Trips & Adventures – 30 August 2018

We heard that hundreds of kids were expected at Portland Basin Museum due to heavy advertising on the radio … so we decided to postpone our trip. Our change of plan was to visit Cloud 23 – Hilton hotel’s smart cocktail and champagne bar on the 23rd floor of the landmark Beetham Tower. We took the private express lift to soak up the sleek and sophisticated surrounds.

It’s a unique venue located at the highest point in Manchester and is well worth a visit. The windows are floor to ceiling and offer spectacular views. Cloud 23 is an experience which we will not forget. A magnum of Louis Roederer Cristal Brut costs £1,000 but we settled for Birra Moretti, an Italian beer at a mere £6 and Americano coffees at £4.

Years ago, a friend of mine used to say “I’m on Cloud Ten” when she was excited, but we were on “Cloud 23”! The view from the toilets was equally breath taking as there was a transfer picture of a man diving off the building.

We took a short walk to Castlefield and enjoyed a pub meal in the White Lion – a cosy, traditional olde-world pub with one of the weirdest menus you’re likely to see anywhere. Basically, the food on offer is a mixture of traditional English pub fodder, Caribbean food and Chinese.

We moved on to Castlefield to admire the canals and locks before taking the canal towpath back to the tram stop. Another enjoyable day out.