Neston, Cheshire

We hadn’t been to the Wirral for a while so as it was a nice day we thought we’d pay another visit.  Our main destination was the affluent Heswall – birth place of John Peel and home to lots of nice charity shops.  However our first port of call was Neston, which I was surprised to find was not in fact part of the Wirral, but on the very edges of Cheshire.

Normally getting to Neston from north Manchester is about an hour via the M60, M62, M6, M56, A540 and B5134.  However, due to road works we ended up going via Widnes / Runcorn, which wasn’t much better either as we got stuck in more road works.  Hopefully when they finish the bridge works over the Mersey it might be a better route.  At least we found free parking in Neston, which is always good. 

Neston itself is a quiet well-to-do town.  Architecturally small scale with some nice red brick buildings, interspersed with black and white rendered buildings with a hint to the 20^th century with a small stretch of newer shops.  There is a modern Sainsbury’s hidden behind the town hall, which helps to retain its small town charm.  There are a number of period pubs you could easily spend a cosy evening in or have Sunday lunch.  It seems like the sort of town you would like to bring up a family in or retire to. 

Obviously we were there to check out the charity shops and we toured the lot.  These included Oakwood Animal Sanctuary, Age UK, Sue Ryder and Hospice of the Good Shepherd.  I regretted not buying a cocktail shaker in one shop, but I eventually got one from Lymm.  Neil didn’t spot much, but then again we were heading off to nearby Heswall which is great for charity shops.

We were heading off to eat in Heswall, so we didn’t get to sample any coffee and cakes here.  Obviously there is a Costa here, although I’d like to know where there isn’t a Costa these days.  However if you are looking for a local independent alternative, Elephant Coffee looked like a really nice option.

To be truthful we didn’t stop long here as Heswall was our main destination, but people have since told us we missed out on going to nearby Ness Botanical Gardens, which is a shame as it was a lovely blue sky day.

Whilst technically Neston isn’t on the Wirral Peninsula, if you are planning a road trip around it, you should definitely take in Neston.  It’s a pretty little town and worth a quick detour, especially if you are going to charity shops or want to visit a botanical garden.  

Widnes, Cheshire

I had enticed Neil into Ikea in Warrington with the promise of meatballs and cake. However, the novelty wore off quickly, especially when there was almost a punch up between three Scouse kids in the canteen.  Obviously we had to go to a nearby northern town to regain the semblance of sanity we had lost in Ikea.  So where do you go?

The list of northern towns we have not been to has over the years become well and truly limited.  One place we hadn’t been to was Widnes, which is a short drive from Warrington.  I’d been under the misapprehension that Widnes was in Merseyside, however it is not so.  It’s in fact part of Halton in Cheshire.  Anyway I had no expectations of Widnes apart from the fact it had lots of charity shops.  In many respects that’s the best attitude to take when visiting Widnes as it couldn’t disappoint me.

The best way to get to Widnes is to take the M62 and get off at Junction 7 and take the A577 into town.  Word of warning when you are leaving Widnes: do not go back to the M62 via Warrington, otherwise you will get stuck in traffic with all the lights, past the endless retail parks that encircle Warrington.

When we got to Widnes I had to double check we were in the right location as it looked like we were driving into a retail park.  Apparently we were at the town centre and parked in Morrison’s car park – it was free so all was good.

Next to Morrison’s is both the indoor and outdoor market.  We ventured into the indoor market first as it was one of those cold and blustery days that chill you to the bone.  It wasn’t a very exciting place and the outdoor market stalls were half empty with hardly anyone browsing.  Part of me thought the cold weather had a lot to do with this.  These markets are very traditional, focusing on food, clothes and cheap tat.  I was disturbed to see one stall that had lots of dolls’ heads on the counter; then again I find dolls rather disturbing in general.

The town centre itself is pedestrianised and links up all the small shopping precincts in the area.  I did notice there were hardly any major high street chains in the town centre apart from cheap pound stores and grocery shops.  It reminded me of Leigh where major high street chains are a rarity. 

All the coffee shops and cafes are independent.  The Albert Grill was doing a Viking breakfast and I’m curious to find out what is different in a Viking breakfast to a full English breakfast.  We were pleased to see it had a Les’s Fish Bar – it’s a small fish and chip chain across Cheshire.  If we had known about this we would have skipped lunch at Ikea and had it here.  Neil is very fond of their battered burger (yuk!). I have to say these cafes seemed to be popular with the locals and it’s good to see this as I do get bored of seeing Costa Coffee in every town.

There were plenty of charity shops in Widnes and obviously we toured the lot.  Unfortunately they were very disappointing on the vinyl records and books front.  It did seem to me that most stuff was deceased old ladies’ belongings and not a huge amount of stock either.  It was heart breaking to hear a woman dragging her child out of one charity shop, as the child was screaming at her to buy a toy.  The woman was trying to convince her child that all the toys were broken.  In reality she couldn’t afford to buy her child one.  It’s a sad state of affairs when someone can’t afford to buy their child a toy from a charity shop.

Widnes does have more than a whiff of desperation in the air and many of the old people looked wizened from hard lives.  We spotted Fiddler’s Ferry Power station on the edge of the town and I guess Widnes must have had an industrial past.

On a more positive note, we did see a community art shop in the precinct and there were signs promoting local artists in the local shopping arcade.  It was unfortunate that the community art shop was closed, though it did have some interesting pictures in there.  I remember they had an amazing framed picture of the Liver building and some pretty pieces of abstract art.

It made us laugh to see Neil’s full name emblazoned above a jewellery shop in the town.  Obviously we made tits of ourselves taking random photos of the shop sign to the bemusement of the locals.  In fact we did take lots of pictures of shop signs as some were silly – Mushy Ste’s was the name of a fish and chip shop.  Also why call a Chinese buffet restaurant “Panda Panda”? Surely one panda in the title is enough?

