We had made it to Manchester but quickly learned that we had to leave via the Shipping Canal again, so some time had to be spent organising that trip and coordinating locks and making payments etc.
Helen had seen that the Police Museum was open, as it is only open on Tuesday, so we made sure we paid a visit. It is well worth the couple of hours as there are good displays and the building is also interesting with cells, charge room and a magistrates upstairs. The volunteers are mainly ex police and love telling their stories etc.
Another place off the beaten tourist track was the St. Mary's Catholic Church and this fantastic High Altar with the 14 angels above the saints.
We then went off to have a look at the John Rylands Library. It was built by his 3rd wife with part of the fortune he left. It is in the Victorian Gothic style. His wife often over rode the designer/architect which may be a good or bad thing. The statue is of John Ryland.
We then went for the full book overload by visiting Cheetam's Library. This is the oldest public reference library in the world having been set up in 1653. There are over 100,000 books, of which 60,000 were bought before 1851. To use the books you have to make an appointment, not just turn, which is the same for the tour.
On our travels we stopped for drink at the Piccadilly, just round the corner from the station and on Piccadilly Gardens. We welcomed Helen back and saw our daughter off to London, and home again. It was a standard Weatherspoons but there were 6 hand pulls on as well as the normal house beers.
The White Horse Brewery was set up by a group of friends from the industry in 2004. They settled on a place in the village of Stanford in the Vale, the Vale being the Vale of the White Horse, hence the name. It can be seen from the works.
I had a pint of Village Idiot, 4.1%. It is a golden ale, made with fresh hops, light malts and wheat. It was palatable but nothing special to me.
I then tried another new brewery, Bowman Ales from Droxford in Hampshire. They started brewing in 2008 and hit the ground running. By 2008 they needed to extend as their sales increased by 50%. You can buy their bottled beers in some supermarkets, but as they have no bottling plant they use Oakleak Brewery for that.
I tried their second biggest selling beer, Wallops Wood, 4.0%. It is a chestnut colour with a nice aroma when pulled. The head wasn't as thick as I like, but then I am a northerner and that is a northern trait I am told. Certainly if you go for a pint in London anyway! You first get the malt and then finish with the hops. Again it was fine, but not a stand out beer to me. The price was the usual Weatherspoons discount at £2-79!
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