Still in Manchester

 Apart from inspecting looms and associated cotton weaving equipment in the Museum (wonderful), we had a conducted tour of Manchester Town Hall which is an extraordinary building. Gothic/mediaeval with Victorian central heating and a set of frescos in the main hall by Ford Madox Brown.  The first photo is about the invention of the flying shuttle  which , as you can see, has flown.

The second one is about the observation of the transit of Venus in the 17th century - very topical. 

The main rooms are very richly decorated and still much in use. Of all things, the main hall with the frescos was being decorated for a regular event - a tea dance!!! I wish I had seen it.

Our guide was a Manchester girl and she clearly loved Manchester and the Town Hall. Actually that does come across quite strongly - pride in Manchester.

In the afternoon we were bussed out to Pendlebury where there is a Victorian parish church which is one of the biggest in the country - very high Anglo-Catholic but still in the C of E. Again richly decorated.

Even to the doors to the vestry.

Dinner at the Midlands Hotel was just about as richly decorated.

Today we are off to Leeds by way of Saltaire.