h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Actually, 'proper' hotels are pretty damn affordable in February in Manchester.

I can get 2 nights in a single for £65, and a twin for £80.

B

There's an Etap hotel (amongst others) on Salford Quays. From there to St Peter's Square (where the Waterhouse is) is about 9 minutes on the tram, and it may be cheaper than the city centre.

Then again, the only time I slept in a hotel in Salford was when I couldn't be arsed walking all the way home and kipped in a laundry cupboard at the Copthorne.

Yeah, and tonight I'm paying €15 for a bed in a hostel in Galway. That is, I think, a bit more affordable. I'd be up for sharing a hostel room. Who else is interested?

TRiG.

I can do a hotel if necessary, but a bunch sharing a hostel room could, in some ways, be more fun. And cheaper.

TRiG.

I'm up for the hostel thing. It's not like we intend to spend any time in the hotel beyond what we need to sleep, so as long as it has a bed, who cares?

I've lost track of who we are staying with when, but in prinicple, and being one of those internet wierdos, I am up for it too. Not sure about Z. He might have other plans. Or friends. Or something.

Yeah no, I'm up for it, thoughit would also be good to stay with my brother in Sheffield, that's not so far away from Manchester is it?

It's not far, but it's cross-Peaks. Just over an hour to drive (40 miles) and last train is 10:20pm.

The last train used to be about 4am

When I lived in Sheffield, I'd occasionally jib the train back to Manchester, hit a club, have a kebab and then grab the train at ridiculous o'clock.

But that could've been on Fridays...

Ah, Mr603, have you tried Port St yet?

I've not. I'm off to the re-opened and rebranded "The Brew House" in Altrincham on Saturday though. Used to be Le Trappiste. Wonderful place that was. Hopefully the spiritual successor will be much the same.

Quiet, was it?

Usually yes. It kept weird opening hours as I remember. I used to work just around the corner from it. It had a good range of beers, but there was some serious variability in their availability. It's all well and good having a beer menu that runs to pages and pages, but when you try to order anything and you get to your ninth choice before they stop saying "sorry, we don't have that one at the moment", well it gets a bit annoying.

Surprisingly raucous after a few ales, actually! No idea how the monks manage.

Might pop down to Port St after work. The Mrs is at a Twilight marathon, so I've got time for a swift ale after work.

Annoyingly I'm heading to the Corner House tonight for a swift one else you'd see me sat in a corner getting drunk

Can't stand the Corner House. Which is a shame, as I work on the other side of Oxford Street from it...

Ooops. There's one here, Pastey.

It's "not bad" but tends to be full of a "certain type" of person. We're just going there to meet someone.

I wonder if I can skive out of it and get a proper beer instead...

Right, go fetch the Gnome Net!

We seem to have an outbreak!

Don't Panic!!

Ooops. They're spreading.