St Ann's Square

I went into Manchester today.....firstly, because no evil scum are going to scare me from doing what I want to do, secondly, because I wanted to get some photos printed and thirdly, I wanted to see the tributes in St Ann's Square.

Wherever you looked in town there was someone carrying a bunch of flowers and making their way towards the Square. There is usually a musician of some sorts in the Square and people sitting enjoying themselves, especially on a sunny day like today. However, when I walked in there was only the subdued talk of hundreds of people. The whole centre was filled with flowers and balloons, messages, teddy bears and tears.

The queue stretched down the Square, people waiting quietly, patiently, to lay their tributes.  All around the flower carpet people were just standing, some dabbing tears, everyone thinking about what had happened. It was incredibly moving. The contrast between the sadness and horror of what has happened and the brightly coloured flowers and balloons in the sunshine was exacerbated by the heavy perfume that hung in the air. 


I have had the photos from the dragon boat race printed and I'm going to put up a display at work. The labs in Sheffield are closing and we are processing all the blood in Manchester, new labs have been built and someone has put some boring, poor quality photos up in the entrance to base showing the stages of development. When I met one of the top bosses from London I asked him if he'd seen the display and he said he had glanced at it as he walked by. Glanced..he only glanced. I told him that it was a dreadful display with terrible photos and that was why he only glanced. Anything put up in the entrance to the centre should make people stop and look at it. I'm hoping they will let me put all the dragon boat info and pics up. We have raised about £1200 for The Christie and I think everyone's efforts need to be shown. 

Before we did the race everyone was bombarding me with questions....Will we get wet? Will the boat overturn? How do we steer? Will I fit in the boat? How do I paddle?.....now, well now all they keep asking is "Are you going to sort some training for us before next year's race?" More people are interested and there is talk of entering two teams....blimey, ha ha ha. 


Is anyone going to Ramsbottom/Bury/Rawtenstall for the 1940s weekend tomorrow?