A trip down Memory Lane to see the concert hall that I used to attend in high school. It’s now a smart hotel but the Bar keeps the name Opus One which was the title of the series of concerts I attended. A nice coffee there and a friendly manager who needed little prompting to relate the story of the building’s conversion to the hotel made for a lovely hour in which to shelter from the cold north wind outside. The conductor of the Halle orchestra was Sir John Barbirolli and I went to say hello to him again after a hiatus of 44 years! Manchester’s Christmas market opened today and St Peter’s Square has been converted into a village of wooden chalets serving all manner of warming libations (check out the names of those beers!) and tempting foods. I found it too cold to eat outside – no wonder, it was cold enough for an ice rink! Talk about  a wolf in sheep’s clothing –  how about a sheep in woman’s clothing. Just love the British sense of humour.