Manchester

Medievalists Abroad and the Holy Grail

Starting at the beginning of the trip there was a thought that I had, what can I find while going through all of Europe?

Anyway, when we landed in Manchester we hopped onto a bus to head to our hotel. There was not too much happening on the bus ride, we just met our tour guide, Emmeline and made it to the hotel quickly and quietly. It seemed like everyone was tired from the flight to Manchester, I know I did not sleep a wink on the way. We were all very lucky and got our rooms the moment we got to the hotel. I was put in a room with Thomas. I did not realize it at the time but that was truly a great stroke of luck for me. Anyway going about the day we all had some fun visiting the church and the town hall. Then we all split up for lunch and then most people went back to the hotel. In the group chat there were plans to visit Old Wellington about the time I was about to take a nap. After a quick nap I was still exhausted and Thomas just got back to take a nap of his own. I was not going to go to the dinner because I was exhausted but Thomas was going and said I should as well, so I did. About an hour later, eleven of us were waiting in the hotel lobby to go and see the oldest pub of Manchester. On the way there I ended up having a conversation with Rosemary and then one with Gabby. We made it to The Old Wellington where everyone got all sorts of different things to try. I had a wonderful Wild Boar and Chorizo Pie, which was amazing. The conversations at the table were lively and fun and overall it was an amazing time. We all went back to the hotel and I somehow could not fall asleep, so I went looking for a decent jacket. (Quick sidebar: Why the hell does everything here close so early? Five o’clock closing, what in the entire world? How can someone get something important that they need? It was quite the culture shock. Anyways.) I went back to the hotel after failing and promptly fell asleep. The next day, we had a quick look at a museum then most of us ended up heading to a really cool compact mall. The most intriguing thing there was this wall of funny cards. Then about eight of us went to go and see the Salford Lads Club, where the Smiths did an album cover shoot. On the way there we came across the most wonderful sight in all of Mancester. In this random park there in the suburbs of Manchester there was a set of swings. These swings were set up like a pentagon and we ended up spending quite a large amount of time on these swings. The swings of friendship we called them. Plenty more happened in Manchester but I feel I should go over the events of the Old Star Inn from our first night in York. This night was fun. Everyone from the trip ended up in this bar and we all ended up having a blast. I had a great conversations while I was there and had a lot of fun. So what is the most important part of the trip to me, what I found that I did not expect to find. My holy grail of the trip was the friends I made there. Honestly, it was a little shocking.

The Unpredicted Experience of the Salford Lads’ Club

What was a spontaneous adventure in Manchester turned into my favorite aspect of my study abroad experience. I’ve never listened to The Smiths, apart from hearing their name in the popular TikTok sound. Nevertheless, when I heard that some classmates were taking a trip to the Salford Lads’ Club, I decided to join. After an eventful tram ride and a relaxing walk through the suburbs, my classmates and I arrived at a public park. This park was where a group of mostly young 20-year-olds turned into 5-year-olds like the flick of a switch. After we stumbled upon the playground, we all gravitated towards it, and knew we had to make a pit stop. The swings have always been my favorite part of any playground growing up, and like I said, my inner 5-year-old self-shined through the second I saw these. These were unlike any swings I have seen before. Unlike traditional swings arranged up in one straight line, which is always awkward when you are trying to talk to a friend next to you, these swings were designed perfectly for effective conversations. Its layout of 5 swings shaped into a pentagon rather than a strip was so unique and intriguing. About 30 minutes later, we are back on track to the Salford Lads’ Club, located at “Lads’ Club, Coronation St, Salford M5 3SA, UK” If you are looking for an experience like no other, take the trip but only during the hours they are open. Why? Because the inside of this building is much more impressive than the famous outside. Okay, time for some history. So, this building was finished being rebuilt in 1888, in which it became the Groves and Whitnall Brewery. The two brothers James Grimble Groves and William Groves (pictured) were in a partnership with Arthur Willian Whitnall. Later in 1903, the brothers became the founders of the Salford Lads’ Club. Between 1886 and 1910, many of these “lads’ clubs” were created, due to the urge to stop teenage street gangs, and provide them with another opportunity. The club officially opened in 1904 and keeps the family involvement through James Grimble Groves’ great grandson and now great-great grandson being the president of the club. On our adventure, we all were under the impression that the Smiths used to play here before getting big, and that it was just some local pub. Boy were we wrong. Upon entering, we were greeted so warmingly by a woman who worked there, who was kind enough to give the group a tour of the building. Turns out, we weren’t the only ones who were completely wrong about this place. There were so many different aspects of this building that were intriguing, and when we were brought from room to room, I didn’t want to leave the one we were currently in. What was most notable though, was “The Smiths Room”. This is a room they dedicated to the Smiths and their fans due to the popularity of the club after they took an album cover photo featuring the club in the background. This room was so colorful and unique, I wanted to look at every photo inside. This room was used for weightlifting competitions prior, which settled my confusion about there being plates and barbells just surrounded by all these pictures of The Smiths. The next room was highly impressive, with over 22,000 names on a wall of the first initial and surname of anyone who has been a member of the club since the founding. In the center is a multisport court, and keep in mind these different aspects of these buildings are feet away from each other, it just feels so surreal. This visit was easily my favorite experience, I think somewhat adding to why I loved Manchester the most. Definitely take the trip, whether you like The Smiths or not, and find yourself in a place like you’ve never seen before.

