurous Week
It was an adventurous first week in Manchester. I bought a bus pass and toured the wider city trying to get to grips with the amorphous city. I found the Manchester Craft and Design Centre, I was introduced to Trove cafe - which is like a little slice of Shoreditch in Levenshulme. I visited a church who prophesied over me some words which were so on-point; 'you have come seeking Green Pastures'. I walked adventure girl to school across a golf-course. I had an overpriced haircut - these things happen! And lo, on my 9th day I found the place I would lodge in Sale.

Sale 
Sale is leafy, it is also a long way from my office on public transport. In my first weeks in the flat I was seriously doubting 'the plan' again; an hour and a half on trams each way to work seemed like a long time to travel 6 miles. What I didn't know then was that in a car it would take just 20 minutes (14 in the school holidays) and I would be travelling the opposite way to traffic at both ends of the day. Maybe there was a plan after all.

And what I had not counted on was wonder-housemate (WHM); she really was the unexpected boon of the move. At first glance we didn't have that much in common; our film tastes, and choice of leisure time remain wildly different. But WHM has some really excellent characteristics; she is brave and resilient, she is willing to listen even when she's tired (and an introvert), she is an excellent source of encouragement, toast and wine. WHM is also so generous. I was concerned when I moved in with a live-in landlord they would be really territorial but WHM happily shared the space as equals and was no trouble to have friends over. A real example for having my own lodgers.

WHM in flight

And so it turned out that there was a plan, and friends after all. Moving city is one of the things that has made me feel most alive in life. Like lone-travel++; it wasn't all plain sailing but there was definitely a plan.