I was caught short in Manchester a few weekends ago: having come up by train and neglected to plug my phone in while using it to watch video, read books and generally pass the time, I found myself walking out of a restaurant with 15% battery.

Not so good when you definitely need the phone to show the QR code ticket for your evening entertainment and order the taxi there and back…

So, is it possible to obtain a power bank in Manchester on a Sunday night around 6.30pm ?

Happily, yes. The shop I nipped into was mostly selling vapes, but they also had a small selection of tech, and furnished me with this:

Power bank

Got me out of trouble, and a nice addition to the travel kit for the future.

Smoking and vaping are bad for you, but not necessarily for the canny consumer.