Cold War Manchester Tour from Ian Sanders, Host of the Cold War Conversations History Podcast

 

Ian Sanders, host and creator of the Cold War Conversations History Podcast

pointing out Manchester World War II history. An alarm to get the attention of fire watchers stationed atop buildings in Manchester.

I visited Manchester UK recently to meet Ian Sanders in person, after knowing him for several years as the creator and host of the Cold War Conversations History Podcast. He started the podcast in 2018 as a way to preserve the stories of the people who lived through the Cold War, served in the military in the Cold War, and had stories about their part in this long simmering worldwide conflict. 

The podcast is now in its 277th episode,  about "The Most Damaging Female Spy in Us History." The podcast has had more than two million downloads in the past half decade. 

The tour began with the picture above. Many buildings in Manchester had fire watchers during World War II. In December 1940 the Nazis fire bombed Manchester to devastating effect. More than 700 people were killed in two terrible nights of fire bombing.

Ian showed me a memorial to those who lost their lives. A metal tree with all of the names inscribed in the trunk.

We visited a memorial to the World War II code-breaker and computer innovator Alan Turing. He is from the Manchester area and took his own life near the city during the Cold War.  

We had lunch in the Manchester Art Museum: haddock sandwiches with mushy peas.

Then went upstairs to see a famous painting of the Battle of Balaclava--in the Crimean War.  The painting is the aftermath of the infamous Charge of the Light Brigade in which the brave 600 who charged the Russian cannon were all but wiped out.  

We also saw a funny 19th Century "Union Jack" view of the world:

Almost four years ago, before the pandemic, Ian interviewed me for the podcast. In episodes 38 and 41 we talked about US Army tank training and serving on the Cold War border in Fulda, West Germany. the podcast is audio, but the recording of the second interview about Fulda has more than 7,000 downloads on YouTube.

As we walked toward the train station at the end of the visit, Ian showed me the entrance of a huge underground telecommunications facility built under Manchester during the Cold War. It is still in operation today. 

This was my first visit to Manchester. Now I know the city has much more than a famous football club!!