Short trip ‘Up North’
With Hannah moving from her temporary digs in Withington to my sister’s place in nearby Stockport, we headed north to Manchester to lend a hand.
For various reasons, both our cars had ended up in Southampton at the start of the trip, and both needed to be in London at the end. Cue a minor logistical headache; how to make it work without wasting diesel. A quick shout-out on WhatsApp, and daughter Sarah brokered a neat solution. Problem solved!
We called in on Alex’s parents, Costas and Fran (Sarah’s boyfriend’s mum and dad), en route and left one car safely on their driveway to collect on the way back. Perfect! Although Costas and I have chatted on social media, this was our first proper face-to-face meeting. A lovely way to break the journey too, coffee stops with them both up and down the country.
Didsbury – Volta and Santé
After the long drive, our first evening was spent in Didsbury at a restaurant called Volta. Didsbury has a reputation for being on the posh side, and Volta fits in, marketed as a “neighbourhood restaurant”, what ever that means?
The high street is lined with restaurants and cocktail bars that come alive after dark, buzzing with the local well-to-dos.
The food at Volta was excellent, lots of small plates, “tapas” style, washed down with a glass or three of wine. Afterwards, we wandered across the road to Santé for Sangria and cocktails.
The following morning was less glamorous: cleaning and clearing Hannah’s rented room, dodging “pigeon man” (long story), and shifting her belongings across town to my sister’s house. With my sister in Greece visiting her son Taylor, and her husband fishing for the weekend, it was an ideal time for us to move in.
No photos of the old digs, too depressing. Some landlords really do take the piss, charging over the odds for poor accommodation.
Little Underbank, Stockport
Mekong Cat and Stanleys
After a long day and a quick shower, we strolled into the centre of Stockport. It’s a charming spot, especially around Little Underbank, a warren of Georgian and Victorian buildings with over 400 years of history. Once filled with shops, it’s now buzzing, alive with pubs and bars, giving the area great energy. For background to the area click on this link
We’d eaten at Mekong Cat before, and it didn’t disappoint. The place shuts promptly at 9pm, and serves up fantastic dishes inspired by the Far East at very reasonable prices. We hadn’t booked, but spotted an empty table and chanced our luck. The staff were about to close the kitchen, but when the manager heard we were only in town for the night, they squeezed us in. Starters and mains arrived together, another tapas-style spread. Our feast; starters, mains, and a beer each came to just £62 for the THREE of us.
Full and happy, we wandered on to Stanley’s, a cosy, themed pub full of little nooks and crannies, before staggering back to my sister’s for our final night’s sleep.
The next morning we set off south via Sandbach, stopping in for a quick catch-up with one of Emma’s oldest friends, Lisa. They go “way back when,” and I suspect they share more secrets than I’ll ever be told. From there it was back to Costas and Fran’s to reclaim the car, and onwards to London.