Tag: Sally

Gigs from Abroad Part 21 – Porto (Part 1)

In July 2024, Gill and I made our debut visit to the intriguing and picturesque city of Porto (also known as Oporto), Portugal’s second largest city behind Lisbon. I can now see why it was pronounced as a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1996, and chosen as Best European destination in 2012, 2014 and 2017 and also became the joint European Capital of Culture alongside Rotterdam in 2001.

In 1387 John I of Portugal married Philippa of Lancaster, daughter of John of Gaunt. The latter geezer has an old grungy pub named after him in the centre of Lancaster and I am sure you will be unsurprised to learn that I have seen a band there! At that time the world’s oldest recorded military alliance, the Treaty of Windsor was signed between the two countries.

Famous people from the city include Ferdinand Magellan the globe circumnavigator, Olympic marathon winner Rosa Mota, footballer Dioga Jota and Rui Reininho, lead singer of rock band GNR, whose most renowned album was ‘Rock in Rio Douro’ released in 1992 and it topped the Portuguese charts for a remarkable nine months.

The other famous ex-resident is the Harry Potter author JK Rowling who was an English teacher there between 1991 and 1993. It is said that the impressive art deco Livraria Lello bookshop inspired her vision of Hogwarts, and she began drafting the first novel while ensconced in the city. We only managed to view the shop from the outside as we shuffled past as there were astoundingly long queues.     

Livrario Lello bookshop. Image Credit pandotrip.com

The city centre suffered a dramatic loss of population between 1970 and 2010 before tourism breathed new life back into the area, the previously abandoned buildings being turned into shops and fashionable restaurants, and even a McDonalds is now contained within one of those grand structures. My pal Jason Bax captured it perfectly with his apposite description of ‘charmingly derelict’ when he visited the city to attend the Coliseum to see Nick Cave back in 2008.

On our trip, we left from Manchester on a brutally early Sunday flight and arrived in the city late morning and grabbed some lunch opposite our hotel located within a stone’s throw of the atmospheric Sao Bento train station with its 20,000 glazed tiles designed by Portuguese painter Jorge Colaco.  

Later that day we headed over the hugely striking Porto Ponte de Dom Luis I Bridge over the River Douro, where you can walk across either on the lower level or across the higher level with the expansive views and you amble in the shared space alongside the metro. Just prior to there was a chap called Carlos who was serenading the punters with some jaunty tuneage.

Ponte de Dom Luis Bridge I. Image Credit creativemarket.com

Now I must say I am very partial to a good bridge and there are some absolute crackers here with the first one being built in 1806. The Dom Luis I followed in 1886, and another was designed by Gustav Eiffel, the chap who built that other one in Paris! The additional impressiveness only increases when you consider the fact of the extremely challenging logistics of their design as there are such steep drops down to the riverbank. Later on in the trip we went on a river cruise under all of these structures, which was a visual treat.

On the far side of the bridge in the Ribeira area, we arrived at Porto Jardim do Morro which sits at a historically significant location as it was contained within the Serra do Pilar grounds. This area housed an Augustinian monastery built in 1670, that due to its elevated position played an integral role during the Siege of Porto (1832-34) in Portugal’s Civil War. It is also the location of Sao Joao Festival, a traditional event that takes place every June and includes a firework display set against the panoramic background.   

Jardim do Morro. Image Credit portomoments.com

It is a very bonny green space and as we discovered a really popular communal area with a posse of families basking on the grass in the evening sunshine. There were ice cold beers and Ruffles crisps on sale from a nearby kiosko, both of which we obviously partook in and joined the locals in watching the sunset. Whilst we there we witnessed a local singer called Tiago Macarata.  

What I became instantly aware of is that are singers/artists dotted everywhere across the city, thus I have honed the ones recorded in my annals down to acts witnessed outside specific bars and restaurants where we happened to be residing.   

Afterwards we left Jardim do Morro we headed down to the Ribiera riverfront to hunt down some tea at the swathe of restaurants in that area and post-tucker we saw Mick playing a set in Porto Theophilu’s Bar. Later on, outside another bar we saw Sally yodelling on the Porto Promenade.

Manchester Venue 94 Chorlton – Part 1

My local tram stop about 20 minutes’ walk away is the current line terminus at East Didsbury. There are provisional plans in place to eventually extend this line through to Stockport, which would be an excellent addition but in truth is probably a fair few years from fruition.

On the metro route into town, you can jump off at either Chorlton or St Werberghs Road station which provide different access points into Chorlton-cum-Hardy (though I have never seen the Wheelies!). The Fallowfield Loop cycle and walking route follows the metro line at this juncture and terminates at Wilbraham Road by the tram stop.

Chorlton tram stop. Image Credit philweiland.com

Nearby to there is the Carlton Club at Whalley Range who have periodic gigs and the snooker player Steve Davis’s band has played there a couple of times, but I have never yet graced its doors.

The derivation of the area harks back to 610 AD, when the forest was initially cleared by those cheeky Saxons! Four such hamlets were merged in the 19th century and the name of Chorlton-cum-Hardy was created.  

The ‘quaint’ practice of bullbaiting was introduced in the 13th century and was active on Chorlton Green until it was finally thankfully made illegal in 1835. At this point half of the green was a private garden owned by Samuel Wilton, who lived in a house next to the Horse and Jockey, the pub remains to this day.

The population burgeoned following the introduction of a regular horse drawn service to Manchester city centre in 1864, following this there was also a train station built and an electric tram service opened in 1907. In more contemporary times (2011) the metrolink expansion 3a to the area further enhanced the commutability aspect.      

The River Mersey end of Chorlton route starts initially with the water park and then a path leads you past West Didsbury and Chorlton football club’s ground. I visited the stadium for the first time recently for one of their biggest ever games, but they unfortunately lost their FA Vase quarter final tie on penalties to Ascot United.  

West Didsbury and Chorlton FC during the aforementioned penalty shootout. Image Credit blogspot.com

The recent success of a couple of promotions has presented a conundrum for the football club who are recognised locally and simply as ‘West’. The resultant increase in attendances and attention has exponentially increased the demand for match day parking in an area that already had a dearth of parking areas which has naturally caused friction with the local residents!

Beyond there you then arrive at the leafy suburb of Beech Road with its bars and restaurants. My pal Matty Allen informed me that this street had the most prolific postcode in the country of Guardian readers, which sounds like a discerning crew to me. On the musical heritage front the Bee Gees went to school in Chorlton and performed their first gig in the area.

The other conurbation of bars is situated five minutes’ walk away around Wilbraham Road, one of those establishments is Chorlton Mary and Archies. It was their second branch to open in 2016 following their original site located in West Didsbury which subsequently closed in 2018. It is a cosy little bar with an outdoor space, and they occasionally have acoustic acts and on the one night I visited a lass called Sally was performing.  

Chorlton Mary and Archies. Image Credit confidentialguides.com

There is a swathe of bars near to the tram station and a particular favourite of mine is the Chorlton Tap right across the road. You are also within ten minutes’ walk of the Old Trafford cricket ground, where I have previously seen REM and Pixies perform. I also visited recently in a sporting capacity for a truncated day of Ashes action, the lack of play was a cause and effect of the ever-reliable Manchester rain!