Manchester / Blackpool / York in the autumn

[jrintaha]

So my wife's TASsing (Ticket Acquisition Syndrome) for cheap flight tickets to the UK in the autumn, and we're probably going to take a connecting flight from Gatwick to Manchester or York (via Leeds Bradford) instead of staying in London. A friend of hers would be joining us in York for a day or two, if we decide to go there. My British colleague suggested we go to Manchester or Blackpool. All three places aren't that far away from each other.

The missus would also love to go see a cider festival, and I guess there ought to be one somewhere in that area in September or October. Myself, I want to see live sax music of course. Do you have any suggestions?

Also, it would be great to meet you guys in person - I've gathered quite a few of you live near Manchester. Any chance of a MASLM meeting happening around that time?


Cheers,
Jori

Edit: Just noticed that you can't get from Gatwick to Leeds Bradford (which would have been close to York) any more. So that means it's to Manchester from Gatwick.

 

[Young Col]

I guess you've researched it Jori, but can't you get cheap flights direct to Manchester, Leeds/Bradford or even Birmingham or East Midllands? Not that I'd want to deter you from visiting the South of England at Gatwick (only 20 mins from here!) but it would save you the transfer time.

 

[dooce]

I think you are at the wrong end of the country for cider - Northerners stoutly refuse to drink anything other than strong beer (see what I did there? ) for fear of being taken for fashion designers or, even worse, southerners. Cider is generally regarded in the North as a perfumed, lady-boy, lah-di-dah drink for those of weak minds and morals, and threatened masculinity.

 

[MandyH]

Cider is down our way too.
What about taking the train for internal transfers? The east coast line to York from London is pretty fast.

 

[old git]

My Cider Festival was to start at one end of Weston-super-mare High Street, going from pub to pub for a half pint of scrumpy. On reaching the Bristol Channel, cross the road and see how many more halves could be consumed before collapsing or seeing Hughie. You've got the misses to carry you back to the hotel or will she be doing the supping?

 

[gladsaxisme]

So my wife's TASsing (Ticket Acquisition Syndrome) for cheap flight tickets to the UK in the autumn, and we're probably going to take a connecting flight from Gatwick to Manchester or York (via Leeds Bradford) instead of staying in London. A friend of hers would be joining us in York for a day or two, if we decide to go there. My British colleague suggested we go to Manchester or Blackpool. All three places aren't that far away from each other.

The missus would also love to go see a cider festival, and I guess there ought to be one somewhere in that area in September or October. Myself, I want to see live sax music of course. Do you have any suggestions?

Also, it would be great to meet you guys in person - I've gathered quite a few of you live near Manchester. Any chance of a MASLM meeting happening around that time?


Cheers,
Jori

Edit: Just noticed that you can't get from Gatwick to Leeds Bradford (which would have been close to York) any more. So that means it's to Manchester from Gatwick.

Hi jrintaha

It's obviously a long way off at the moment and the MaSLM is in it's infancy having had just two meets so far,but if you give me the Heads Up nearer to your visit and every thing is still going as far as the MaSLM is concerned I would be glad to arrange a meet up of some sort when you come over.

As for jazz clubs in the M/C area there is Matt and Phreds on Tibb Street in Manchester and Band On The Wall which is just round the corner on Swan Street,there is a little dive bar that has a jazz night on wednesdays called Indigo this is on Wilmslow Road Withington a suburb of Manchester, I'm sure that other forum members may be able to come up with more...All the best for now ....john

 

[Colin the Bear]

There's the Blues festival at Colne Lancashire. Last weekend in August.

York is good if you like vikings. Leeds has quite a vibrant arts scene.

Blackpool is a little run down these days. Illuminations won't be on till October.

A more traditional sea side resort might be Whitby or Scarborough.

The Lake District is worth a look if you're in the area.

There's a small cider festival most days in the local park and sometimes the town centre. White Lightning seems to be popular.

Somerset is the place for Cider.

 

[Tenor Viol]

You can add Liverpool airport into your mix - they have a lot of low-cost flights and it's only 30 miles or so from Manchester. Manchester is the biggest northern airport - about the size of Gatwick. Trimmy is better placed to comment on current jazz scene in Liverpool.

Contrary to other comments, draught real cider IS available in these parts - it's available in a number of my local hostelries (admittedly I live in a rural rather than an urban area and I'm south of both the River Mersey and the River Dee). Agreed, you're more likely to come across a beer festival run by CAMRA. One National Trust property near me (Attingham Park) has an annual apple weekend in the autumn - they have a large orchard with a large number of varieties of apple.

 

[trimmy]

Hi Jrintaha & Mrs J

lf you cant get cheap flights from Gatwick to the North then i'll come and pick you up in my taxi (for a price of course)(forum discount) ;}
Jazz on in Liverpool (pool of life) every night at the moment which is good for us jazz lovers, Parr st studios is my regular haunt on a tues night. A meet at MaSLM bungalow would be good.
Keep us informed of your plans

 

[jrintaha]

Thanks for your input everyone.

I think you are at the wrong end of the country for cider - Northerners stoutly refuse to drink anything other than strong beer (see what I did there? ) for fear of being taken for fashion designers or, even worse, southerners. Cider is generally regarded in the North as a perfumed, lady-boy, lah-di-dah drink for those of weak minds and morals, and threatened masculinity.

It's a bit same here in Finland, although the watered-down lagers most people drink here would not qualify for beer there. Finnish "cider" is essentially apple wine / apple juice mixed with vodka, watered down, sweetened and carbonized - not fit for consumption if you ask me or the missus. Probably wouldn't even be allowed to call it cider in the UK. Cider's not really my thing either, but I've been trying to learn to drink it, as beer's not an option anymore - I got diagnosed with coeliac disease a bit over two years ago. Having been glued to the loo after living a week on Guinness and fish & chips in Stuttgart (work trip, happened to be an Irish pub next door to the place where I was staying...) I finally went to the doctor and got slammed with that.

You can add Liverpool airport into your mix - they have a lot of low-cost flights and it's only 30 miles or so from Manchester. Manchester is the biggest northern airport - about the size of Gatwick. Trimmy is better placed to comment on current jazz scene in Liverpool.

Hi Jrintaha & Mrs J

lf you cant get cheap flights from Gatwick to the North then i'll come and pick you up in my taxi (for a price of course)(forum discount)
Jazz on in Liverpool (pool of life) every night at the moment which is good for us jazz lovers, Parr st studios is my regular haunt on a tues night. A meet at MaSLM bungalow would be good.
Keep us informed of your plans

I have to check out the flights to Liverpool as well. There weren't any sensible ones direct from here to Manchester, probably not to Liverpool either, but might be from Gatwick to Liverpool. The only cheap flights from here to the UK go to Gatwick, whereas most of the UK domestic flights seem to go through Heathrow. Checked the train tickets, and the cheapest was something like £80 for a return trip for two from Gatwick to Manchester, which is not bad at all I reckon. But we might even hire a car, since they seem to be so cheap there. Would really help getting around.

What's the site you use for finding domestic flights? Google spews out a whole lot of 'em and I don't know which ones are good and which aren't.


Cheers,
Jori

 

[kevgermany]

Try the coaches - National Express. When you add in the time to get in/out of an airport, board and so on, 's not much longer, and it's a lot cheaper. Network's pretty good as well - much easier to get around than by plane. And a lot less nonsense about how much luggage you have.