Three days in Halifax

My friend Dean turned 40 this month and he decided to give himself a big party. Because he invited many of his fellow “Lord of the Rings” friends, and because we typically call our gatherings “moots,” we decided that this would be called a “DOOT” – because it was Dean’s MOOT. Yes, very silly.

Like most of our gatherings, it started in a pub. I got the train from Glasgow mid-morning and was treated to some lovely scenery as we chugged our way to Halifax. There was only one delay, when trains from Preston (where I transferred) to Halifax were all inexplicably cancelled. 😡 But I found an alternate route through Manchester and was only slightly annoyed.

I was happy to see my hotel, the Imperial Crown, directly across from the train station. I checked in, dumped my bags and made my way up the hill to the Grayston Unity Pub. I was immediately treated to a pint.

Lots of welcomes, hugs, catching up and more pints occurred. I had made Dean a special hat for his birthday…that’s the White Tree of Gondor for those of you who aren’t familiar. He was quite pleased with it.

We then repaired to a somewhat overly-trendy establishment called “NXT LVL.” Apparently they lost the letter “E” when making the sign. 🙄 However, they did do pretty decent burgers. They had some old-school video games which amused several of us for a while. There was a nice seating area outside, too.

We were actually able to get a group picture with everyone in it!

The next morning, we met for coffee and breakfast at a place called MAMIL, which stands for “Middle Aged Men in Lycra.” No, I am not kidding. It’s a cycling-themed cafe/bar and they have pretty decent food and coffee.

We moved on to hang out in the “Piece Hall” which original was a huge trading site for sellers of fabric. Much of the original structure is still there…you can see where all the individual shops/stalls were around the perimeter. The interior has been leveled and made smoother for walking. This weekend, there were several concerts scheduled for the evenings, so a large stage had been set up, along with food trucks and other kiosks. It was a great place to people-watch. The ornate cast-iron gates were fascinating, too.

Also cool was Borough Market. This is on the site of the original covered market in Halifax, which has been there for hundreds of years. The current structure was built in 1895. I loved looking at the ornate ceiling and the clock. Originally, it sold mostly meat and fish, but now you can get almost anything. Including yarn. 😁

The highlight of the afternoon was a tour of Halifax that Dean had arranged with his friends Signe and James. Signe was a terrific narrator and told us many tales of the various historical characters (famous and infamous) and the buildings in Halifax. We heard about the running man, who escaped the gibbet, the severed head of John the Baptist, the scandalous Anne Lister, who was known as “Gentleman Jack” and Union Cross Yard, the oldest pub, which has been in operation since 1535…plus many other interesting and intriguing buildings.

We ended up (where else) in a pub called “Dukes” which had a nice selection of real ales.

I headed back to my hotel for a bit of a nap before the nights festivities! Dean had rented a local hall and arranged for a buffet, a cash bar and plenty of music. There was even a costume box so folks could get into the spirit of things. A splendid time was guaranteed for all.

Sunday morning, I attended service at the Halifax Minster, a beautiful old church. There was no choir (they’re on holiday) but the organ was lovely and I liked the friendly vibe. There is nothing quite like hearing an Old Testament story read in a broad Yorkshire accent!

More Halifax…

All too soon, people were leaving! The “DOOT” had come to an end. I had one minor panic when I thought I’d lost my passport…but it was found! I made my way to the train station and headed back to London. And another heat wave.

… But ya’ got to have friends
The feeling’s oh so strong
Ya’ got to have friends
To make that day last long