ManchesterSketch

105-3144 – Horse in Bexley Square

Image | | Art-Chap-Enjoin

Despite being tired (after seeing off our daughter and shopping in the Arndale for a wok), we stopped for a beer at the The New Oxford pub and I drew this. The pub has a huge range of beer – I had the house ale. This horse sculpture by Emma Rodgers (@rodgers_art.emma) recognises Salford as home to Englands first public library and it is covered with messages and sayings from famous Salfordians, poets and musicians. The visit Salford website (https://www.visitsalford.info/) also notes that “a dog cocking its leg against the lamp post is a tribute to Salford artist Harold Riley and his famous sketches of dogs”…you can just about see the dog in my sketch.

Sun-1-Jun-2025

105-3143 – Brunch at idle hands

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I did this sketch while we were waiting for our brunch at a nice little café (@idlehandscoffee) and saying goodbye to our daughter who was heading back down south to London. I had a lovely 3 cheese grilled sandwich. The waitress took a photo of my sketch and my daughter said I should make more effort to “shamelessly promote” my artwork!

Sun-1-Jun-2025

104-3138 – Peel park

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After visiting IWM north, waiting for our daughter to have another interview (still not successful) at Salford Art Gallery and Museum, a pub lunch at the Old Pint Pot…we then went for a walk in Peel Park again and I sketched this. I sketched there in August 2024 (see sketch No.22-2803)….this time I chose a slightly different spot to sit and didn’t use any ink like I usually do.

Thu-29-May-2025

104-3137 – Royal horse artillery “E” battery 13 pounder field gun

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On this day we made a visit to the Imperial War Museum North – which is housed in a “deconstructionist” building (designed by Daniel Libeskind and supposedly “representing a globe shattered by conflict”…though I had to read the blurb on the wall inside to know that). The museum works hard to to engage the interest of visitors – with an complicated layout, huge videos played at regular intervals on the walls and lots of background information about the exhibits. According to the plaque this gun “fired the British army’s first artillery round of the first world war on the western front near Mons, Belgium”.

Thu-29-May-2025

104-3134 – Six years ago today

Image | | Art-Chap-Enjoin

On this day we made a visit to Greater Manchester Police Museum (which was fascinating) opting to go there because of the rain. Later I sketched this in my daughters flat – her collection of jars, with a struggling orchid and tubes of acrylic paint. These are standing on an old tiny wooden chest of drawers that my dad made and that he used to keep nails in (now it contains shells and stones). This seemed an appropriate subject as the day I sketched this was the 6 year anniversary of my fathers passing….so I was thinking of him as I drew this. In the evening we went to watch “Final destination: blood lines” …which I loved.

Tue-27-May-2025

104-3132 – Pillo purple rooms

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Here is my first sketch done in Manchester at the self-catering place where we stayed – a 35 min walk from our daughters flat. The place was fine – bit sparse on the furniture front and with very carefully labelled crockery and cutlery (giving me the impression that people nick it!). I sketched this while my wife did some work.

Mon-26-May-2025

92-2800 – Five guys ice cream

Image | | Art-Chap-Enjoin

Here is the first sketch I did on the day after we arrived in Manchester. We had planned to go hot air ballooning early in the morning but it didn’t push through because of poor weather in York. Instead we just hung out at our daughters house, filled the rental car with a ‘big shop’ and went out for a little walk (in a little park near the university of Manchester where I sketched this woman snoozing) and a milk shake. My milk shake was banana and peanut butter flavour…so thick it was like ice cream.

Thu-1-Aug-2024