We had intended to go to the waterfront (Widnes is on the banks of the River Mersey) as I fancied taking pictures of the Silver Jubilee Bridge which spans the river.  However, the weather was very windy, so much so we nearly tripped up over a child whilst trying to avoid packing paper that was being blown down the street.  We simply had to pass on that as it was too cold.

Widnes really isn’t an exciting place to visit.  It’s just an everyday northern town thrown up in the Victorian era to service people working in industry.  Architecturally it’s dull apart from the Silver Jubilee Bridge and Fiddler’s Ferry Power station.  I did notice the Council were trying to entice people to the town with the sign “Try Widnes” – I tried it and you can have it back.  Like anywhere in the world you can find interesting places and you can find dull places.  Widnes falls into the dull category. Then again, on the upside, going to places like this makes you appreciate where you live.  Widnes, I can’t say it has been a pleasure, but you have been ticked off the list so let’s leave it at that. 

Alderley Edge, Cheshire

Whilst Wilmslow can be a bit chav-bling-tastic, Alderley Edge is like its classier cousin. It's the  Posh Spice to Ginger Spice.  Funnily enough Victoria Beckham lived in Alderley Edge back in the day when David played for Manchester United.

Yes - Alderley Edge is very much a part of the 'footballers and new rich' set.  In Cheshire, Alderley Edge is locally known as being a part of the golden triangle, which includes Hale Barnes and Knutsford.  Much of the wealth is concentrated here and it's no wonder it's considered one of the wealthiest areas in the UK.

Getting to Alderley Edge is relatively straightforward if you come from Wilmslow as you just go down the Alderley Road onto the A535 and then on the B5087.  Or if you are coming from Manchester - M60, exit junction 3 onto the A34, then pick up the A535 and B5087.  It's probably quicker using the latter route as you can use the Handforth bypass.

Parking is relatively straightforward as there is a little pay and display car park we tend to use behind the main shops.  However last time we went it did have some terrible pot holes.  Actually you might be better using the car park at the little Waitrose on the main road.  

Our car seemed conspicuously out of place amongst all the flash cars with personalised number plates.  For some people in Alderley, they park where they like and there was one woman who was unconcerned that her 4x4 had received a parking ticket.  It sure would be nice not to worry about such "trivialities".  

If you are stopping at Alderley Edge it does make a good afternoon lunch location as it has loads of bars and restaurants to choose from.  We'd already eaten beforehand, but I quite liked the look of the Botanist.  I couldn't help but notice many places offered your standard pub menu, but with a twist and fancy presentation.  If you have the right connections, you could seriously clean up here if you opened a bar/restaurant.  Instead we went to Costa for a cold drink as it was really hot and sticky that day, so much so I felt like I was having a hot flush.

Costa was fairly busy, caffeinating the neighbourhood.  One lady was nursing her coffee, scrolling through her smart phone, whilst another was on her laptop trying to type through the racket made by the neighbouring large family.  The family looked like visiting walkers having a break.  Just above Alderley is a National Trust site called the Edge.  Essentially it's an escarpment where you can get a great view of the Cheshire Plains and beyond on a good day.  It's also known as a supernatural attraction and there are plenty of legends about the place including the Wizard of the Edge.  It's just off the Macclesfield Road out of the village.  You can either follow the signs or stop where you see loads of cars on the side of the road.  We weren't feeling that adventurous on a hot summer's day, so we stayed in the village.

The village has a long history and goes back to the bronze age.  There are some lovely buildings in the town.  I particularly like the stone built building which houses a branch of Barclays Bank.  Further up is the 19th century tudor style building, which is home to the De Trafford pub, part of the Chef and Brewer chain.  I do keep meaning to try this place out as the Chef and Brewer food is generally pretty good.

Now when it come to charity shops, Alderley Edge is in the premier division.  If you are a size 8 to 10 go to Barnardos and bring your credit card.  Seriously it's the best charity shop for designer women's clothes I've seen.  The shop was naturally packed, but Neil was waiting outside as it doesn't do vinyl records. 

There are a number of charity shops in Alderley Edge, but the newest edition is an Oxfam.  We'd noticed the Oxfam in Wilmslow wasn't as good as it used to be and the book section was no longer as extensive.  It seems with the opening of the branch in Alderley Edge, the book section has transferred to here.  I liked it and so did Neil as he managed to pick up some vinyl records.  I think it was the first time he found anything here as I've always equated posh towns and villages to crap music taste.  Nantwich being an exception, but I do think that was a one-off-someone-died donation.

As you go on the charity shop trail in towns, you  recognise other people on the same trail.  This time it wasn't a person I recognised, but a lovely beagle dog whose owner traipsed from shop to shop hanging outside each shop waiting for his wife who was busily trawling through the shops.

The majority of Alderley shops are independently owned and reflect the demographic of the place.  There was a cheese shop, running shop and a rash of estate agents.  Nothing is just a simple shop - a home wear shop is an interior design shop. A kitchen shop was described as selling "exquisite bespoke kitchens".  Even the local bakery was serving up some lovely looking baked goods I've never seen in a local bakery.  You can't help but admire the spin they do to make things classier than they are.

Alderley Edge is clearly classier than its neighbouring town Wilmslow.  It's more low key, with dashes of designer style.  I couldn't help noticing the locals were promenading down the street in their high class smart casual clothes holding the designer bag of the moment.  I'm sure there's an internal social politics that would be interesting to unpick here, but that's for another time.  I can also imagine Alderley Edge does draw wannabe WAGS who stop over at the Premier Inn in the hope of picking up a Premiership footballer in a local bar.  Not that I would recognise a footballer if I bumped into one.  Seriously football is an overrated sport and has completely jumped the shark in terms of respectability and integrity.  I've been to two football matches in my life, once to Manchester City and the other time to Manchester United.  The only reason was to accompany my brother who had no one else to go with - he was desperate and I considered it a charitable act.

