Jonathan Schofield Manchester Tours
  • HOME
  • Calendar of tours
  • GUEST COMMENTS
  • Every tour in pictures and some words
  • Manchester books by Jonathan Schofield
  • Terms & Conditions
  • CONTACT DETAILS AND BIOGRAPHY
  • VOUCHERS & DEALS
  • EXCLUSIVE TOUR: New Century Tour, perfection in design from 1963
  • FREE Castlefield - the 2,000 year guestlist
  • Manchester Necropolis: rattle my bones
  • FREE Scientists, sinners and graveyards: A Tale of Two Citie
  • Literary Manchester: A city in words
  • Heaton Hall and Park Tour
  • Halloween tours
  • EXCLUSIVE: 'Boldest Building' Tour, Edgar Wood Centre
  • EXCLUSIVE: Refuge/ Kimpton Clock Tower Hotel
  • EXCLUSIVE Hallé St Peter’s & Ancoats Tour NEW
  • Saturday Walkabout Series: Music, Pubs, Ghosts
  • EXCLUSIVE: Mayfield Station tours
  • The Tour of Uninteresting Objects
  • Secrets of Angel Meadow and the Irk ValleyAir, Scuttlers, Lost Churches and Hidden Stories
  • EXCLUSIVE Salford Lads Club and Middlewood Locks
  • Secrets of Chapel Street & Greengatel Park
  • EXCLUSIVE: Ordsall Hall and Manchester Ship Canal tour
  • Sleazy & Sinister Mcr
  • Secrets of Ancoats & New Islington
  • Stockport Secrets
  • Secrets of Littleborough
  • The Secrets of Gorton Monastery
  • April Fool's Day Tour - The Incredibly Serious Tour
  • Knutsford Secrets
  • Friedrich Engels And Karl Marx Tours
  • Secrets of Fairfield Moravian Settlement
  • The Death & Beer Tour 2022
  • Secrets of Rochdale town centre
  • Secret Tunnels Tour
  • Didsbury, Kersal, Quays tours
  • Death, Beauty & Beer Tour of Brooklands and Sale
  • Magical Manchester Mystery Tour - by bike
  • Whalley Range & Alexandra Park
  • Peterloo Massacre: The Reality & The Drama
  • Castlefield, St Johns, First Street
  • ​Chorlton tour
  • The Secrets of Middleton
  • The Day The World Got Smaller Tour
  • Truly Madly Brutal
  • The Pan-African Congress, Slavery, and Thomas Clarkson Tour: A Manchester Anniversary Tour
  • Suffragettes, Women & Manchester
  • Talk: Lost Buildings of Manchester & Salford
  • Platt Fields, Birch Fields and Rusholme Tour
  • The Prestwich Tour: The surprising Manchester series
  • Tour Diary: Confessions of a guide
  • Some tours
  • The Zoom Tours series
  • Loyalty card/scheme
  • EXCLUSIVE: Chetham's Library and College House
  • First Wednesday Spinningfields Series 2020
  • Exclusive: 35 King St & Georgian Manchester
  • Secrets of the University of Manchester with interior visits
  • Totally Manchester - a general tour of the city
  • Architecture & Planning: why does Manchester look like it does?
  • Bombed & Besieged: Manchester at War
  • Some Published Articles On Manchester's Present, its Heritage and Tourism
  • Secrets of the Northern Quarter
  • The Rollicking Pub Tour
  • The Surprising Manchester Series: Old Trafford
  • The Surprising Manchester Series: Bradford & Clayton
  • EXCLUSIVE: Kampus tours, the abandoned warehouses
  • Incredible Interiors
  • Shock, Surprise, Prose & Verse: Manchester and Literature
  • Ford Madox Brown and Pre-Raphaelite Manchester
  • Podcasts
  • Lost Graveyards and the Dead
  • Return to 1421: The Old Towne and Medieval Manchester
  • Suggested Private Tours
  • Anthony Burgess and Literary Manchester Tour
  • Great Northern Tunnel Tour
  • 1840s Manchester: The Key Decade, talk and tour
  • Burns Night Tour Monday 25 January
  • Fire Station Tours: Calling Photographers & Sketchers
  • Manchester City of Art Tour
  • Valentine's Day tour 14 February
  • The Gallery
  • The Ghosts of Afflecks & the Northern Quarter
  • New Manchester Squares Tour
  • The Manchester Guardian is 200 tour
  • The Understanding Architecture Series
  • FREE The Hidden Rivers Tour

MEETING HENRY V, BLUSHING TURKEYS, HODNET GARDENS, THE GUARDIAN AND DEAD GERMAN COMMUNISTS

5/5/2021

17 Comments

 

​

​
​A six or seven minute read or you can listen to the story in the audio file above.


I met a turkey last week and asked the silliest question. It was alive and well and was a 'rescue turkey'. Who knew there were rescue turkeys?

