Pint Of Science

Hello, I'm back! Yes, exams are over and I'm free to write up posts to my heart's desire! That means I can tell you all about my latest escapade, which included a pub, pints and a lot of science!

Fancy a Pint of Science?

Yes, the event I attended was the "Pint of Science" festival. The aim of this event was to bring science to the masses, in a laid-back environment. But where can you find an environment that is laid-back, but serious enough that people will pay attention? The pub of course! By having researchers and academics talk about their work in a pub, the gap between the universities and the general public shrinks. Plus, by going to one of these events, you might even learn something!

The logo was a pint glass with glasses and a brain!

The nights I attended were part of the Manchester physics and chemistry branch, being held in the English Lounge, in the Northern Quarter. However, there were nights running simultaneously across Manchester, on a variety of topics. The main set up of the evening was that there would be a introductory talk about the subject at hand, followed by the main talk of the evening. These were always followed by a Q&A session, which could get a bit dynamic, especially later on in the night!

Dr Jon Hargreaves giving the introductory talk about
acoustics. Look at how captivated the audience are!

The first night I attended was all about acoustics, with the main talk from Professor Trevor Cox of the University of Salford. He spoke about his travels across the world, finding and recording the strangest sounds he could find. This ranged from the call of seal (recorded underwater) to a record-breaking echo! The second night was about nuclear waste, with a talk all about the subject, the stigma and the issues surrounding the topic, given by Matt Gunther, who runs a blog all about the subject (here). His Q&A session quickly became a discussion, amongst the audience, all about nuclear power. This really showed how passionate people could get about science and it was fantastic to see.

How much?

Each night was ticketed, at a cost of £2 a ticket. This fee wasn't to make a profit, as any money gained is reinvested back into future events and the nights are organised and run by volunteers. Taking these facts into account, you can see that the each night was very good value. 

Where and when?

Pint of Science was an international event, held in 8 countries over 3 nights. This was the 19th-21st May. In the UK it was held in Cambridge, London, Oxford, Manchester, Bath, Bristol, York and Glasgow, but it has plans to expand further into more cities and countries, so watch this space!

Chester vs York

Hello! Long time no see! Well, if I could see you that is. Or can I? No, don't worry, I can't. Anyway, stumbling away from the political thriller theme that I seem to have fallen onto, over the last few months I have been able to do indulge in a few day trips. I say a few, I mean two. Yes, two trips from Manchester. One to Chester and one to York, but which one is better value? Well, relax and I'll tell you...

Size

Does size matter? Well it does if you've only got a day and you want to cram in all of the sights.For fans of Roman architecture and ruins which have survived the test of time, then Chester is the one you want. While both cities have Roman origins and boast impressive sights, Chester manages to pack these sights densely within the complete city wall. It also manages to pack in a racecourse and a riverside right by the city walls. Having these sights so close to each other makes it very easy to visit them all within a few hours.

Cathedral or Minster?

Yes, the inside of the Minster. I won't charge you for this.

Yes, both cities are famous for their places of religious worship. You can't go to these cities and not see the cathedral/minster, they truly dominate the cities. The Gothic York Minster, a truly impressive sight, requires payment to enter. £9 for students, £10 for adults, however the ticket does allow re-entry for 12 months after your visit. The Minster itself is massive, and contains various exhibitions and a museum underneath, all about the Roman occupation of York and the Roman origins of the Minster. All very interesting, but if you are like me and have a short attention span, then the re-entry feature of the ticket will come in handy. 

Boom! Chester Cathedral.

Chester cathedral is free to enter (they do like a donation), while it is still impressive, is not as large as York Minster. As a result, there isn't as much to hold your interest beyond the stained glass windows and the impressive pieces of art.

Shops

Yes, shops. Not my speciality, but I suppose they deserve a mention. Both cities had the traditional high street, that you can find in many other places. The famous York shambles is always worth a look, playing host to several cafes and souvenir shops. The surrounding area also contains several tea rooms. the most famous of which is "Bettys", which looked like you would have to queue up for hours on end, just to get a scone. 