Alderley Edge is a lovely part of the world, far enough from the hustle and bustle of Manchester, but handily on a quick rail route to the city.  You can quite easily see why it has become the desirable neighbourhood of choice for the wealthy.  However I'm in no doubt there is a local snobbery and obsession with conspicuous consumption, which taints this lovely place.

Knutsford, Cheshire

Looking back at my blog I noticed there was a glaring omission from the Cheshire section, namely Knutsford.  However persuading Neil to go back there was another matter.  A bribe of battered burger at the Pepper Street Fryer in Nantwich worked, so he was then held captive in the car for a detour to Knutsford.

We’ve been having rather beautiful weather in the north lately, which is a complete novelty to us sun deprived northerners.  So it was good to take a trip into leafy Cheshire, although my car proved to be an effective sauna until I remembered how to work the aircon.

Getting to Knutsford from north Manchester is simple as you take the M60, M62, M6, junction 19 and follow the signs to Knutsford.  When we lived in south Manchester we used to go M60, M56 and then either the A556 or A538, but I prefer the M6 as it’s both quicker and a shorter drive once you exit the motorway, although you can get a train from Manchester which drops you in the heart of the town.

Parking in Knutsford is straightforward - either you can park on the road for 30 minutes or in the car park on Tatton Street where you can park for 2 hours for £1.

Knutsford is a very well-to-do market town with what I call two indicators of posh – a Waitrose mini supermarket and a Barbour shop.  The town itself is built on the side of a hill and this splits the town centre in two.  Top of the hill is Princess Street and bottom is King Street.  As the streets are so narrow, there is a one way system for the owners of high performance cars and midlife crisis motor bikers to negotiate. 

Knutsford has evolved over the centuries and was recorded in the Domesday Book.  In the 19^th century the place was immortalised by Elizabeth Gaskell in the novel Cranford.  With the BBC TV series this place has become a draw for tourists and sure enough we found Japanese tourists taking photos on Princess Street.

Tucked away on Church Street is a tiny indoor market selling pet stuff, cheap odds and ends, plants and locally sourced meat and veg.  Once a month there is an artisan market that pops up too.

King Street seems to be the most popular street and there seems to be an on-going battle between pedestrians and cars to navigate this street as both the pavements and street is so tiny.  It’s not helped by the fact there is parking on the street too. The best eavesdropped conversation was whilst being stuck behind a mother and daughter.  They were discussing career options.  The mother suggested fashion; however, the daughter said ‘I don’t want to spend my days with bitchy girls’.  Looking at the mother, who was clad head to foot in designer gear, I do think she was trying to live her dreams vicariously through her daughter.  An evil thought passed through my head and I thought the daughter could piss her mother off by training to become a doctor or nurse and do something meaningful with her life. 

Walking along through Knutsford was pretty much an encapsulation of the worst excesses of moneyed Cheshire life – a case of style over substance.  Designer boutiques, exclusive bars and restaurants, extravagant florists, bling fantastic jewellers and extravagant cars.  The thing that struck me most was the fact that one restaurant was closed for a private party and had a sign that said ‘guest list only’.  A private party is just that, private.  A guest list is just a conceit. I didn’t half feel like I was lowering the tone in this place with my ten year old car and battered handbag.

The one thing I really noticed about the place was the women.  They were different beings – manicured, honed, tanned (spray), bouffanted, pristine and immaculately dressed.  It must be a full time job for them to look this polished and it must cost a FORTUNE.  The dress sense veered from body con, to maxi dress, to middle aged relaxed matchy matchy casual.  Here is one example of an outfit – a lady was dressed in a leopard print maxi dress, with a matching leopard print oversized bag, gold coloured gladiator sandals and topped off with designer sunglasses used as a posh headband.  I couldn’t help but notice the hair of the middle aged ladies, which was immaculate and must cost a complete fortune to maintain.  The hair colours were quality with no roots showing.  GHD straighteners are a must for the ladies here as there was not so much as a hair out of place or a kink in their dos. 

This place makes you feel seriously self-conscious about the way you look.  I’d hate to be teenage in this town as there must be a huge pressure here to look good.  No wonder the teenager I overheard wasn’t keen on fashion as a career.  I really felt for her as she had some puppy fat and whilst that is a natural part of growing up I bet she felt very self-conscious about the way she looked. She looked great in her rebellious Goth-lite outfit of shorts, velour top and lacy shirt top. You are fine the way you are love, ignore your mother’s advice and do not listen to those bitchy girls. 

Anyway we had come here to check out the charity shops and there are a fair few to go through.  If memory serves me correctly I think the Cancer Research one was very busy.  I know the one in nearby Wilmslow often gets some seriously good donations from the rich ladies who can’t be bothered to trade them in at the dress agency shops.  If you are between a size 8 and size 10 you are seriously well catered for and will get a really nice outfit here.  However when it comes to other things like ornaments and pictures you will struggle.  People here know the price of stuff and are more likely to sell stuff like that to the local antique dealers, which there are many throughout the town.

Neil was extremely frustrated with Oxfam again.  Not only were the vinyl records overpriced, but they were priced beyond what you could pick them up in a record shop or online.  This was compounded by the fact there were some decent singles he would have bought if they were sanely priced.  I remember on previous visits they had a David Bowie record priced at £50, which was in fact a reissue and only worth £5.  People really get the wrong idea about the value of vinyl records.

