Sherlockian Sojourns #9: Manchester Town Hall

This was a bit of a last-minute jaunt without the usual planning have gone on. I had been asked to attend a meeting in Manchester, with my travel paid, and so I had a quick look online for central Manchester locations from the Granada series featuring Jeremy Brett, the series having been made at the old Granada Studios in the city. (Having just completed my final University exams in 1999, I went for a day-trip from Sheffield to the Studios, walking down their Baker Street set which was still standing). I had identified Manchester Town Hall as featuring in several stories, and intended to make a brief detour to photograph it on my way back to Manchester Piccadilly Station.

My journey up went without a hitch (but did mean that I had to get up at 6am), and walking to the Crown Court with my manager, we passed the Town Hall, but there was not time to linger, as we were due at the conference facilities.

However, to my surprise the meeting finished an hour early, and having over two hours until my train home, I decided to set off first for another location, Chetham’s School of Music, which featured in “The Red-Headed League” and “The Final Problem”.

After a few wrong turns, I found it. Unfortunately due to building work going on, the imposing gates were locked shut, and I was only able to get a few shots through the arch at the top of them.

Retracing my steps, I made my way back to the law courts and up to Albert Square where the large Town Hall courtyard, recognisable from several episodes, was located. The Town Hall features in “The Golden Pince-Nez”, “The Cardboard Box”, “The Mazarin Stone”, “The Dying Detective” and “The Eligible Bachelor”

 

 

 

 

Having taken photos of the front and side, as both feature in episodes, I made my way inside, being aware that the inside was used for the inside of the Houses of Parliament in the Guy Richie film, “Sherlock Holmes”.

 

 

 

Making my way back to the Station, I was in plenty of time for my train. However, as it pulled into Rugby (not a scheduled stop) the train came to a halt. After around ten minutes, train crew came over the tannoy to state that due to fatality at Harrow, the train would be waiting there for some time. It eventually moved, before coming to another unscheduled stop at Milton Keynes Central. The train then stopped additionally at Watford Junction (where I had travelled to a few days before on my way to a Sherlockian book signing), before finally limping into London Euston 85 minutes late. It had been a very long day !!!!