Away Day, Salford

It is our team's habit to go away somewhere for the day, once a year, to work on the team plan and to visit somewhere relevant to one or more of the subject areas that our team supports.  This year we decided to go to The Imperial War Museum North which is based in Salford, near Manchester. History is one of our subject disciplines, and the history students study (inter alia) World Wars I and II so it seemed an appropriate choice of venue.

It was a more appropriate choice of venue that we had first thought!  I knew that the BBC was considering moving some of its production and program teams to Salford, but otherwise had paid absolutely no attention at all to anything that might be happening there. So it came as something of a surprise, as we approached Media City on the new tram line, to find that they have been engaged in a massive regeneration project around the old docks. In one fell tram ride we had added my subject areas of Planning, Architecture and Urban Regeneration to our subject mix for the day!!

I have to say, I think it all looks lovely. You can see that once they have finished and when the trees have grown and a few boats have moved in and the buildings are finished that it could be quite a desirable place to live. If I had a spare hundred thousand or so, I'd be tempted to buy a flat before the area becomes up-market and the prices go up!  No sympathy with the BBC bods who are complaining vigorously about having to move to the uncultured Northern Wastelands.  They should grasp this opportunity with both hands! (I have some sympathy with the ones who are reluctant to move for family reasons, but none for those who seem to think that anything north of Acton is uncivilised, uncouth and perilous).

We had a good time.  The Imperial War Museum cafe people had been kind enough to set a table aside for us to have our meeting. We made a good morning tea and an excellent lunch.  We spent an hour or so looking at the exhibitions and pottering about. Julia decided it would be a good place to bring her children. I decided it would be a good place to bring The Builder. Rupert and I ascended the Shard to admire the view. We lost Paul. We found him again. Then we all came back to Sheffield.  Was a good day :-)

We even got loads of work done on the annual plan!

It was very disconcerting looking out at the water and this huge eucalyptus tree. Felt as though I should be in Melbourne!!

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