So what else can I tell you about Knutsford?  It’s very close to Tatton Park and the entrance is by Tatton Street where we are parked.  There are plenty of pubs as well as restaurants and bars, so there is no chance of starving here.  Also I noticed some tiny cottages on Church Hill were in fact holiday lets as they had key code keyholders by the door.  In the past we’ve seen paparazzi photographers lurking outside restaurants on King Street.  At that time I think they were waiting for Kerry Katona when she lived nearby.

As much as Knutsford is physically a pretty town with lots of interesting little shops, I’m not fond of the place.  Maybe it’s the meaningless conspicuous consumption that pervades the place.  Maybe it’s the people as they aren’t that friendly and live in their own manicured bubbles.   Maybe it’s my inner feminist that was railing against the objectification of the local women.  In all honesty I would suggest to the local women to ditch the GHDs and do something that makes your soul sing – focusing on appearances is not a fulfilling activity.  Believe me it was a joy to see a make-up free mum with wild hair taking a silly photo of her son’s bright green tongue.  It was such a pleasant antidote to the artificiality of the place.

Will I go back there?  Probably, if I’m passing through, although it won’t be anytime soon.  

Ellesmere Port and Cheshire Oaks

The story of why we ended up in Ellesmere Port was a suggestion from Neil to go to Ed’s Diner at Cheshire Oaks.

Whenever we are in London we always end up at Ed’s Diner for a burger and a hotdog.  The food from this American styled diner is always good and it was great to find out recently that they are now opening branches across the UK.  Neil was keen to sample the pulled pork hot dog again so we trotted along to Cheshire Oaks via the M60, M62, M6 (damn the road works on the Thelwall Viaduct), M56 and M53. 

Parking in Cheshire Oaks on a Saturday is a nightmare.  I really didn’t know what to expect to see at Cheshire Oaks and there were car parks in front of the shops.  However, ignore this and head for the multi storey car park. It saves a world of pain of cruising around the open air car park looking for a precious space. 

Cheshire Oaks is really a large, nicely built precinct with some top name designer outlet shops.  It attracts a wide range of people from middle class and working class families, all on the same mission - looking out for cut price quality goods.  It was really packed with people and it was driving me nuts.  So we cut to the chase and headed to Ed’s Diner.

We had to queue at Ed’s Diner to get a table.  Unlike the Ed’s Diners we’d been to in London it was full of families who wanted something classier than a McDonalds.  One of the reasons why Neil likes this place is the 50s and 60s music. However the kids were noisy and we could barely hear what was playing.  The food was good (pulled pork burger & pulled pork hotdog).  The staff were efficient and friendly.  The service was quick and the place was clean.  You really can’t fault Ed’s Diner and it is well worth a visit for an American Diner experience.

Cheshire Oaks was simply doing my head in with all the people.  I do think I’m a bit antisocial at times.  The next time we come back here to sample Ed’s Diner we will go during the week when it’s much quieter.

Ten minutes down the road is Ellesmere Port.  I’d only every heard of this place as one of my childhood neighbours had family there. 

Driving into Ellesmere Port there appeared to be lots of council housing and working class terraces.  If it wasn’t for it being a bright day, I think this place would seem quite grim.

We parked in a pay and display car park near the station, where it was 50p for two hours.  Although we later found there was an ASDA up the road, which probably did free parking.

Ellesmere Port has definitely seen better days.  On the main high street many shops had been closed down.  All there seemed to be were takeaways, discount shops, off licences, pawnbrokers and a Polish shop.  However the Fab Lab did seem interesting, selling locally made goods.  It appeared to be some local regeneration project to help people develop skills and gain employment, which is great to see.    

The architecture in Ellesmere Port seemed to be a mix of Victorian red brick and 1950s / 1960s concrete creations.  It’s quite likely this place was bombed during the Blitz in the Second World War and may explain why there are so many post war civic buildings.

Whilst it was a bright day, the wind was making it hard for us to walk down the high street.  We got to the precinct and decided to take shelter there.

The charity shops are situated around the precinct.  We found a Salvation Army, Local Federation for the Blind shop, British Heart Foundation and Claire House Childrens Hospice.  I really can’t say we found much in them.  The books were pretty dull, although I did find the biography section did cover a number of reasonably local celebs including Gary Barlow, Paul O’Grady and Steven Gerrard.  Neil didn’t find any records to buy

The precinct wasn’t that exciting either with the usual high street names, electronic cigarette shop, Costa and the bizarrely named National Milk Bars café.  I popped into The Works and picked up a cheap autobiography by Carrie Fisher (ace writer by the way).

The shoppers seemed down to earth older people, some of which appeared to have had hard lives.  The young and middle aged people clearly head off to nearby Cheshire Oaks or Chester for their shopping experiences.

There was an indoor market and this was definitely where the heart of the community lies.  At the centre of the market was a seating area which was served by three or four food stalls.  If it could be fried, it was served here.  I noticed there were lots of old people having their Saturday afternoon treat. 

Around the eating area were all the stalls.  Some appeared to be bric-a-brac and handicraft stalls, but there were your usual suspects including a mobile phone stalls selling chavy mobile phone covers whilst doing cheap repairs and unlocking.  The two pet shops were doing well.  It was great to find both a haberdashery and wool stall as I’m fond of making stuff.  Oddly there was a stall selling freshly baked scones – it must be a local thing.  You really could do your weekly shop here and from the looks of things the older people do. 

Neil managed to find a record stall in the market and I was prepared to wander around the market on my own whilst he browsed.  However after flicking through one box there was a shake of the head and the word ‘overpriced’ was uttered. 

We could have gone to see if there was a waterfront, but we weren’t inspired to explore any further.  Enough was enough so we decided to home. 

