Excursion

Last Saturday, I found myself catching the 8.10 train to Manchester. Ahead of me lay several hours in the Mary Seacole building of Salford Uni. 

First, I needed to go to Manchester Oxford Road station to get a connecting train to Salford. I chose to travel from Hough Green Station, because it has only 2 platforms - up to Manchester and down to Liverpool. Similarly, Oxford Rd. has 5 platforms with no. 5 being a terminus and the line to Liverpool. When suffering from anxiety, the fewer decisions, the easier it becomes to travel.

Travel by car was a no-no as it would mean rush hour traffic. Queues to get to Manchester begin miles away e.g. junction 10 Winwick on the M62. You start queuing west of Warrington to get to Manchester. Previously, I've looked across from the train to see the queues.

I detrained at Oxford Rd. and the 'fun' began. Cutting a long story short, I struggled up 20+ stairs and down another 20+ stairs platform 5 to platform 1. Up 20+ stairs and down 20+ stairs platform 2 to platform 5, before finding a member of staff to make my inquiry. Finally up 20+ stairs and down 20+ stairs back to platform 2 for 'my' train. 

A couple of stops later, Salford Crescent station. At least there was a large hording that said. 'SALFORD UNIVERSITY' but nothing about the various buildings. Fortunately another person was heading to the same venue and eventually 3 of us made our way to the right building.

Next trial was to find the right room. Using the lift to the first floor and then the trek around that circular floor began. Good thing I'd built in leeway time to my planning. Half an hour and numerous wrong rooms later I found 'my' room. Another lady had similar difficulty and arrives after me.

What I could not understand was none of the tutors nor the caretaking staff made any effort to label the rooms. 

Anxiety took over and led to tears of frustration.

If anyone is wondering about the image - Hayfield - some of the tutorial stuff was taken from biased accounts of events in 1932.