Manchester spring weekend with RPS Visual Art Group

 Another very enjoyable weekend with members of the Visual Art Group.  I started my journey with the early morning ferry from Stornoway to Ullapool and the bus to Inverness.  I stayed the night at Waverley Guest house which was basic, but clean and fairly comfortable.  Caught the early train to Manchester.  I only paid £22.90 3 months ago so a great deal.  I stayed a night at the Ibis in Salford Quays.  Walked by the canals to Media City and ate at Pizza Express.  On Friday I walked around to the Copthorne hotel where we were staying for the weekend.  I met up with Carol and Jane who came in on a flight from Guernsey. 

We went for a coffee in Exchange Quay and were wandering taking photos when a security guard appeared and asked if we had a permit.  I do wonder what they think we are photographing!  We wandered away and met up with Mike and Sally who were walking to Media City.  Had a lovely time in The Lowry taking images of the inside of the building and viewing the Lowrys.  Lunch at Wagamama where we met up with Mark, Claire and her husband Steve.  Then a wander back to the hotel for the first presentation by Verity Milligan which was excellent.  Met up with Sam and Alan.

A lot of junk in the canals

A bollard which makes a good abstract

Inside The Lowry

A blend of one of the walls in side the Lowry

On our walk back to the hotel

A canal jumper

On Saturday, Mark, Carol, Jane and I set out on the tram to Manchester for a walk around.  We had a challenge by Sally to take images of TV shows.  Claire had gone off for the park run.  We had a lovely time at the canals at Castlefield but had to walk to Deansgate before we found coffee.  Then a look around John Randell library.  Claire eventually turned up having be sent to the wrong library half an hour away.Lunch at the Manchester Art Gallery before making our way back to the Castlefield viaduct to see the National Trust garden.  We were treated to another excellent presentation by Adrian Beasley in the evening.

From the tram to the street

The Last Leg - one of my TV challenges

Raindrop abstract

Excellent coffee at Man Co Co

Carol Jane and Mark

Lovely cake shop.  Carol used her image in her TV challenge Great British Bake Off.

Inside John Randell library used to film Harry Potter scenes

Inside Manchester Art Gallery

This was my Doctor Who TV challenge

Some of the Harem

My Gardeners World TV challenge

At the Castlefield viaduct

Claire posing

We had a workshop with Verity on Sunday.  Another very quick walk around Manchester and we went to different places to where we were yesterday.  Another good day.  Presentation by Tony Bramley on the history of Pictorialism in the evening which was fascinating.

Mark Carol and Jane

Very friendly street artists

Bits of statue which I have blended with an abstract image

Some of us stayed an extra night so we had another visit into Manchester.  We walked to St Anns Square, Manchester cathedral and back to Media centre with a quick visit to the Imperial War Museum.

Always try to take a pigeon.

At the cathedral

Inside the cathedral

Abstract of Imperial War Museum

A couple of images from earlier in our walk

Inside the war museum

Sally took this for her challenge - Star Trek

I had fun playing with my phone. Stephanie John had recommended an app for android which was good for slow shutter speeds - CameraFV 5.  Here are a few phone icms.

One of the trams

Poppies

Inside the cathedral

Took the train back to Inverness but was delayed and missed the connection so was over an hour late.  I should receive the price of my ticket so it makes the travel to the weekend very good value.

Some of the harem are coming to Lewis in a couple of weeks so the next blog may be about their visit or it will be my swim trip to Coll and Tiree.