Trips & Adventures – 14 November 2019

Red button alert: Mr Essoldo left the Out In The City meeting early on Wednesday to travel to Littleborough as a specialist independent bookseller had telephoned him to confirm that his first edition had arrived. Imagine his delight when the Metro newspaper advertised the fact the very next day!

We had arranged to meet at Piccadilly train station near the ticket office to catch the 11.19am train to Marple. We made our way to Platform 1 and sat at the back of the train, but one person was missing. My telephone rang and we discovered that Walter had rushed to the front of the train to see if he could sit on the driver’s knee.

We arrived at Marple railway station about half an hour later and made our way to Marple Bridge, an area downhill from the small town of Marple. The pavements were wet and slippery as the council had neglected to clear the leaves. However, we soon warmed up when we reached the Norfolk Arms. This is a fantastic pub with an open fire, fabulous homemade food and a great atmosphere.

Marple Bridge is a predominately stone-built village situated on the banks of the River Goyt, just to the north east of Marple. Historically the location had significance as a bridging point on the route between Stockport and Derbyshire and where water power was available initially for a forge and corn mill. Marple Bridge developed from the 18th century as a small urban centre. Of special importance is the landscape setting of Marple Bridge formed by the steep-sided valley of the River Goyt.

After dining we took a short walk through Marple Bridge, but the weather was not favourable. It was wet and cold, so we ducked into a café for teas and coffees!

Miss Marple is a fictional character in Agatha Christie’s crime novels and short stories. Christie may have taken the name from Marple railway station, through which she passed.

Some members of the group caught an earlier train in order to attend the Older & Bolder meeting at the LGBT Foundation. There was a film screening of Pay It No Mind featuring Marsha P Johnson.

Marsha P Johnson was an American gay liberation activist and self-identified drag queen. Known as an outspoken advocate for gay rights, Johnson was one of the prominent figures in the Stonewall uprising of 1969. A founding member of the Gay Liberation Front, Johnson co-founded the gay and transvestite advocacy organisation STAR (Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries), alongside close friend Sylvia Rivera. A popular figure in New York City’s gay and art scene, Johnson modelled for Andy Warhol, and performed onstage with the drag performance troupe Hot Peaches. Known for decades as a welcoming presence in the streets of Greenwich Village, Johnson was known as the “mayor of Christopher Street”. From 1987 to 1992, Johnson was an AIDS activist with ACT UP.