Manchester: Festive Fire

I thought I’d share these photographs of a recent visit into Manchester city centre with you all. Having made this journey hundreds of times I could be forgiven for getting a bit blasé about it, though it’s not often I’ve been treated to such a dramatic sky. There is no filter as there’s no photograph of me. If there was I just couldn’t inflict an untreated snap of myself on you guys. This is the route into ‘town’ as we call it, awaiting us with its festive markets.

Shadows of my hometown at my back, we head towards the blazing city.

Halfway there. With bluffs of cloud and golden skies, the dusk of twilight is truly my favourite time of the day.

The monolithic towers framed in the distance, we reach the edge of the city.

We park up a five minute minute walk away. The fire of the sky reflected in the water of the ground, the elements greet our approach.

In Angel Square, now forever known to me as ‘Laura’s Place’, the juxtaposition of shadow and light continues as the sun slips away.

The low, white roof in the background is close to the scene of the Arena bombing in May of last year.

The Christmas markets in St. Ann’s Square. Roughly where this first stall is, welcoming you to the markets, is where the many thousands of floral tributes began last year in the aftermath of the bombing. Tributes to the twenty two victims.

How different the mood is now. Everything is altered by time. Even you and I, reading this line, maybe in different time zones.

Sending greetings to you all, in whichever city and time zone you find yourself in. Hope you got a good sleep!