Bears On Tour: Manchester 2016

Our annual cricketing getaway for this year saw Stephen and I returning to Old Trafford, Manchester for the County Championship Division One match between Lancashire and Warwickshire. Back in 2014 we stayed in the lodge at the ground but that option wasn't available to us this time around, meaning that nearby Sale became our base for enjoying a few days of sporting spectatorship...

- Volunteer Hotel -

We travel up to Manchester on Sunday 19th June, taking advantage of a Fun Fare special offer on National Express coaches that gave us a return ticket for only £8 each - result! The outward journey goes direct to Manchester Airport and on to the city centre, the coach being almost full with some of our fellow passengers heading for the Stone Roses concert later that evening. A short ride on the tram then connects us to Sale where our hotel is not far at all from the Metrolink station. We check in before getting our bearings around town, calling into the J P Joule Wetherspoons for a bite to eat. I am very keen to try out some proper Greater Manchester boozers while in the area, so Exhibit A is the Volunteer Hotel with its distinctive turret feature and a spacious traditional interior; of Holt's ale range both the Mild and Bitter go down well here.

- Weather Watch -

Monday 20th June is the opening day of the cricket but some not untypical Manchester weather means there's no play before lunch. An uncontested toss means Warwickshire elect to field and the Bears make a few early breakthroughs when the action does finally get underway. Besides watching the weather we keep a lookout for Ken who has come up for the day and joins us for the view from the Statham End. At one point Lancashire were 91 for 4 but an unbroken partnership from Brown and captain Croft sees the home side safely through to the close.

- J P Joule -

Our evening entertainment will involve a certain intercontinental football tournament but firstly the small matter of food. Captain Cod on Northenden Road is in our sights as I succumb to my craving for steak and kidney pudding, a delicacy I sorely wish was available on chip shop menus back in the West Midlands. Our tucking-in perch in Worthington Park is accompanied by a bronze bust of Mr Joule, the scientist who gives his name to the SI unit of energy (not to mention the aforementioned Wetherspoons). As for the football, England play out a tame 0-0 draw against Slovakia but still progress to the knockout stages of Euro 2016 - we watch the match at the Legh Arms at Sale Moor, another no nonsense Holt's experience with a full size snooker table in the public bar. 

- Sale Bridge -

Tuesday 21st June and a bit of exploring before we head to Old Trafford. Sale Town Hall and the Railway Inn (Robinson's Brewery) get some photo treatment while we stock up on snack supplies at various bakery stores. The Bridgewater Canal runs through the centre of Sale immediately parallel to the Metrolink Line and offers a sunkissed stroll along the towpath to Brooklands, passing Sale Cemetery and then discovering the Brook pub adjacent to the Altrincham-bound platform. 

- Noise Stops Play -

Back at the cricket, the morning is a lively affair thanks largely to the presence of 80 or so primary schools attending a community outreach day - cue lots of inflatable bananas, a bouncy castle and Lanky the giraffe mascot doing a tour of duty. Lancashire are bowled out for 308 with captain Croft top scoring on exactly 100, then the Bears make a solid start until losing two wickets in two balls. Nothing out of the ordinary there then, that is until a public address system malfunction unleashes an intermittent high-pitched sound something akin to an alien invasion! An early tea interval is taken as noise stops play.

- Peveril of the Peak Revisited -

The technical glitch is soon resolved and Warwickshire progress to 202 for 6 by the close, helped largely by an unbeaten stand between Keith Barker and Tim Ambrose. Rookie legspinner Matthew Parkinson makes an impressive bowling debut and the match is relatively evenly poised, meaning we can explore Manchester City Centre with an upbeat disposition. Deansgate Locks on the Rochdale Canal provide some further waterways interest then two classic pubs take centre stage; we've visited the Peveril of the Peak before but it more than merits another look for Seven Bro7hers ale from Salford and to admire the exquisite tiled frontage. Just around the corner, the Britons Protection offers Robinsons Unicorn, a Jack Daniels-themed snug and a mural depicting the events of the 1819 Peterloo Massacre. Highly recommended!

- Witnessing our final ball -

All too soon it is Wednesday 22nd June, our final day of our cricketing escape. Warwickshire are dismissed for 263 approaching lunchtime, Barker with 64 and Ambrose a well-played 70 not out while Parkinson took 5 for 49, we reckon he's one to watch for the future. The terrace restaurant at Trafford Town Hall provides good grub (in my case hotpot) at very competitive prices, then Lancashire spend the rest of the afternoon compiling an increasingly healthy lead, opener Hameed on his way to a maiden first class century - 170 for 5 at the close.

- Grey Horse Inn -

A tram ride to Piccadilly Gardens means Mr B and I are well placed for our 8pm homeward departure, but with a little time to kill there's scope for a pre-coach pint in another memorable Manchester watering hole. The Grey Horse Inn on Portland Street is cheerfully compact as Euro 2016 action from Hungary 3 Portugal 3 accompanies some quality Hydes Original. Chorlton Street Coach Station then awaits and we make smooth progress back to the West Midlands via Stoke on Trent. The four days as a whole passed very quickly indeed but it was fun being out and about watching the Bears once more.