I was delivering three of my books to a reader in a pretty place called, appropriately, if spelt differently, Buxworth, just off the A6 in Derbyshire. The house was large and the garden huge. Gerri Ross, who’d bought the books, greeted us and explained how her family took in ducks, hens and even turkeys and looked after them if people couldn’t cope with their care anymore. The family used the eggs, of course, but as vegetarians they didn’t kill their feathery guests.

The turkey was a male and had been part of a pair but a year ago, just before Christmas, the female had been stolen.

“Why would somebody steal a turkey?” I said foolishly, thinking it’s a big job to kill, pluck, gut and clean such a huge bird.

Ask a silly question… The amused response was, “It was before Christmas, that’s why.”

The turkey was a chameleon in a manner of speaking. When we’d arrived into the car park of the house the turkey apparently became distressed. Gerri explained how its head is normally Manchester City sky blue in shade but, as we could see, was now Manchester United scarlet. Birds are related to reptiles, and lizards such as chameleons are part of the reptile family so it sort of makes sense, although I'd never known turkey's could do that.

My suggestion the turkey was protesting against the European Super League by displaying the colours of two of the ‘big six’ was pooh-poohed, but I was glad this complete change of head colour doesn’t happen to humans, well, aside from a little blushing. I wouldn’t like it if my whole head went, say, vivid green after a particularly difficult question on one of the guided tours I conduct.

Bright colour was on my mind back in the city too. I went for a meal at Salvi’s in Exchange Square, my favourite Italian restaurant. Walking there I passed the pawlonia tomentosas, aka Empress Trees, in St Peter’s Square. Every spring these trees go crazy with over-the-top horse chestnut sized blossoms on leafless branches, exploding like pinky mauve Roman candles. The flowers only last three weeks so I give them a few more days at most. The name comes from the origin of these trees in China. A tree would start to blossom after the same number of years it would take for a princess or empress to be ready to marry, hence the name.
Picture
Not far from Salvi’s restaurant is Manchester Cathedral. I was lucky last week to visit that venerable institution’s strong room, up winding stairs and through antique studded doors. The visit was courtesy of Anthony O’Connor, the director of fundraising and development at the Cathedral. I was there to photograph the Henry V charter that led to the building we have today. That’s from 22 May 1421, so it’s the 600th anniversary this year and I’m doing a Zoom tour as a fundraiser.

To get up close, so to speak, to one of the most famous kings in European history, Henry V (Agincourt, French princess wife, Shakespeare and so on), was stirring. The sense of history was thick in the air. Henry V’s seal, a smiting knight on horseback, could only have been wielded by his hand, because there was only one monarch’s seal created for each king or queen. This was to ensure the unique nature of the impression in the hot wax they made as they pressed. The seal was the monarch’s bond. If you copied the seal and were caught you would have had a very unpleasant death, forgery as High Treason.

There are other charters in the strong room, those of Elizabeth 1 and Charles 1. They carry their seals, of course. That’s a great hat-trick, all three monarchs are of primary importance in British history, mighty historical characters. Standing there gazing at them, knowing the seals were made by their hand, is as close to being in their presence as it’s possible to be, especially given the charters were not behind glass in some museum but right there, unguarded, in front of me.
Picture
Speaking of important figures, on 1 May I did an Friedrich Engels and Karl Marx in Manchester tour as it’s Karl Marx’s 203rd birthday on 5 May. Engels lived for 22 years in the city and Karl Marx would visit him for months at a time. Authors of the Communist Manifesto, theirs was the most important bromance in political history and Manchester played a central role in the formation of their ideas. It’s a rich story whatever one’s politics.

The pair studied together at Manchester's most beautiful building, Chetham’s Library. I recall leading a tour around the building and to the famous ‘desk’ mentioned in a letter from Engels to Marx. A few days later a couple from the USA who'd attended, gushed on Tripadvisor how pleased they were to have seen the table where ‘Marks & Spencer’ had met. Inaccurate in so many ways but amusing. ‘Retailers of the world unite’.
Picture
00Busy week this one. 5 May is also the 200th anniversary of the foundation of The Manchester Guardian (now just The Guardian) by editor John Edward Taylor. In the prospectus he wrote: "No former period, in the history of our country, has been marked by the agitation of questions of a more important character than those which are now claiming the attention of the public." The new newspaper was to have a "spirited discussion of political questions" and “the accurate detail of facts”. This sounds somewhat familiar. I’ve written about the founding of what today is The Guardian here: https://confidentials.com/manchester/the-manchester-guardian-is-200-years-old?id=60922f5bdf6ae

The week finished with more beauty. Hodnet Hall Gardens is sixty miles south-south west of Manchester in lovely Shropshire countryside. The gardens were given their big boost by Brigadier Heber-Percy (don’t ya know) in the 1920s although the family have been there for centuries. It’s a sort of earthly paradise now, immaculately kept and with brilliant colours especially this azalea season. I was down there to write about it and the sense of peace was so overwhelming I wanted to lie down for a while and breathe it all in. If you’ve not been then go, it’s got to be in the top ten of British gardens.​
Picture
And finally, strawberries.