Chester hosts the well-known Chester Rows, which are unique in Britain. Shops on two floors, which is an incredibly novel way of making the most of the space you have. There are pubs and coffee shops galore, the most eye-catching of which was "Central Perk", modelled directly after the famous coffee house from "Friends". New York, Chester, peas in a pod.

Chester Rows.

Yes, Central Perk. I wasn't kidding.

So Chester or York?

So you only have a day. If you are leaving from Manchester, both are pretty much the same distance on the train. If you want to see Roman history, go to Chester. The remains are a lot more intact, with a full city wall, amphitheatre amongst the sights. If you want a religious experience, go to York. The Minster, with it's exhibitions and museum will prove to be a more enjoyable time. If you want random shops and tea/coffee houses, then flip a coin. It really doesn't matter, you'll have a good day at both.

All pictures taken using the Nokia Lumia 1020 41MP camera. Impressive huh?

Poets and Players

Hello! Just a quick post this evening, to do with an event I went to earlier today. It was called "Poets and Players" and took place in the historic reading room in the John Rylands library in Deansgate, Manchester. Let's go!

Poets and Players

The idea of Poets and Players is very simple, some people read their poetry and some people perform some music. The poets and the players change at each event, ensuring a difference blend of talents each time. 

The Poets!

The first poet, Jo Bell, was an archaeologist for 18 years and lives on a narrow boat (she’s the Canal Laureate). As a result, her readings were of poems based around those two subjects. However, do not be mistaken, her work was not entirely quaint and rosy. For every piece which was calm and content, there was another which used language probably not suitable for a public event at 3 in the afternoon. But it certainly went down well. One poem with fire in its belly was that of “Ducks and Gang Rape”. I’ll leave that for you to ponder. An overall humorous person, she showed that poetry really could be about anything you wanted. Even ducks.

Not really related, just a picture
I took in the library which I like.

Grevel Lindopp was the second poet and had the appearance of a more traditional poet, with more “traditional” language. His work was incredibly descriptive and at times very serious, none more than when he was describing the feeling of being alone at night. He relaxed towards the end of his time on stage, even though he used his last poem to exorcise and banish a supposed ghost from the reading room itself. You could tell he really put his soul into his poetry, painting vivid mental pictures which let you into his work.

The Players!

You can see what I mean by "cathedral of literature".

The players were Chris Davies and Beth Allen. They performed music which was based around the theme of “breaths”. An abstract concept, but one which nonetheless achieved in a remarkable fashion. This was through the use of several instruments, but none as effective as the simple act of breathing itself. These works reminded me of carols, which worked incredibly well in our Gothic location, an effective “cathedral of literature”.

Where and When?

The location and dates can vary, this time was in the John Rylands library. The full schedule can be found here. It's a free event, so if you feel like you want to get some top-quality literature in a brilliant location, then you now know where to go!

Secret Supper Club

Hello again and happy (belated) new year! I'm back and ready to blog, so lucky you! So what have I been up to recently? Well, I've been a little bit boring (revision) but don't worry, I've still managed to venture out of the norm and try something new out. Sit back and relax while I tell you all about it...

Secret Supper Club

A what? A secret supper club in one school of thought is having dinner with people you don't know, in a secret location, eating food from a mystery menu. When put like that, it sounds terrifying. However, let me assure it was quite the opposite, it was a delight.

Wendy's House Logo, if you didn't
guess.

Booking

There are several supper clubs spread around Manchester and spread around the country. The one I went to was "Wendy's House Supper Club". I found this particular one through the utilisation of tools such as Google and Twitter, you just have to search for "Manchester supper club" and enough results should appear. Anyway, Wendy's House is a vegetarian supper club, run by a lovely chef called Wendy (funnily enough). The event I went to was titled "Mexico Monday" and, being very true to its name, was on a Monday and consisted of a lot of delicious Mexican food.

Food!

Tortillas with dips, image from here.