I really can’t say I was impressed with Ellesmere Port and when I spoke to my Dad about the trip he did ask ‘Why?’  He’d worked there years ago and wasn’t that impressed either.  On the other hand Cheshire Oaks is probably a good enough reason to travel up the M53, although after experiencing the intensity of a Saturday afternoon maybe best visit on a weekday. 

Macclesfield

We’ve been here a few times and probably due to laziness I haven’t written about the place.  So I’m rectifying the situation.

Macclesfield is in that part of Cheshire that is a ball ache to get to – not close to any motorway and a myriad of ways to get there.  This time we went M60, A34, A555, A5149 and A523.  Sometimes I’ve come through Wilmslow and even travelled via Buxton on the A537.  The A537 is special, it’s nicknamed the Cat ‘n’ Fiddle and probably one of the most dangerous roads in the country.  Needless to say I loved driving down this road and it’s the kind of road that demands you to drink a gin and tonic at the end of it to celebrate completing it in one piece.  This is definitely a road for a person wanting to experience a Top Gear moment.

Back to Macclesfield – I’ve always had a mixed experience of the town.  Often it has been the last town on a day trip when half the charity and interesting shops have closed.  This time I made sure it was the first stop of the day.

We park on the edge of town near Chester Gate.  We got 2 hours parking for a £1 which is not bad.  In my opinion Chester Gate is the most interesting part of town.  I consider it Macclesfield’s equivalent of Manchester’s Northern Quarter – a bit rough round the edges but rocking an interesting vibe.

There are a number of charity shops along Chester Gate and some of which are for the more local ones.  I always like Windyway Trust shop as they always have pictures dotted around the shop of the cute animals they are looking after.  These charity shops are very busy, although you really have to be sharp to pick up a bargain or a collectable as there are a number of local vintage shops who no doubt scour these shops for antiques only to sell them for 10 times what they paid for them. 

The more mainstream charity shops such as Scope, Cancer Research and Oxfam are located in the centre of Macclesfield.  In Scope there was a dispute as a woman had thought she had left her mobile phone charger there earlier in the week.  The shop assistant insisted they had checked and there was no phone charger in the shop.  In the end the shop assistant had to stop the woman from going into the back room.  Sue Ryder shop on the edge of town is the largest of all the charity shops and does a good line in furniture.  If you are on a budget and need to pick up some cheap furniture this is the place to visit.

As I mentioned there are some Vintage shops on Chester Gate.  I’m somewhat disappointed with Macvintage as despite looking the part of a vintage shop they are seriously overpriced especially where vinyl records are concerned.  My favourite vintage shop along here is Déjà vu.  I’m still kicking myself for not picking up a Japanese embroidery picture I saw there.  Whilst it’s a narrow shop it is spread out over 3 floors and 6 rooms.  I love wandering from room to room and whilst we’re not talking high end antiques here they have some interesting items at what seemed to me reasonable prices.  Neil didn’t find anything to pick up from their collection of vinyl  though he did find some awful album covers to post on Facebook.  Déjà vu is definitely a place to visit.

As we wandered into town there were plenty of independent shops that have popped up.  The Big Issue seller was very scary sounding whilst he hawked his wares.  There are plenty of restaurants and cafes too to grab a bite to eat.  There is both a Caffe Nero and a Costa to rest your weary feet, along with some independent cafes which looked interesting.  We decided to get fish and chips from Silktown Fryer.  Whilst we did ask for a small portion of chips, we still got a mighty helping.  I have to say they were good too.

The main shopping area is a pedestrianized zone, which adds to a safer shopping experience.  Not surprisingly, in this economic climate, there are a number of empty shops dotted about.  This is not helped by the fact there is an out of town shopping area on the outskirts of the town.  The main shopping area isn’t the most thrilling shopping experience as it had standard high street chains vying for trade. 

Architecturally Macclesfield is a traditional market town with a hodge-podge of shops which have evolved over the centuries.  As a result this gives the place real character.  The Town Hall in the centre of town is a rather grand building, which looked more like a stately home than civic building. On the outskirts of the town there were some large Mill buildings and apparently Macclesfield used to be a hub for silk making.  Chester Gate being  a little rough round the edges has a few boarded up shops and pubs, but the locals have painted murals on the frontages which really helps to brighten up the place.

After this trip I’m really quite impressed with Macclesfield as it’s definitely working its independent shopping experience.  For me that is one of the best things about the place.  I do think the nice weather helped as rain and drizzle can really dampen one’s spirits when visiting northern towns.  No doubt we’ll be back at some point, especially as I’m still wondering if Déjà vu have that silk embroidery.

 

Chester

Chester is a cracking little city to visit.  We’ve been to Chester quite a few times over the years and it’s a rather beautiful place to find yourself in.

A few years back we spent a night at the Crowne Plaza between Christmas and New Year.  It was a nice hotel, but I can find it really hard to sleep in hotels.  The breakfast was nice, but we were overrun by a coach party of OAP’s who were hogging the breakfast buffet.  The best thing was seeing Chester dusted in a light coating of snow, which made it look even prettier.

 

Getting to Chester is a relatively simple process from Manchester: M60, M56 and M53.  You do have a choice of junctions to turn off at and I never know which one is the best.   The one which leads you to Hoole Road is the worst as it’s always full of traffic.  Then again it’s always worth taking a detour to Hoole as it’s a sweet little happening suburb.

Parking in Chester is a major poo – this is why they have a park and ride service.  If you take the Hoole Road route there is an open air car park near the Hoole Road roundabout.  It is cheap, but always busy.  There is also pay and display parking near the council flats – again always busy.  Stupidly we went to Chester on a race day so it would be wasting our time trying these places.  In the end we parked in Pepper Street Car park and paid about £7 for 4 hours parking – very pricy if you ask me.