The loneliest thing I found this week was an abandoned strawberry plant on the tram. It was just sat there on its own seat in its own little plant pot minding its business. How it had got there, whether it had been abandoned or was just out for a ride it wasn’t saying. The tram’s destination was Rochdale. I put some pictures out on Twitter of my lonely strawberry plant. My favourite response was along the lines of: ‘Perhaps it’s changing at Victoria Station and then going off to meet friends in Berry.’ Very droll.
Picture
17 Comments
majortotositepro link
7/11/2021 02:09:33 am

Your website quite a bit up fast! What host are you the use of? Can I am getting your affiliate hyperlink on your host? I desire my website loaded up as quickly as yours lol

Reply
racesitepro link
7/11/2021 02:09:47 am

I haven’t any word to appreciate this post…..Really i am impressed from this post….the person who create this post it was a great human..thanks for shared this with us

Reply
oncasinositenet link
7/11/2021 02:10:02 am

Thanks for picking out the time to discuss this, I feel great about it and love studying more on this topic. It is extremely helpful for me. Thanks for such a valuable help again.

Reply
totopickpro link
7/11/2021 02:10:16 am

All your hard work is much appreciated. Nobody can stop to admire you. Lots of appreciation.

Reply
메이저사이트 link
27/4/2022 02:49:42 am

Do you know that you've done something really great? Not only did I gain new knowledge through you, but I also gained a very different realization. I'm so lucky to know your blog.

Reply
사설토토사이트 link
27/4/2022 02:49:59 am

An intriguing discussion may be worth comment. I’m sure you should write much more about this topic, may well be described as a taboo subject but generally folks are too little to chat on such topics. An additional. Cheers

Reply
먹튀사이트 link
27/4/2022 02:50:14 am

There are some things to supplement, but I think your opinion is definitely worth considering. In some areas, innovative ideas that no one has ever come up with stand out. I would like to share more opinions with you on this topic.

Reply
celebrity birthdays link
13/6/2022 08:10:26 pm

Fantastic review, I'm positive you happen to be obtaining a my page outstanding response.

Reply
먹튀검증커뮤니티 link
17/8/2022 09:12:23 am

EXPLAINER: How online <a href="https://mtline9.com">먹튀검증커뮤니티</a> hit the jackpot

Reply
카지노사이트 link
25/8/2022 02:46:40 am

<a href="https://mtline9.com/%eb%b0%94%ec%b9%b4%eb%9d%bc%ec%82%ac%ec%9d%b4%ed%8a%b8">카지노사이트</a> Strategy - Playing Aggresively

Reply
온라인홀덤사이트 포커에이스 사이트 link
5/9/2022 02:15:54 am

GTA Online Diamond <a href="https://mtt747.com">온라인홀덤사이트 포커에이스 사이트</a> Heist Scope Guide (All Access Points)

Reply
totoguy link
19/9/2022 02:56:43 am

Your blog is like a Christmas gift box. I love that there are so many nice posts. Every time I open your new post, I look forward to it as much as I do when I open a Christmas gift box. I want more people to know your blog. 메이저토토

Reply
totovi link
19/9/2022 02:56:59 am

I read your posts over and over again during the summer vacation. Your writing makes me think deeper the more I read it. When I first read it, there were some parts that were not readily accepted, but as time went by, it kept hovering in my head and thinking a lot. After reading your article, I also wrote about my blog. I want you to come and check.토토사이트추천

Reply
totoright link
19/9/2022 02:57:09 am

You need to know that you're doing a really good job. Your writing inspired me, and I recommend your blog to people around me. Your posts and blogs have a good influence. I really like your blog. 먹튀검증사이트

Reply
miglior nutrizionista roma link
9/1/2023 08:41:25 am

Ti aiuto a trovare la motivazione per rispettare il tuo nuovo piano alimentare Senza più cedere alle tentazioni e vivere la dieta come una privazione continua

Reply
buyandsellwithbrenda link
26/1/2023 06:54:22 am

houses for sale in san dimas

Reply
CBDFlowerShop link
31/1/2023 10:07:48 am

Great work man you have post a great post it will help people very much keep it do more for people like that <a href="https://www.obsidianportal.com/profile/dorige">CBDFlowerShop</a>Download the perfect cbd pictures. Find over 100+ of the best free cbd images. Free for commercial use ✓ No attribution required ✓ Copyright-free.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    May 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    September 2020
    May 2020
    December 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    June 2015
    March 2015
    November 2014
    October 2014
    July 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    November 2012
    October 2011
    October 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    February 2010

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly