Did nothing except trug into campus by the usual routes, do my thing, and trug home again. The usual routes take me through Chinatown, of which Manchester has a large example, the third biggest in Europe if you believe the hype. And I do — it is hard not to, bearing in mind the ethnic composition of my classes at the present time.
I’m sure it’s up to something useful. One of those shots which, I am very aware, would have benefited from better symmetry, but there’s only so much preparatory work one can do while stood in the middle of a street.
I’m not an economic expert, but I’ve been observing. Just audible at the moment, over the general silence of our cities, is a quiet but ominous creaking. If the arbitrary closures go on any longer than December 2nd, and the busiest month of the year is taken away from businesses like shops and pubs, expect to lose most of the independently-owned ones by March. I think Boris Johnson knows this, but the question is whether he cares enough.
Usually by this date in the year I am somewhere else. 2015, for example — halfway up Kilimanjaro. Last year — Whitehaven. (OK, not so exotic, but still, on holiday.) There are other examples. This year, I’m still working, at least for another few days. But walking through Chinatown on my way to work each day at least allows for some globetrotting by proxy.
Even if the Chinese Arch is visible, almost side-on, in the background. I don’t know if this is a photo of anything. I don’t think I’ve been taking photos of specific things over the last few days. This is more about colours, shapes, textures. Maybe that’s where my head is.
Crap news about the floods in Cumbria which have left several places I am quite fond of under considerable amounts of water, including Carlisle (featured on this blog only just over two weeks ago), Lancaster and various chunks of the Lake District. Unbelievable amounts of rain fell, around twelve inches in 24 hours in some places.
Meanwhile, a little further south, it’s been a bit wet but that’s all. In fact today in Manchester was rather pleasant. The Chinese arch makes its third, and most golden, appearance on the blog.
Manchester’s Chinatown district is the third biggest in Europe, apparently. This arch, completed in 1987, crosses Faulkner Street (in the middle of which I was stood while taking this) at its junction with Nicholas Street. A wet day today, unpleasant weather.
Being 42 