Old is the New ‘New’ – Vintage Tea Shops

Today I was lucky enough to be introduced to the vintage tea shop that is the Sugar Junction on Tibb St. So far, I’m finding myself drawn to the Northern Quarter more and more.

Vintage Emporium – London, Brick Lane

In London, I  had recently discovered the Vintage Emporium on Brick Lane in the East End. I love the place with purposefully worn out sofas, candle sticks, low lighting and bunches of dried roses hanging at intervals from the ceiling. The quirky touches are fab, like piles of old suitcases stacked against the wall, an actual bike and two life-sized figures leaning against it! The food and live  music will take another blog post entirely…

Sugar Junction – Manchester, Tibb St

So the Sugar Junction is exactly what I was looking for. From the outside, the sign is so subtle that I  walked past it until my friend pointed it out. The homemade cakes on the counter were the first things I noticed, a victoria sponge with strawberries on top, oh so tempting to pick one off and try it!
A googey looking chocolate cake which unfortunately turned out to be Guinness
and chocolate. I finally settled for the lime and coconut dairy and gluten free cake – it was perfect and almost healthy! My tea came in a cute china teapot with a matching blue chintz teacup and saucer that I really wanted to take home. The place feels like an old aunts kitchen, with wooden chairs and large wood tables, this aunt of course bakes and knows how to put together vintage-chic, without looking too try hard. Next time, I will have to try the scones with cream and jam – this for me is the ultimate test of any cafe.

So far Manchester is surprising me, the cafe finds of East London were one of the things I knew I would miss, but no, so far, Manchester is delivering…

Northern Quarter – Past Merging into Present

This post is based on a walk in town on a visit home, a few weeks before moving back – it made me see the changes in Manchester but I also like that the history of it’s industrial past had not been lost.

The walk up the side of Debenhams Department Store travels away from the busy shopping area that is Market St and towards the more ‘arty’ Northern Quarter, once a key part of the city’s manufacturing past – full of factories making and selling the wares of the textile trade.

A bright red sign reading ‘Sacha’s Hotel’ stands somewhat out of place to the right, in front of which stepping stones of contemplation  direct  the walker to Afflecks Palace – an indoor jewel of alternative fashion and culture. One of the stones reads “where the dying dust of dreams slides, where the ….feed,” the well worn pavement has led to missing letters so this story is lost, no one bothered replacing them, this was a project of a past council no doubt.

Paving stones – by poet Lemn Sissay

The outside of the Affleck’s building is an indicative clue of the treasure trove inside – a colourful tiled mural of Coronation Street characters past and present replaces some of the brickwork, I miss the giant metal flowers once attached to the top half shouting out wanting to be noticed. I haven’t wondered inside for over 6 years, but from what I remember – inside can be found three floors filled with tattoo parlours, specialist stores for the Goth look, a café – once the inside of a bus, body piercing salons, and any type of unusual fashion, gift shops, jewellery stores that can be imagined. And there is the wonderful culture of the place, in that regardless of the diversity of customers this place draws, each group readily accepts the other.

Afflecks how I remember it – with the flowers.

So past Afflecks and onto Thomas St, where the factory buildings of old still stand, although their use has changed considerably.

Many trendy café’s and bars now occupy the street level of these historic but functionally designed buildings. So, past ‘Home Sweet Home Bakery’ and many other similar eateries, until there it is ‘The Tea Cup’, the few chairs outside sit unused, the weather explains why. The window is painted with mini red love hearts and a large tea pot. Inside, little red wooden chairs sit happily either side of plain wood tables, the place has a lovely homely feel about it – the staff wear cute aprons. The whole area has the feel of London’s Spittlefields, or perhaps how it may have once been when still in development.

Tea Cup Cafe – Thomas St

On leaving the café the other side of the Thomas St has yet to be renovated and gives a better understanding of this changing place – next to the closed down ‘Akbar’s Trimmings’ sits a boarded up shop taken over by graffiti, and not the beautiful kind; Refugee Action is also closed – there seems to be a sad irony in that.

Fish Market

Finally, the street leads onto the old fish market, the exterior wall still stands, with its grand, imposing, yet decorative gate and panels above showing scenes of fishermen and their families that give some indication of life in the late 1800s. Now of course, behind this front sits a modern apartment complex – there’s something wonderful about this.

Londoner turns Mancunian….or Mancunian returns….

This blog is partly about rediscovering this wonderful city – Manchester (it’s been one week since I returned after over five years in the big smoke) and its about exploring cities in general . It will no doubt feature day trips to top-up on possible London withdrawals because I have a feeling that London is addictive…this I will have to wait and see.

Also, this blog will feature some special city posts of wonderings of various other cities I may be fortunate to explore.

But mainly it will be about a Londoner in Manchester or perhaps a Mancunian turned Londoner returned home. To begin with – my next entry (to follow),  written a few weeks ago, helped me to see Manchester again and realise it was time to return. So…to exploring…