Musing on Manchester and pondering roots.

When I mention upping sticks and moving to Manchester the initial reaction appears to be...
Manchester? Are you mad???
Consistently.

No-one seems able to quite get their head around me wanting to swap the very scenic,very rural North Gower for very urban Manchester.  Not at first.  But they do come round eventually.  Most of them.
Particularly friends who have known me - erratically - for decades.

I will always have a soft spot for Gower, but I don't have roots here.  Family, but not roots.  And although my parents have lived here since 1987, their home has never been my home.
Infact, having moved between England and Wales and back again, via Israel, in my youth, I don't know where my roots actually are.
Gower is where I have lived the longest, but I'm not originally from Gower - or Wales.
I consider myself English through and through, was born in Richmond, spent my teenage and early 20's in Sussex, but haven't lived in England since I was 23 - which is exactly half my age!
Whereas my son, who is 21, has always lived on Gower, considers himself welsh through and through (despite having an australian dad and english mother) and has roots well and truely anchored on Gower.

Having just returned from a trip to Urban Manchester, catching up with very good friends and with a head spinning from numerous estate agents, my mind is still set on Manchester.  Although this visit has made me realise how unwilling I am to compromise on what I want.  Not a bad thing.  My list includes:  cat friendly, neighbour friendly, outside space, however small - character, victorian, side street - no hoards of teenagers with cans or oversized England flags....the list goes on!
And I'm looking forward to a return visit.
And checking out houses around Whittaker Lane.