Manchester - old and new

Another weekend in Manchester - and more new places to discover.

First off, Salford Quays. I've heard a lot about this area (in fact people seem surprised that I've never been on previous visits to Manchester), so as our daughter was at a Maker's Market in the area, I wanted to have a look around - both outside, and then round the Lowry Gallery itself.









The old quays have completely gone, their warehouses replaced by funky new housing developments.

Even the bridges are futuristic! 

This is definitely one of Manchester's modern areas, but it's more brutal concrete than, say, the high-rise glass buildings of Spiningfields, and it's not a look which appeals to me.















Inside the Lowry was confusing and very busy with a national gymnastics competition taking place in part of the building, but someone was on hand to point us in the direction of the gallery. As you might guess, a lot of space is given over to the paintings of LS Lowry. Oddly I found myself more attracted to his later works, scenes of industrial desolation, rather than the better known 'matchstalk men' paintings. The temporary exhibition - The State of Us - proved to be uncomfortable for both of us; very low level lighting plus flash of light and random noises from the displays played havoc with my sight and hearing, so we didn't stay long.




We'd stayed, as we often do, in an Air BnB and accidentally discovered that we were just a few hundred yards from  Ordsall Hall.












Once a manor house in the middle of fields and orchards, it's now an odd oasis of Tudor charm surrounded by modern houses and factories. This was much more my kind of thing!

Inside the rooms have been recreated much as they would have been in Tudor times - beds with hangings, a curtained bath, and (imitation) food waiting to be prepared in the kitchen.

















Outside there's a Tudor knot garden, an allotment demonstrating how the land was used during WW1, and a moat, usually dry under the wings of these wooden swans, but not last weekend.

It's that odd juxtaposition of old and new that always startles me in Manchester though.

Onward, on our way home, on the other side of Manchester, lies Lyme (famous for the Mr Darcy swimming exploits of the BBC/Colin Firth series of Pride and Prejudice) 

I didn't spot Mr D, not even when looking through this hidden peep-hole, or walking by the lake, but the house was fascinating - more elaborate and richly decorated than the severe straight lines of its exterior might lead you to expect.

It's now owned by the National Trust, and visitors encouraged to almost feel at home - to play the piano in the entrance hall, or billiards in the Long Gallery, or sit and read in the library. It's a large house though, with lots to explore and if we'd attempted any of them we'd probably never have got home.







As it was, we only had time for a brief look at the gardens before heading off. I'll be back in better weather to see more.

The Hill House, Helensburgh

Travelling home from Argyll we broke the journey a couple of times - the first stop being at The Hill House, designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh in 1900.













The interior is pretty much unchanged, with many of Mackintosh's iconic flower designs to be seen on furnishings and walls, but the exterior isn't faring well. The rain is now getting through the external render (harling) and it's now under a protective mesh cage, inside which a walkway takes visitors round, up and over the house.






It's a very strange experience. I'm not normally fond of heights but they didn't worry me here as I couldn't believe I was looking down on a full-sized house.










Weirdly I felt I was looking at a model, not real rooftops and chimneys!














 Another advantage of being so high is that the views out over the Clyde are wonderful. In fact, it's almost worth visiting just for them!

Haddon Hall - film set and rose gardens

 You've probably seen Haddon Hall on film or TV in Jane Eyre or The Princess Bride, and either side of last weekend filming was taking place there again, with some of the props and sets being left in place when the hall was open to the public, so I wanted to see what could be seen.

Well, firstly the car park was full of pantechnicons, trailers, caravans, on-location catering ... this was obviously a much bigger project than I'd imagined. At the hall itself, the changes were more subtle - hiding modern fittings and making sure no damage came to original stone and woodwork - except in one room which had had its furniture changed, giving it a totally different feel. (No photography allowed in that room, so you'll have to wait to see it on screen)

We timed our visit to clash with an England football match, so there were less visitors than I'd expect on a glorious summer's day, and it's easier to imagine Tudor lords and ladies in residence. A harpist, playing in the Long Gallery, helped add to the ambiance, but the sunshine soon drew us outside to the terraced gardens.      

      

They weren't the only flowers in the gardens, but roses seemed to be climbing up every wall, and at the peak of their flowering.

With a slight breeze coming from the river below, it's a wonderful spot to spend a sunny afternoon.

Last Day of Christmas at Chatsworth

Most of us have Christmas packed away again by Twelfth Night if not sooner, but Chatsworth decided to keep their Dickens' Christmas open for one more weekend. We first went to visit in November, and had intended to head back before now, but events over-took us so I was quite glad it was open just that little bit longer.








There's just one interior shot this time, as I posted extensively before, but more from outside as the weather was lovely (for the time of year) - clear and sunny, though cold enough to have frozen part of the canal pond! 

We didn't wander far, or for very long, outside - just up the main path to the 'vase' to catch the sunset, and the house windows shining golden as the last light caught them.