Chester is always a good shopping experience.  Not only does it have your usual high street chains but also a good selection of independent shops.  We noticed there were a couple of vintage shops this time.  Penny Lane is near the centre of Chester.  I have to say whilst it does sell vintage items, its main trade is selling new clothes which have a vintage feel.  I had to leave Neil in there browsing the racks of second-hand records.  There was a more interesting shop on Brook Street  called Becnicks Wonder Emporium, which was more interesting and had a little café.  I loved the scary knitted cats and the furniture in the shop.  It definitely had more of a vintage feel than Penny Lane.

 

There is a fab second hand book shop on the city walls near Northgate Street called Bluecoat Books, which is must see place for book fans.  Whilst it’s packed full of books, it is well organised, cheap and not overwhelming.  As Chester has a university, it does a good line in academic books.

The charity shops in Chester have gone downhill since our last visit.  There are simply less charity shops and with the growth in vintage shops there is just less decent stuff available. The Oxfam on Bridge Street is now seriously lacking in music and that was always a good place to go.  Then again the Oxfam on Frodsham Street is always worth a look for books. In one charity shop I overheard one of the assistants saying some charity shops had closed due to high rents.  I had noticed where there used to be a vintage book shop on Bridge Street had now turned into Jigsaw.  I would take a guess the rents had something to do with that too.

In Age UK we witnessed a crazy incident.  Neil was browsing through the vinyl records whilst I was perusing the books.  A couple of girls aged about 10 started yelling at each other.  One girl had picked up a bright orange gorilla and the other girl wanted it.  It was getting heated and the screaming girls began to wrestle with each other to get hold of the £1.95 gorilla.  Their Mums were just ignoring them, so the shop assistant had to intervene and take the gorilla off them saying only one of them could buy it.  One girl ran off to her mum to get the money, whilst the other was busy counting out her pocket money.  Obviously the girl with the pocket money got it.  As I was leaving the shop, the other girl stormed out in a diva huff when she found out the other girl had got it.  I wish I had filmed it as not only would I have got £250 from You’ve Been Framed, but also it was genuinely funny and would have been a You Tube classic.

 

Whilst the centre of Chester is a standard shopping experience, I found that Faulkner Street and Brook Street are more interesting as it reminded me of the Northern Quarter in Manchester.  I was pleased to find Abakhan, a cheap haberdashery shop that sells fabric by the kilo.  Sadly with my repetitive strain injury I can’t buy wool any more.  There’s a growing multicultural community in Chester which is shown by the number of ethnic food shops that have popped up along here.  There’s a tanning salon that does spray tans that were medium, dark or double dark.  Surely they could have said light, medium or dark instead?  A shop assistant in a mini supermarket was discussing with her colleague that she didn’t mind lone working on a Saturday night as she always had her under-the-counter panic alarm if there was a robbery.  These two streets may not be the most glamorous places in Chester, but I certainly find them the most interesting.

As it was the Chester Races we found lots of people dressed to the nines looking glam.  Although once some of the ladies opened their mouths their accents betrayed their Liverpool heritage and the glamorous illusion was shattered.  It was quite funny as the day wore on as the suited and booted blokes got steadily trollied with alcohol and their smart appearance descended into a beery messiness.

If I haven’t convinced you to go to Chester, then try Chester Zoo.  I know some people aren’t keen on zoos, but this is definitely the best I’ve seen.  The chimps are always happy, the penguins do jazz hands to visitors and most importantly the elephants are content.  The elephants are incredibly gentle in how they relate with their family group.  They are so hypnotic I could watch them all day.  It’s always best to come at feeding time to see the animal interaction. 

Chester is a very pretty city with the black and white Tudor style architecture and Roman history.  There is the river and park on its banks if you want to take a break from shopping.  You can also walk round the city walls or pop into the Cathedral.  The opportunities to do stuff here are endless.  No wonder we like taking a trip to here, although the parking is pants. 

 

For those who love photography you really can’t get enough of this place as there is a photo opportunity on every corner.  Although for architectural photography 6am would be the best time in this city as the city is pretty busy during shop hours.

So how shall I end this blog?  I’m sure I’ve not even got everything in as there is so much to write about.  So let’s finish on these five words - Go to Chester, its great!

Congleton

For quite some time I’ve been trying to get Neil to revisit Congleton.  The last time we went it was rather a depressing day, however I noticed there were plenty of charity shops to explore and I was itching to return.  This time I bribed him – I will take him to Nantwich so he can look in Oxfam and have a battered burger (barf), but we had to visit Congleton as well.  So our deal was struck.

We took the A534 from Nantwich to Congleton.  You can also take the M6 and get off at Junction 17 then pick up the A534 as it’s quicker.  However there was a traffic jam so we took the cross country route.

Congleton is not your typical leafy Cheshire town, as you drop down the hill into the town centre you notice old mill factories dotted around.  Apparently Congleton had an industrial past making textiles and these mills are the last remaining remnants of that past.

Parking in Congleton is straightforward and we parked at the pay and display next to the bus station.

We did notice a café at the bus station called Bear Grill’s and then we spotted the local bus company was called Bear Town.  As we walked through the town we kept spotting bears in shop windows.  What’s with this bear thing in Congleton?  Apparently  Congleton got the nickname of ‘Bear Town’ in the 17^th Century for being notorious as a town for bear baiting, especially as legend has it that it sold the town bible to buy a more aggressive bear.  Sometimes it’s quite unnerving to find out these apparently cute nicknames are based on something much more sinister.  I’m sure this doesn’t happen anymore.

