Manchester is about 250 miles away - it used to be further (no seriously, Motorways are a great invention). My sister used to take me on the train the first time I went I was 3 so she would have been about 15... It was a very long train journey complete with having to cross London on the Underground.

I'd feel stalkerish if I didn't ask
Yeah - me too - and then if you ask you're sure to spot a rant somewhere a few days later about how only newbies ask if it's okay to friend someone's journal *facepalm*