Space

So I'm doing a clear out to create space and getting rid of lots of old stuff that I need not have hoarded for the last however many years. In doing so I've come across some gems and this tee shirt is one of them. Given its age I bet you are surprised that it's in colour!

In 1988 the National Boat Rally took place in a Castlefield far different than it is now. In some places there were still sunken boats and many of the warehouses were derelict and in a poor state of repair. Dukes 92 is now a swanky bar and restaurant frequented by the hip and happening folk of Manchester but many won't know the origin of the name. It is next to Duke's Lock which is the 92nd and final lock on the Rochdale canal which drops into the Bridgewater basin here. The lock's name reflects the fact that the Duke of Bridgewater owned and controlled it as it gave access to his canal. The stretch of canal between the final two locks ran under the Duke of Bridgewater's fields in a shallow tunnel. The tunnel is gone now except the short section, known as Knott Mill tunnel, under Deansgate.

This tee shirt is over 27 years old and loads has changed in that time but I still love this shirt and the area it refers to - in fact I've blipped it in the past. Stuff keeps changing, because that's what stuff does, and getting rid of some stuff to make way for new stuff is important from time to time - but I'll be keeping this tee shirt.