Fragments of Manchester

[squirmelia]

"One particularly weak point in the barrier between dream and reality existed in the psychic air that surrounded Manchester.." - Pollen, by Jeff Noon.

The last time I visited Manchester, I felt a sense of anticipation, as if something out of the ordinary was happening around every street corner. This time, as the mini-bus reached Manchester, I noticed the "Manchester in Bloom" sign, warning me of flowers, as if I hadn't already noticed the dandelions and cow-parsley, and the seeds flying by, wildly. I sneezed and that amused me, since the evening I arrived in Manchester was May 2nd, the day after Persephone arrived in Pollen, and the pollen was dancing.

A giant yellow pencil adorned a pavement and outside a shop, a gravestone was propped up, saying "In God's Keeping - Alice."

Comments

[cosmolinguist]

That quote is perfectly timed and placed for me; thanks.

[squirmelia.livejournal.com]

I think my view of Manchester is slightly skewed from reading books by Jeff Noon.

[the-elyan.livejournal.com]

"If rain makes Britain great, then Manchester is greater"
[The Beautiful South]

And they come from Hull, a city not averse to a drop of the damp stuff itself...

You'd probably find Hull interesting, actually. It's a very, very strange city...

[squirmelia.livejournal.com]

I visited Hull last year and did indeed find it interesting! :)

[furtherwords.livejournal.com]

"Oh Manchester, so much to answer for."

...but it's gotten better since those days.

[squirmelia.livejournal.com]

Heh. :) I've only visited it twice (both times quite brief), so think I should probably visit it again for longer sometime!