25th May A helter skelter of a ride.

So apologies for the late upload but I have been on a mini break with TOM to Cottonopolis or as you will more commonly know it Manchester. And the reason well a jolly to see something at the theatre that turned out to be two things at the theatre but more of that later.

On Tuesday night I should have been venturing out on a 10km fell run in Totley, south Sheffield, a trip organised to coincide with picking up a trinket but due to a 'marketplace mix up' that fell through at the last minute, Plan A was abandoned in favour of Plan B, meant I did a 10km run closer to home, one which took in running over the beautiful Bennerley Viaduct. 

To sum up the run in a nutshell, there was a 'steady' group which went off like greyhounds out of the trap. There was a 'steadier' group that went off at a pace that still left me gasping. What there wasn't was a 'steadies't group for plodders and so well as you will already have worked out I made up a group of my own for large sections of the run. Still it was a lovely 10km route that I will probably do again but possibly not with that group.

An overnight at TOM's, a quick stop over in Poynton to leave the car at Gill's and have a quick coffee / chatter and we were off into the big smoke on a glorous day, that made people watching in Piccadilly Gardens and Exchange Square a delight. 

Our Air BnB was 15 mins walk from Cornbrook tram stop, which in hindsite was probably 10 mins too far for TOM to comfortably walk, but was a lovely split level top floor apartment hosted by Ryan and Paulo. One that gave us a great view of the Manchester skyline which had changed so much since we were last here with high rise tower blocks appearing to have been / in the process of being built everywhere. It was a great location, a great place and great hosts who made us feel welcome and then just let us come and go as we wanted.

Our evening treat was a visit to one of favourite locations, the Royal Exchange for some theatre in the round, an immersive experience that we both enjoy even if it was from the £10 cheap seats. Or pehaps thats why we enjoy it! The play was called, 'No Pay No Way' and was a ferocious and fiesty political comedy that also had elements of slapstick and farce thrown in the good measure, that produced as many belly laughs as it did barbed digs at the economic climate and current govenment. Which considering it was originally written in 1974, proved so topical and contemporary it was hard to believe it was 50 years old.

From surreal to just downright silly, the humour was a whirlwind of a show that also managed to deliver a powerful political punch, even if it did contain the campest policeman you have ever seen, making his entrance onto the stage down a helter skelter slide dressed in the tightest pair of short you could imagine.

We both really enjoyed it, it's just a pity the theatre was less that 1/3 full and most of those were made up by a school party from would you believe it...Poynton.