Tome Time - Sweet Mandarin by Helen Tse

Started September 2nd, finished September 3rd.

This was the second of my holiday reading books in September.  I went away fro a quiet week with my friend to chill, read and test out the restaurants.

I picked this book up mainly because of the local connection.  The author and her sisters own a restaurant in Manchester's Northern Quarter.  This is the story of her family and how the generations moved from a small village in China to owning what many say is their favourite Chines restaurant in Manchester.

The main character for the first part of the book is the author's Grandmother Lily.  Hers is a wonderfully inspiring tale.  The admiration I felt for this woman was immense.  She is a truly inspiring woman.  Not written as saintly but faults and all.  This is s story of grit and determination coupled with hard work and a desire to succeed.

The story passes along the generations and leads to the sisters who now own and run a thriving, modern restaurant in my favourite part of Manchester.

I won't tell you any more as I think this book should be discovered for yourself.  Apparently it has been adopted by schools and added to their curriculum.  It is definitely something I would want any female offspring I had to read.

5 out of 5 pawprints

Next - Catwatching by Desmond Morris

Captain America, The Northern Quarter shines.

We took our nephew to see this last night.  He is a fan of 3D so the Avatar glasses came out of retirement.  I can't see how the 3D added to the experience but it didn't manage to spoil it either.

I have to admit I was most interested in seeing the scenes shot in Manchester and Liverpool.  I knew nothing of Captain America's story so I was quite happy to believe what I saw on screen.  I'm a fan of origin movies.  I find a character's development, if done well, to hit the right buttons with me.  Manchester was hardly recognisable.  Just the odd window frame or doorway stood out.  You'd think they were trying to disguise it or something.  Liverpool's Albert Dock was more obvious.  

This was big budget, summer blockbuster stuff.  It didn't disappoint.  I though the leads were great.  I don't seem to recognise any of them except for Hugo Weaving.  maybe that helped me sink into their characters quickly.  Big, pleasant surprise to find Mr Tucci on my screen.  He along with Toby Jones, Tommy Lee Jones and Dominic Cooper as support cast is pretty impressive.  The difference between weed to superhero was great.  I like the way they have little references in there without shoving them down your throat.  e.g.  Howard Stark.  The film looked very good.  Gave a good sense of the 1940's in a brighter more comic book fashion.  The surrounding cast were also very good.  This film won't be having you ponder its significance long into the night but it is good fun.

One bone I have to pick.  Every time Captain America put on a helmet I wasn't sure if it was him or Miles from This Life.  I've certainly never seen them in the same room.....

3.5 out of 5 pawprints

Manchester Time Piece

I stumbled across this project thanks to a re-tweet from someone whose name I've forgotten :-S

The Tern Collective are turning Manchester into a giant sundial using its tallest building, Bettham Tower as the gnomon (sticky up bit in the middle).  This will be done on Midsummer's Day, June 21st.  Now I'm sure they've heard all the rainy city jokes so I just hope the sun puts its hat on for them that day.

They'll be documenting their progress hourly.  You can follow them on twitter @McrTimePiece and find their website here.

I've always thought it a shame that Beetham Tower is such a meh, skyscraper.  I'm glad it's being used for something interesting.

Book 27 of the 50 Book Challenge

The Front by Mandasue Heller, 392 pages

Started April 26th, finished April 27th.

This was the first of my 'holiday reading' books.  It was one my mum had passed on after she'd read it.  I'm surprised I hadn't heard of the author before as she writes books set in Manchester.  

This is the story of a small group on the lower edges of the class system.  One of whom has the bright idea of robbing the estate shop.  His friends are daft enough to agree to his 'foolproof' plan.  Unsurprisingly not all goes to plan or is as it seems.

As I began this book I found the way the speech was written a little off-putting.  It was correctly written as it would be spoken but it took me a little while to stop noticing the style of speech before what was actually said.  This isn't a fault of the book but a foible I have with any book written as such.  I'm glad to say this wore off as I got further into it.  It then added to the richness of the tale.