Yes, food! Upon arrival I was treated to a tequila based cocktail named Paloma, which was dangerously drinkable. The dinner began promptly as soon as all the guests had arrived, with 5 courses being served in total. Even better, it was all home-made. It began with tortilla chips, guacamole, salsa and sour cream, all very tasty. We were then treated to a black-bean soup, with hints of chilli, which was one of the best things I've tasted. The main course was served up, consisting of rice, corn on the cob (cooked in chilli and lime), baked Mexican cheese, refried beans, a delicious salad with avocado and almonds. There were other items, but my brain was being subjected to such a pleasure overload from the food, it couldn't take in all the information. The pudding was served up soon after, which was mango cooked in tequila and chilli, served with ice cream and a Mexican sauce (once again, I apologise for the lack of information). It was all topped off with a hot chocolate. It was all luscious and I would not hesitate to eat any of it again, if the chance emerged.

People

Yes, a big part of the experience is dining with other people who you have never met. It may sound worrisome, but I found it to be a great way to meet a lot of people who you normally would never come across. For a student, it was a brilliant way to escape the "student bubble" for a little bit. The great bit is that you probably won't meet the same people twice, so it will be a different experience each time. If you are worried about who you might meet, then get a friend to go with you!

Somewhere in there.

Where?

That's another part of the experience, you won't know until you book the ticket! Rest assured however, it will be in Manchester. Wendy's House took place in, surprise surprise, Wendy's House. I'm not telling you where it is though, you'll have to find out by booking a ticket!

How Much?

The ticket for Mexico Monday was £25.00. Now this may seem expensive, but let's put it this way. You are being served top quality food cooked by a chef, in their house. You are paying for the company and for a experience which is out of the norm. You can take your own drinks, which was a nice touch.

Again?

Are you kidding me? Of course I will! As I mentioned earlier, secret supper clubs are spread all over Manchester and all over the country. They cater for several tastes and styles, so all you need to do is find out which one works for you. Good luck!

Hallé Orchestra

Hello again, you appear to have stumbled upon another blog post of mine! Very recently I was fortunate enough to see the Hallé Orchestra perform at Bridgewater Hall. So if you are interested in classical music and even if you aren't, this post will be perfect for you!

Hallé Orchestra

The Hallé Orchestra, for the vigilant, have been mentioned in this blog before (here). They are a world-class orchestra, based in Manchester. They do regular performances at Bridgewater Hall, but have been known to venture elsewhere, such as Jodrell Bank. For a complete novice in classical music, I have to admit I was skeptical as to whether I would enjoy an evening performance of pieces which I was unfamiliar with. Well, I had nothing to fear. The mixture of the beautifully designed hall (below) and the extremely talented orchestra ensured that I was in for an experience I'll happily have again.

Have a look at that. Breathtaking.

The Pieces

I'll list the pieces which they played, if you want to go and have a listen: 

Stravinsky-Symphonies of Wind Instruments

Mendelssohn-Violin Concerto in E minor

Tchaikovsky-Symphony No.5

If those mean nothing to you, you're in the same boat I was. But it didn't matter that you had no idea how the music went, as you could very easily lose yourself to the music. I think this was the nature of the Hallé.

The piece by Stravinsky was most probably my favourite of the evening, a 10 minute piece performed purely by wind instruments. It was short enough that you could listen to it when you had a small bit of time, yet it still contained all of the elements of classical music you would expect to find, if you wanted to delve into the genre.

The Orchestra, just warming up.

The piece by Tchaikovsky was performed in the 2nd half, after the interval. It was a piece which demanded its own section, a thrilling foray through the voices of many, many instruments, spaced with audacious pauses. These pauses could catch a beginner, like myself, out. Luckily, I had an experienced listener sitting next to me, so I knew when to react. So be careful when listening to that one in public, or risk looking the fool.

When?

The performance which I saw was part of the Thursday series by the Hallé, which takes place at Bridgewater Hall.

Cost?

The cost depends, if you are a student, then the cost is £3 on the door! Huzzah! You can get the experience of seeing a world-class orchestra for a shaving of what you would expect the price to be. Winners all around, so don't miss out!