Stories in the Stained-Glass Windows

Whenever I hear that some famous person probably walked exactly where I am walking in museums, galleries, or restaurants, I have a hard time believing it. The linoleum floors look just as shiny as they did before and I feel no powerful presence left behind. As I walked up steps indented over time by hundreds of pilgrims wanting to see the Canterbury Cathedral for its miracles, I felt that presence. This was not the powerful presence of one, but many. People from all different backgrounds and all across Europe came to this one place, sometimes undergoing many trials. Some never arrived at all (I say that looking at Chaucer’s famous The Canterbury Tales—a text that I have read at least three times by now). I had achieved what Chaucer’s characters were unable to do and have left my mark on the stone that have already been eroded by so many before me. …And I’m just a wee English major.

While in England, we visited four amazing churches: the Manchester Cathedral, the York Minster, the Westminster Abbey, and, of course, the Canterbury Cathedral. Each one presented its unique charm and can easily be called marvels of medieval architecture. I held my breath entering each churches’ immense halls and was enamored by the history they held. Crypts and chapter houses presented something that was unlike anything I had seen before in churches. These churches are still in action today meaning people can come in for services, just like people hundreds of years ago would have.

As an art enthusiast and medieval fantasy writer, these churches were a feast for the eyes and imagination. Designed with Gothic aesthetics, they comprise of many small details. While waiting for friends or taking a break in an unsuspecting corner, I often found myself next to small carvings of dragons, flowers, and demons that would have been easily overlooked if I hadn’t stopped then and there. Since churches are built over the span of many years, the different aesthetics of the time shine through, making these structures the ultimate work of collaboration.

My favorite part when it comes to the designs of the churches however has to be the stained-glass windows. They are a dash of bright color, a symbol of light, and a story. No, really! This where the term “story” comes from when we refer to the height of buildings as stained-glass windows are meant to be read from the bottom to the top. It’s such a unique way of telling religious tales, regulating natural light, and honoring the creativity of artists at the time. I was particularly fascinated by the Great East Window depicting the Biblical story of creation at the York Minster which took ten years to renovate by 2018 (definitely worth it) and the Miracle Windows in the Canterbury Cathedral which depicts the many miracles of St. Thomas Becket. The latter windows display their stories in circles, which was unique from the other churches, and were in stunning condition. I am thankful to have been able to see these churches with such an amazing group for the creative inspiration they gave me and the history they held. Should you find yourself in England and wish to embrace your inner art/history enthusiast side, I highly recommend checking out a church. You never know what you’ll find!

Thank you for reading!

Teodora Buzea

England is in my ears…

Ever since I was ten years old, I’ve had a longing to explore everything that England had to offer. This is in large part due to my ever-growing obsession with British musicians, starting with the Beatles and carrying on to Bowie, the Smiths, Harry Styles, all the way back to the Beatles again. I’d be lying if I said that being closer to this scene wasn’t a main motivation of mine when learning about the possibility of this study abroad trip. I of course got so much more out of it, but I’d be doing a disservice to myself to not indulge you in all the stuff that sparked my passion for this country in the first place.

Beginning in the city of Manchester, which I believe became incredibly underrated due to jet lag and only getting one full day there, we had a lovely little stop in the John Rylands Library. Prior to our visit, Dr. Insley had us think about what came to our minds when we thought about Manchester, and I’m still upset about not bringing up the Smiths and earning those brownie points with him, but regardless I was able to get a taste of the Smiths and more at this library. The pop culture section was more than likely not where I was supposed to spend the entirety of this visit, but I just couldn’t

help myself. The library was chock full of artifacts and articles regarding some of my favorite musical acts, memorabilia across the board, but the two coolest pieces in there came from Manchester’s own. One being a scroll of sorts in which you can see the genius of the band New Order unraveling as your eyes glide down the piece of paper. And the other, which was my personal favorite, was being able to see Johnny Marr’s guitar in the flesh, a guitar on which he wrote some of my favorite early Smiths’ songs (‘Accept Yourself’ and ‘Handsome Devil’ are great cuts off of Hatful of Hollow.)

The surplus of record stores over there was immaculate, and I would recommend that any music fan indulge themselves at least once, although not any more than that. If you do, you leave the country with 20 records that you have to stuff in your carry on because you don’t trust the airlines to take care of them in your suitcase and your left with insufferable back pain and a hold on your bank account because, much like dollars, pounds do not grow on trees (it was all worth it.) Not only was I able to see how much the people here cared about their music through the number of shops, but in the way the shops operated as well. Most record stores had to put out only the sleeves, and they give you the actual records after purchase as a result of preventing theft. One shop store owner said without doing it that way, they would have to have security guards patrolling every store. I also don’t take my record store

trips for granted as this was one of the few times I was able to strike conversations with locals, and I received plenty of tips regarding whatever city I was in as well as plenty of music recommendations that I would’ve never heard otherwise.

Perhaps the most gargantuan moment of it all for me was getting to cross Abbey Road, which if anyone in the future cares to visit, do not, I repeat, do not take the tube to the station called Abbey Road, it is 10 miles away from the actual road and you will be sad. But once we eventually got there, I mean to be in the presence of where some of my heroes stood and recorded some of the greatest music of all time was nothing short of surreal. Not only that but to see the people that were there from all over the world to bask in that glory as well, it was quite breathtaking, and I don’t think words can aptly describe the amount of emotion that I felt in that very moment, heels and toes touching the surface that is immortalized on my own record shelf and millions of others.

Paul McCartney walking across Abbey Road (2022 Colorized)

No matter where I went there was always something for me to engage in musically. Whether it be the woman’s gorgeous rendition of ‘Don’t Think Twice, it’s Alright’ (American I know) outside of the York Minster or the man I saw going absolutely ham on the keys in the tube station. There was so much not only to see in England, but to hear, and the only thing I can say I regret is not hearing more of it.

P.S. Happy birthday Sir Paul McCartney!

Manchester

Picture of students at John Rylands Library

Our journey began in Manchester, where these intrepid, jet-lagged students explored the wonders of the John Rylands Library.