Sitting beside the M&S Junction Canal Basin …….. and waiting for the Bridgwater to reopen

Now Manchester may not be the premier Venice of the North, which is a title claimed for a number of cities from Birmingham, to Amsterdam, as well as places in France, Germany, Poland, and Russia.

But we do have our canals and the basins at Castlefield and Dale Street are  pretty attractive place to spend away a few hours with or without a boat.

We also have the lost canal arms which were branches off the main waterways which ran into warehouse and factory complexes.

I have always been fascinated by the one around the Aytoun and Whitworth Street area.

But today it is the arm that ran off the Rochdale Canal, under Great Bridgwater Street, and terminated beside Calder Street.  It is still marked as active on the OS map for 1950 and carried the title of the M&S Junction Canal Basin.

In my early years in the city, I knew nothing of it, so I am not sure if it was filled in or lay derelict, during the middle decades of the last century.

Either way it now forms part of the revamped area around the Bridgewater Canal.

Andy was there recently, and recorded the scene.

Somewhere I have an earlier set of pictures but back then we tended to go in the bar opposite the Bridgwater, and I must confess the drink won over the photos.

And that is all I have to say, although doubtless there will be someone who can help me with my lack of canal knowledge, and also suggest the name of the bar which I do remember had the word piano in its name.

Happily soon after I posted the story, Gordon Howe, got back with the name, which was Pitcher and Piano.

So at least Gordon has a sense of history.

Location; Manchester

Pictures; Around the Bridgewater Hall, 2021, from the collection of Andy Robertson