Manchester meeting point

I went into Manchester to meet up with some friends - tapas at one of fav places.  The blip is our meeting point - it is where all our routes on public transport converge!

I very nearly pulled out at the last minute - when I suddenly released that there was a rail strike.  But I found that I could get into Manchester OK; it was just that I couldn't get back home.  But then I realised that I could at least get to Stockport, and a taxi from there would not be that much.  Everyone, of course, had the same idea and the queue for taxis at Stockport was insane - so I ended up walking the 3.5 miles back home from Stockport.