The town itself is a real mix of buildings  from black and white style, to the imposing Victorian Town hall, to rather dull 20^th Century shopping centre.  Despite it looking quite pretty in parts, the town was surprisingly quiet for a Saturday afternoon.  On closer inspection, there were quite a few empty shop fronts.  It seems Congleton has taken quite a battering in this economic recession. 

We were here for the charity shops and Neil had a good rummage for stuff.  I didn’t find much in the way of books, but I did see the most amazing tiles of a bull’s head as we went into the Oxfam.  Throughout Congleton I kept finding Victorian mosaics and tiles on shop walls or entrances.  I love the fact these little details remain, which gives so much character to a place.

 

There is a cheap tat market hidden in the modern red brick shopping centre at the back of the main pedestrianized street.  I’m not a fan of these markets, but apparently twice a month they do have a farmers market.  Hurrah!  I love a good farmers market.

Thankfully Congleton has a number of independent shops that are stemming the tide of the recession.  There was Simply Retro selling vintage clothes and stuff; I loved The StationeryCupboard as it catered for all my stationery whims; and I noticed that Bryans haberdashery shop still sported old school signage.   You can actually buy new music in a physical format at A&A Music shop as well as buy musical instruments – this is a rare thing in this day and age and should be supported.

There are plenty of fabulous looking traditional pubs in Congleton.  I reckon it could be a lively night out, especially on the weekend with people coming in from the outlying countryside.  I know there are popular Northern Soul and Comedy nights here in the town, which is great to see.

 

Whilst it’s clear Congleton is suffering economically there is so much hope on the horizon here.  There is real civic pride in Congleton, not only from all the Civic pride awards by the war memorial, but from the fact they have community street art to brighten up the place and local calls for action in empty shop windows.  I was so pleased to see a local artist collective who has a home at the Electric Picture Theatre.  I’m a massive fan of cultural regeneration, where artists and craft makers help to regenerate the local economy.  We know Kev and Linda who regularly put on music nights in Congleton.  They also put on the Going Up The Country Festival each year, which is an indie-pop music event.  Sadly we couldn’t make it this year, but it’s a fab idea that brings people into the town.  I’ve seen this type of cultural regeneration make a real impact in northern towns like Clitheroe and Grassington.  It just needs some likeminded locals to make the difference.

I’m glad I managed to drag Neil to Congleton.  In the last few years since our last visit there has been a move in the right direction to jazz up the place.  There is still a long way to go and I doubt it will ever trouble the likes of Wilmslow and Nantwich in fabulousness.  However there is clearly a sense of civic pride in Congleton with people here trying to make a positive difference and that is brilliant!  Go team Congleton!!!

Nantwich

Cards on the table, I love Nantwich.  Its English country quaintness is something you’d find in a Visit England brochure.  If you have never been to the UK and only watched period dramas Nantwich is how you’d perceive England to be.  We’ve visited here over the years and I just think it’s fab. However Neil has never been that convinced.

Nantwich takes about an hour to get to from North Manchester and is quite straightforward to get to: M60, M62, M6, Junction 16, A500, A51 and B5074, or just follow the signs after junction 16.  There are car parks on the edge of town that are pretty cheap or you can park free for 30 minutes in designated street parking spots.

It was a drizzly and cold winter’s day when we visited.  Neil was determined to get a battered burger from the local chippy and I knew I needed to find the deli that sold Coopers gourmet sausage rolls.

Nantwich has evolved over centuries and has its narrow streets filled with a hotch potch of different styles of buildings.  The planners have pedestrianized streets close to the centre of town, which is great for strolling without the fear of getting flattened by a car.  The church dominates the town square.  There are also some lovely black and white Tudor buildings in the town and you must pop into Nantwich bookshop for a browse. 

What is clear from Nantwich is that it’s a wealthy town.  It has an Aga shop, which for me indicates an upper middle class level of affluence. There are hardly any empty shops and the majority of shops in the town are independents.  The butchers sell game meat, even bunnies (No!!!).  There are some antique shops, boutiques and gift shops.  You could easily spend hours having a good browse around the shops.

There is a market behind the church that sells a mix of cheap tat and craft stuff.  We’ve been to Nantwich previously and there has been a farmers market in the town square.  So it’s worth a quick Google to find out when they are held (probably once a month).

There are plenty of charity shops in Nantwich selling quality stock.  Not quite Wilmslow or Alderley Edge standard, but pretty good.  That may explain why the shops were buzzing with people browsing.  I managed to buy a book in one shop, but the ladies running the shop were having trouble with their new-fangled touch screen till.  Neil has never been too struck by Nantwich, but that was to change today.  Oxfam were doing an offer of three 7 inch singles for £1 and there was a fantastic Northern Soul collection in the sale.  He spent £42 on 98 records.  The ladies in Oxfam had never seen so many records sold in one go.    

Whilst Neil was in Oxfam I managed to find some CoopersSausage Rolls in Welch’s Butchers on Hospital Road.  They are really excellent sausage rolls and well worth trying. #

There were plenty of people with dogs in Nantwich.  I noticed quite a few dog owners owned two dogs.  Partly I guess to keep the other dog company and partly to show off to others they could afford two pedigree dogs.  Whilst I was waiting outside Oxfam for Neil, there was a dog owner trying to stop her little spaniel from going in the shop.  She said ‘Sophie I know your daddy is in there, but you can’t go in’ as she was dragging her away.  There was a Big Issue seller in the town square doing a side line in dog minding.  One of her doggy day care customers bought her a sandwich for her efforts – sweet!

We popped into Pepper Street Fryers restaurant to grab a bite to eat.  It used to be a branch of Les’s Fish bar, which can be found across Cheshire and in Wrexham.  Thankfully for Neil it still did battered burger, whilst I had a lovely plate of fish and chips.  I definitely recommend this place if you fancy a simple bite to eat.   