The strong point for me here were the characters.  All (sadly) recognisable.  The book is obviously set in the recent past as landmarks in the book no longer exist.  I wonder how much the author experienced the area and the people in it as she writes it very well.  

The story is really easy to read.  I got through most of it on the flight.  It's nice to have a tale written about the less glamourous side of society.  Especially when it avoids criticism and just lays it on the table.  I'm not totally sure about the end of the book and how realistic it is.  It's a satisfying end though with things tied up neatly enough but not totally.  

I will be looking up the author's other works but only when I shrink my 'To read tower'.

3.5 out of 5 pawprints

Total so far, Books - 27, Pages - 8,418

Next - The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Great Northern Warehouse Tunnel Tour, Manchester

This is the second Tunnel Tour I've taken.  Details of the first can be found here. 

We met outside The Bridgewater Hall and were told a brief history of where we were going.  Then we trotted over to the Great Northern Warehouse.  This was originally built as a road/rail/canal transport and goods interchange.  From a little room I've never noticed before we went down into the depths.  This is the first 'chamber' we arrived in...

Note the Eye of Sauron on the roof.  Below the barrier is where the canal was before it was drained.  The barrier marks the end of the towpath.  In 1939 the tunnels were adapted for use as air-raid shelters. Hence the flat floor of the 'canal' and the walled off areas.

Barely readable, there are still patches of posters on the walls telling people how they should behave in these shelters.  However well behaved people were it's not somewhere I would have wanted to spend much time.  The tunnels are very damp.

This is a, now walled off, street entrance into the shelters...

The next chamber contained a little mystery.  Two towers, now collapsing, that were probably either used to pump water to and from the canals or to help build the bed that Manchester Central railway station was built on.  I wonder if we'll ever know for sure.  This is a picture of the roof of the chamber showing the arches...

I was quite hasty in exiting that chamber as I feared a Balrog may approach at any time!  Here's a picture looking back into the 2nd chamber, showing the walled off areas built for the shelters...

There isn't much more tell about the tunnels really.  If you're interested I really do suggest you book a tour.  The guides are really knowledgeable and enthusiastic about their subject.  I hope they open more of Manchester's 'below decks' areas to the public.  As a world city we're poorly done for in things like this.

This is a sign directing to a particular shelter bay...

Obviously Eddie had access long before I did...

And finally, a mooring post with a lovely growth on it...

If you fancy a tour you can book here. 

Don't forget your torch :-) 

Manchester's Haunted Underworld

Dave bought places on Manchester Confidential's 'Haunted Underworld' tour, as part of my Christmas present.  For a member of Subterrenea Britannica that's a pretty snazzy gift.  Getting underneath your own city with a damn good tour guide is a fine way to while away a Saturday afternoon.

We met in Manchester, behind St Ann's Church where the tour began.  There were plenty of people on the tour so hopefully these tours will keep going and expand their remit. It's about time Manchester got some recognition of its heritage.

Our tour guide was Philippa and she was very good.  A font of local, historical information.  What was rather worrying, for someone who is not so fond of the dark, was her getting us to agree not to use our torches.  I was mollified with the offer of a prize at then end though.  She gave us a brief talk on and around St Ann's Square and then led us down into the depths.  To tell us dark tales, while we didn't switch our torches on.  I stayed super close to Dave, just in case.....   In a nice reversal we got to go up quite a few flights of stairs to get a view of Manchester from above that is not available normally.  The tour has atmosphere even if it doesn't take in a huge amount of tunnels.  I won't give any details of the tour as it's best 'spoiler free'.

I have to tell you though that I did win the prize!

I have it from a trusted source that there is more to see on the Great Northern tunnels tour.  Which I'm already booked on.  I think these tours are great value for money and would definitely recommend the one I've been on with my trusted sources recommending the other.

Here are the links:  Haunted Underworld  Great Northern

If you are interested in what's underneath your feet as you eat, drink and shop I can recommend two good books by Keith Warrender Underground Manchester and the follow up Below Manchester I'm hoping to see more from these books on The Great Northern Tour.

