Showing posts with label Manchester Legal Walk. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Manchester Legal Walk. Show all posts

Saturday, 2 October 2010

Manchester Legal Walk - Part 2!

The overall plan of action......note lots and lots (and lots) of really pointless turns!
 I would like to thank those of you who left their views on the what to wear on our round Manchester ramble (although unfortunately I was advised that for legal reasons......and my future employability......I would not be allowed to walk round Manchester in a Mankini! - I also didn't realise that our little wander would take us down Canal Street!)

The start point, just outside the Crown Court
We managed to set off from the Corwn Court at about 5.30pm, and managed to complete the 10 km in just under an hour and a half.....quite a respectable time I thought.


The weather over the week before had been less than condusive for a ten kilometre walk but we were promised sunny spells, and that was what we got.

Chapel Street

More Chapel Street (I think!)


Blackfriars Road
Like the Toad Trail, it was actually really nice to spend an hour (well okay an hour and an half after work walking round, with little to worry about, other than working out which road we had to take, or who were we following!)
Within the first ten minutes the 27 of us who were doing the walk had managed to spread out along the route, well not the whole route as there would have definitely been something wrong with that, but it ended up walking and chatting to friends as we wandered round and the weather was really nice, and the whole atmosphere was very friendly.

Victoria Street towards the Manchester Cathedral
 
The front of Manchester Cathedral

Thomas Street

Portland Street


More Portland Street
 

Princess Street - Towards the Manchester Art Gallery


St Peter's Square - still with the security barriers from the Labour Convention
I really enjoyed it and it was fantastic to see places that I had probably seen, but never noticed, and through areas that I had no idea existed.

With some crazily long legs and a real enjoyment of walking it was not long until my friends and I ended up at the front of the pack (although we were really following another team from another legal firm) so the pressure to correctly read the directions was never going to be too onerous.

Manchester Central Library


Manchester Town Hall - sorry about the blurry photo


Cross Street
Just under the 90 minutes after we started, we crossed the finish line, aptly at the door of the Ha Ha Bar. Somehow, although taking the lead after about 20 minutes, there were at least 10 people from our team were already there (work that one out if you can!) Unfortunately the guy who had the free drinks vouchers was somewhere with the back group (and who hadn't taken that magic turn to get to the bar early!)

Within about 10 minutes the rest of the our team arrived, and a free drink (or two or more for those of us who didn't have to then race for a train!) but it was well worth it and we raised £775 for Charity, so a good eveing.

New Quay Street

Bar Ha Ha

A well deserved free drink!
P.S. I'm sorry about the quality of some of the photographs, but a cheap camera that I could walk around with.

Tuesday, 28 September 2010

Walk the walk

After last weeks coffee morning marathon (..................well okay the coffee morning bit only lasted about 90 minutes, although it did seem like hours with my arms up the elbows in soapy water, washing plates, mugs and cutlery before they were whisked away to be dirtied all over again) I have somehow been talked into taking part in the Manchester Legal Walk.

The Manchester Legal Walk is a 10k wander around the heart of Manchester in order to raise money for local legal charities, and in particular the North West Legal Support Trust, who make grants to ensure that disadvantaged members of the public can gain access to free legal advice, to ensure that everyone has access to justice.

This may seem to be something of a strange cause for a bunch of money hungry legal sharks, but some of my best times have been spent providing Pro-Bono work for members of the public and it really is an important provision for people who can not gain legal advice any other way.

So the next big question......."What does one wear to wander round Manchester in an evening at the end of September?" Some suggestions so far have included:

  1. Wet suit and flippers!
  2. Flip-flops.
  3. Mankini (refusing on principle to even consider this....not only for the sensibilities of Mancunians who may see this, but also my own given the appearance of some of my colleagues) 
  4. Tuttus  
  5. Jeans and branded T-shirts
  6. Bananaman costume
  7. Suit and tie.
I have to say so far number 5 is winning, even if it means wearing the bosses name emblazoned across my chest! I hope to be able to put some photographs up once completed (and I have soaked my toes)
[although I promise not if we end up wearing mankinis!]