Sadly, the Smithsonian is not about 5 minutes away from the Grand Final car park and Old Trafford on Saturday afternoon ....

Aye it's not bad actually. Certainly worth going to pass some time before the game anyway. You should get to the top of the Air Shard (I think it's called), superb views of The Quays and Manchester, it used to be free, but I have been told you now have to pay a couple of quid or something, but it's definitely worth it.

I think the car parking is actually cheaper than what you'll pay at one of the match day car parks, of course, they may well increase the price when there is an event on at Old Trafford, I'm not too sure.

Yes, definately. Especially if you have kids who are at or reaching an age of reason.

Expect of man of your desperation wouldn't mind shifting the parameters a hair tone and a year either way... don't knock her up G, the sprawn would be unthinkable.

Do you think he is covering up a semi in that picture?

I can't help but look at him and think of Len, Pearls dead husband from Emmerdale.

I swear I don't watch Emmerdale, it reaches me via osmosis from the next room...

Or another (in)famous soap opera Len - there's a similarity there too.

Interesting to read these comemnts about IWMN.I visited on GF day some years back.Maybe its me but having been round various museums including the IWM and Duxford,Shuttleworth Collection and Others i was disappointed.
The actual 'display items' were few in number and the presentation was on the photographic minimalistic style.
Maybe i had expectatins that as so many large museums have stock they rotate that That would eencourgae IWMN to be an outlet of use.MAny of the large wall size photos were well known from book sources.Didnt spend long there at all.

DUXFORD--also part of IWM is a definite to visit for anyone.Its literally adjacent to M11.They also have significant airshows there so that furtehr enhances the day out.

What about the Lowry gallery, do they charge an entry fee for that ?

Not been to IWMN, but if you are into that sort of thing (or even if you're not especiallyy, like me) then I did go to the Yorkshire Air Museum at Elvington while I were oop north in the summer. It was excellent and I'd recommend it to anyone who finds military history and/or aeroplanes even slightly interesting.

I reckon his books make better travel guides than anything else. Sadly, reading Angels and Demons made me want to do 2 things:
1) Visit Rome.
2) Never read a Dan Brown book again.

Is that the one at Salford Quays?

If so no they didn't when we went - there might have been a suggested voluntary donation or something.

That was pretty good.

IWM was rather good when I visited a few years back but I did prefer the Lowry gallery (didnt expect to)

as for Duxford, fantastic place to visit, would love to visit the airshow they have in September every year

I went to couple of airshows in the 80s - military was 'in' post Falklands war - and I did enjoy them.

Be interesting to see if I would now if only for the nostalgia.