This was Manchester almost a week ago. Lucas refereed a volleyball game in Salford and we browsed to the Northern Quarter, in all its independent store glory. It was a strange, aimless trip for us (a first), as we normally have a museum or gallery to go to but this time, nada. Just a neighbourhood with lots of shops to explore.

A bead store, charity shops, lots of vintage clothing stores, surprise street art, cool objects in cool stores. Lots of things I’d love to have but really don’t need. Raspberry’s in a materialistic “I want this. Can you get me this?” stage and it’s starting to wear thin. Note to self — stop window shopping.

The Manchester Craft and Design Centre was quiet because it was Sunday, a far cry from how busy it was the last time I was there on my own in October 2013. But we…