| Next Spring we are proposing a visit to Manchester, a friendly city bursting with character, beautiful architecture, important museums and galleries and an astonishing display of new skyscrapers. Surrounding Manchester are many other fascinating places to visit. Manchester also hosts a sister Society, the Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society. Founded in 1781, the Lit and Phil as its popularly known, is one of the oldest learned societies in Europe and holds a regular series of lectures by experts on a wide range of topics. As before this visit is being organised by Tony Burton, Society Secretary, on behalf of the Council of the Society. The trip will be by coach booked from Parks of Hamilton – a company which has helped make previous tours hassle-free. |
Hotel
Members will be staying in the Didsbury House Hotel, South of the city centre. It is a four-star family-owned Victorian town house with some 30 rooms. An excellent breakfast is included. The hotel is over the road from the historic Fletcher Moss Park where the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds was created out of two earlier societies.
Tours and visits include:
| The Museum of Lead Mining – On the journey to Manchester there will be a guided tour of this museum at Wanlochead. This includes the Miners’ Library opened in 1756; cottages depicting the life of a miner in 1750, 1850 and 1920; and a chance to walk into Lochnell Mine, seeing where and how the miners worked. Lunch will be provided at the museum. |
City Centre tour – There will be a guided tour of the city centre following a talk on the development of modern Manchester.
Lyme Park and House – Famous as the location for the filming of Pride and Prejudice, we will get a guided tour of the magnificent house, a special visit back stairs to the servants’ quarters and working area, and access to the exceptional gardens and grounds. A light lunch will be provided in a private room.
Jodrell Bank – Still a working radio
telescope doing cutting edge research on pulsars, the Lovel telescope is the third
largest moveable radio telescope in the world. It became famous for being the only one able to detect and follow the
Russian Sputnik satellite in 1957. There
is an excellent exhibition and film
theatre onsite and the option to walk right round the telescope. We are hoping to arrange a talk by a professor from Manchester University on the latest developments in radio astronomy.
The Lowry – The delightful small gallery of Lowry’s work is in an interesting location in Salford at the end of the Manchester Ship Canal. We will see a film on Lowry’s life and work as well as many of his paintings.
The Whitworth Art Gallery–
This first rate gallery is part of Manchester University and includes examples of fabrics created in Manchester for West Africa raising issues around slavery and the triangular trade. There will be a guided tour
with commentary and we will have
lunch in a cafe overlooking the
Whitworth gardens.
People’s History Museum – This is known as the National Museum of Democracy. It has a great collection of relevant materials such as banners and posters depicting the story of the Peterloo massacre.
Manchester Lit & Phil – One of the talks listed above will be a joint activity with the Lit and Phil.
Travel and Costs
| Travel will be by coach (with toilet) from Glasgow. The pickup point will be 8.30 am on Monday 19 May, Cowcaddens Road opposite Buchanan Bus Station. We will aim to be back in Glasgow by 7pm on Thursday 22nd May. Costs included – The price of £825 per person includes: travel; three nights accommodation with breakfasts; two dinners, one at our hotel on the first night and another in Manchester’s famous Chinatown; the three lunches mentioned above; all entry fees and speakers’ costs. The price reflects the actual costs. |
Booking
| If you are interested in this trip please contact info@royalphil.org stating the names of those wishing to go and whether you require a single, double or twin-bedded room. Numbers are limited to 25 members. |