there are tall bars on the glass opaque with years of urban grime obscuring the towering walls of the shops that lead away down Oldham Road and a grimly oppressive northern sky we are warmed by a big electric heater huddled up close to fight the winter chill an old leather chair showing its age but still able to swivel and tilt sits beside the tea and sterilised milk there is an air of complacent decay of comfort in this all male place where last week’s Motorcycle News settles comfortably into place with the back issues beyond here, a dim bulb lights the way past the single always dripping tap through an old, heavy door that drags against the concrete floor as if unsure about the heavy air of the world beyond 2002 ]]>