Call me old fashioned but when I go into a shopping centre looking for a newspaper a small shop with the words “News Rack” above the door seems to meet the requirements.
I don my mask, make sure the shop is clear and then find they don’t sell newspapers, just posters, e cigarette refills and junk. This is the third time on this trip we have been surprised by a local shop not selling papers. Years ago when a friend had a shop he always hated the delivery rounds but tried to encourage customers coming in for a paper as invariably they bought something else as well. I don't understand why things have changed unless people no longer buy papers.
Today we motored from Manchester to Lymm, a distance of 13 miles and 3 furlongs along the Bridgewater canal which is quite wide and has fewer plastic bags and supermarket trolleys in it. It was drizzling in Manchester but as soon as we had left the city it cleared up. Lymm (picture at the top of the page) seems quite posh and has more restaurants than people, or so it seems, hopefully our meal out tonight will be a good one.
We thought that as soon as lock-down was lifted the canals would be busy, after all people who own their own boats would be itching to get out but no, up until now the canals have been very quiet. This changed today, many more boats on the water, not a problem with no locks but it might slow us down a little in a day or so when we start climbing hills again.
I have always been weary of recommendations in the paper of places to stay or eat. After all the Porch House was once on the front page of the Mirror as the best place to stay in the Midlands and the Tuns was recommended in the Times as one of the best al fresco places to eat (it does not have a garden, just a tarmac car park). However a few weeks ago the Times recommended the Church Green Pub in Lymm and I made a note of it in case we were close by on our adventure. It was very good, simple pub menu (although not simple pub prices) but the food was first rate, the best so far. Why "Gastro Pubs" have to try and show off with fancy menus I don't know, it may be that the covid precautions have meant they have had to simplify their menu, a very good thing in my book.
As you can see from the picture we passed the Manchester Utd ground on the way out of the city. On the way in we passed Man City's ground which was surronded in other sporting infrastructure as it was home to the The Commonwealth Games a few years ago.