It’s hard to find fault with Nantwich and the only thing I could criticise the place for was the poor 3G coverage for smart phones. However if you go to Pepper Street there is some free Wi-Fi courtesy of the mobile phone shop.

If you are in the area and have an afternoon to spare definitely go to Nantwich – it is a lovely and pleasant place to visit.  Thankfully Neil is also now converted to the joys of Nantwich with its cheap records, battered burgers and Cooper’s sausage rolls – so we’ll definitely be back here soon.

The Cheshire Set - Barrel Hopping Travel Article Competition

Just to let you know I've entered the Barrel Hopping travel article competition.  My travel article is called The Cheshire Set and funnily enough it's about my travels in Cheshire.  If you could spare a moment and a couple of mouse clicks and vote, retweet, Facebook, Google+ or Pinterest.  Here is the link to The Cheshire Set - http://barrelhopping.com/england-cheshire-northern-towns/.  The voting button is a little gold star at the bottom of the article - please click.

Thank you kindly for your help!

Altrincham

Oh Altrincham! You do disappoint me so. I've been going to this place for years and it should be better than  it is.

Recently there has been lots of regeneration work done to the main pedestrianised shopping area. It has been a slow transformation, but they have done a good job. Before the work was done it was an uninspiring 60s built shopping centre, now it's a steel, glass and paved shopping confection. So technically it should be a more aesthetically pleasing shopping experience.  The trouble is the rest of the town has fallen into decline.  Stamford New Road (A538), next to the train/bus station, looks quite desolate these days with lots of empty shop fronts and even some of the charity shops have closed down.  The recession has really hit this town hard.  It's not just me saying it either, there have been reports in the media that a third of the shops remain empty and it's one of the highest rates in the country.  There used to be so many shops here and some quite posh.  I used to love popping into the sewing shop, but that has gone too.  Apparently the Council have applied for Altrincham to be one of the pilot projects for the Mary Portas Pilots to regenerate the local high street.  I hope they get it as Altrincham needs it.  It's so surprising for a town surrounded by such affluence to be in such a state.  Hale, only a ten minute walk away, is glorious in comparison.

There are a few coffee shops in the town - The Rhode Island Coffee shop, two Costas opposite each other which is slightly mad, there is a Starbucks in the local Sainsburys and a few locally run ones. We went into the Costa in Waterstones for cake and coffee.  I felt sorry for the lone author doing a book signing that day in Waterstones.  Her table was devoid of customers, so she busied herself by making the table looking presentable.  I hope she managed to sell some of her books.

I guess out of town shopping at the Trafford Centre and John Lewis at Cheadle hasn't helped at all.  There is a massive Tescos too just behind the station, along with a large Sainsburys.  It's so hard for local shops to compete with these shopping mammoths.  Parking isn't brilliant either as the car parks in the town are very busy.  You are forced to park in the supermarket car parks on the edge of the town and they are pay and displays too.

Altrincham is really quite hard reach in terms of motorway access - it's miles away from the M60 and you have to navigate a long stretch of boring road from Sale to get to it.  The M56 I guess is the closest, but it still a quite a drive.  Once you get to Altrincham it's so easy to miss the town centre as the Dunham Road (A56) bypasses the centre.  It's by far easier and quicker to get to Altrincham by tram.  Although it puzzles me why Bury, at the other end of the tram line, appears more prosperous than Altrincham.  Bury is a working class mill town and does not have the same economic prosperity as Altrincham residents.  However it has a buzz about it compared to Altrincham.  I guess it helps having Bury Market, which is a draw to the town.  I'm still traumatised by markets, no reflection on the Bury Market,  just me and one of my many foibles.  Altrincham has its own small market, but it isn't that exciting and I usually try to avoid it.  There are plenty of charity shops and sometimes you can find some nice things too.  Neil finds the Oxfam books overpriced for records, but I can always find an interesting book or two in there.

I love popping into the second hand book shop called Abacus Books on Regent Road.  The woman in the shop is always welcoming and the place is jam packed full of books.  I do worry it doesn't get enough people through the doors though, as I do have a soft spot for second hand book shops.  There is another book shop by the market that does new books, but I didn't get chance to go there this time.  Hopefully it is still open.  Waterstones is now in the main precinct and I do worry that independent book shops will suffer with this type of competition.

I believe Altrincham can get a bit lively at night and there seem to be a number of bars, pubs and takeaways catering for this market.  I find the sign above the 'Starving Man' a bit disturbing though.

My friend recommends the eateries at Goose Green, a little square off Stamford New Road.  It's quite a pretty spot and an oasis of calm from the rest of the town.

It frustrates me to see a place that has so much potential not reaching it.  I've often pondered this and I think there is something fundamentally wrong with the design of Altrincham.  Stamford New Road looks so unloved, but I'm hoping the scaffolding I saw on the road was the sign of some regeneration work about to happen.  They need to do a nice heritage shop frontage scheme along here.  If they could demolish the horrible shop fronts just before Lloyd Street, on the left hand side, would be an improvement.  I think if they could open it up as a public space would be nice to link in with some of the developments on Lloyd Street.   I think opening up the shopping precinct to Stamford New Road would be good too. I seem to be keen on demolition and that maybe due to the fact, apart from the pedestrianised shopping centre, it feels so cramp and dark.  There are some lovely buildings in Altrincham, but they do not have the space to breathe as they are so close to one another.  Recently I revisited Liverpool and the amount of open space they have created at Liverpool One links wonderfully to the waterfront and the old Town.  Maybe I should have become a town planner, but Altrincham needs some space, light and also a big make over on the bus station would not go amiss.

Oh dear Alty... fingers crossed you'll get better soon with some TLC and a shed load of regeneration money!