The Rum Trail

Last Thursday Mr Meks, a couple of mates and I departed on  Rum Trail.  The purpose of the trip was to discover more about a drink I was unfamiliar with to say the least.  My knowledge stems from a few teen mishaps with Bacardi.  Hence it's not been tried since.  The only rum to have crossed my lips has been unidentifiable in daquiris or the like.  As I've been getting more interested in food and drink lately I thought this needed remedying.  The idea was 6 bars, 6 tasters of rum, an explanation on the history, origin, etc of that rum and a cocktail made to show it's mixability.  

As there were more than 6 drinks involved here I thought it wise to keep some kind of record as the night went on.  memories were going to be hazy if they existed at all.  I used Twitter for this.  Tweeting the rums as they happened to my rum loving web buddy whose blog can be found here.  By 'favouriting' the tweets I'm hoping to be able recreate my experience.  Here goes.....

First up, Selfridges basement where I was dismayed to discover we were tasting Bacardi (see above).  A Cuban White Rum which is apparently now produced in Puerto Rico.  I was pleasantly surprised to find it no longer makes me feel ill.  Although for the life of me I couldn't pick out any notes except Bacardi.  I'm a Philistine.  Bacardi was then mixed into everyone's (except mine) summer favourite - the Mojito.  It was a damn good Mojito but I'm not a fresh mint in my drinks kinda girl.  Mr Meks was very pleased with his though.

Next Keko Moku in the Northern Quarter.  My first time in this fab little bar.  It won't be the last.  Here I tried my first ever Dark Rum, Gosling's Black Seal.  I realised how long I've been missing out on Dark Rum :-(  It was a lovely drink.  It was mixed into a Dark n Stormy, Bermuda's national drink.  Also one of the world's few trademarked cocktails.  I loved this drink, my favourite of the night.  Although it's very sweet and I wouldn't be drinking many of them in one evening.  It was Ginger Beer over ice, topped with Black Seal.  It looked amazing the rum floating made it look exactly as the name suggested.  As you got further down the ingredients mixed and it just got better.  I'm now thinking a holiday in Bermuda is a damn fine idea.

Next door to Socio Rehab next.  Where we tasted a Guatemalan dark rum, Ron Zacapa, Centenario Rum Sistema Solera 23.  This taster was served with dark chocolate.  That's never going to do any harm.  This rum was nice but not as much to my taste as the Gosling.  The cocktail was a very well mixed affair containing, Cherry and Orange.  As well made as it was it just wasn't to my taste really.

Over to Stevenson Square next.  I didn't even know there was a bar on there.  Hula Tiki Lounge, a fun basement destination.  Here we tried Havana Club, I 'think' it was a golden rum.  Things were getting a tad foggy by this point.  The rum must have been making me more accepting as we had a Pina Colada or something very similar.  Normally I wouldn't dream of drinking one.  Although it was way too creamy and very sweet I polished mine off.

We then all piled onto a minibus, over the river and into Corridor.  Here it was  Jamaican Appleton Rum, which was pleasant enough but I can't see myself buying a bottle anytime soon.  I can't for the life of me remember the cocktail name,  It was a small drink, strong and fruity.  You can't really go wrong with cocktails in Corridor though, it's their speciality. 

Back on the bus and the trail ended in one of our favourite bars, Mojo.  Here we tasted a Venezuelan rum, Diplomatico that out tour guide raved about.  I can't actually remember what it tasted like, just that I thought I liked the Gosling better.  Then we were fed a lovely Caribbean BBQ.  Followed by various free-flowing rum punches from the bar.

The tour guide we had was amazing.  He had the knowledge and the passion needed to keep a group of rum drunks interested in the subject of what they were drinking.  All for £25.  I can't recommend it enough.  the last tour is Thursday 10th Feb.  Be there if you can, tickets are from Selfridges.

The moral of the story, I like my rum darker rather than white or golden.  I just wish I hadn't missed out on so many years of enjoyment.

5 pawprints out of 5

I'll leave you with a pic of a Dark n Stormy while I go off to search for some Gosling's Black Seal.....