where art collides

A light rain steadies itself on the garden. Random drops drum the shed roof. I hear traffic noise on the wet road in front of the house. April.

I am once more early to the shed. Made a cameo appearance at the Monday morning conference call and then left. Now easing into the day. THG’s very excellent granola with yo’ gurt and berries consumed at my desk with a slowly sipped cup of tea.

It pleases me to say we are in Lincoln all week. No gallivanting off to London for lunch or dinner. A busy week ahead actually. Sort of. My weeks are never really busy in the way they used to be. No back to back meetings or burning the midnight oil etc. Still stuff to be getting on with.

For some reason today doesn’t feel like a Monday. What should Mondays feel like? I don’t mind them.

…

The milkman btw came seconds before three thirty this morning.

…

This evening the rain has moved on but we are now well and truly “in”. Operations have moved to the snug for the snooker.  The “Worlds”. A highlight of the sporting year.

It is not warm outside. Good job we had double glazing put in the other year. People tend to take such things for granted but our house was built in 1939. It had a coal hole, a pantry and a downstairs privy but not double glazing.

Early to the shed. Beeootiful morning out there but with a spring edge to it so the heating is on. For the moment. Still in my dressing gown. Tis early enough. Sunday morning is normally set aside for the performance of jobs but, and I’ve just checked this, most of ’em are done. We were going to be away in Leeds but synchronised bouts of coughing led to the cancellation of that trip.

I have the Spotify Calming Classical playlist on the go. The hookup between Mac and amp seems to be playing up so the music is coming from my monitor speakers which in all fairness are top notch. Cavalleria rusticana: Intermezzo. Now fixed.

A line full of washing is blowing nicely in the breeze. Won’t be long before that lot is dry. Domestic bliss eh? Who wants glamorous international travel, posh hotels, bars and restaurants when you can sit in the shed listening to classical music and watching the washing shoot the breeze.

London marathon is on today. I’ve given it a miss this year as we are off out to the Thorold Arms for Sunday lunch. Saved me the effort of all that training. Plus I’ve still got that cough so that would have been no good. Would have infected tens of thousands of fellow runners and spectators.

We very rarely go out for Sunday lunch so I’m quite excited. Rosbif. Trimmings. Perhaps a glass of claret. Then home to watch Liverpool v Fulham. Then the snooker combined with falling asleep on the settee. Living the dream…

Out in the garden the tulips are starting to lose their petals. Won’t be long before THG dead heads them. They will be back next year. In the greenhouse the beans and tomato seedlings are doing very well thank you very much and the peas are just pushing their way through. I am told to expect no more than a bowl full of the latter which I knew really. They need planting in industrial quantities to get much of a crop. I still haven’t got around to scarifying the lawn but that will happen in the next few days. 

Pondering wearing a tie to lunch. I only wear bow ties, not the dangly down jobs that people used to put on for work. I still have dozens of the latter but they mostly have something wrong with them. Gravy stains, snagged silk. Stuff like that. Can’t remember when I last wore a tie. Would have been a wedding or simlar. I do have some shirts that would take a tie but again it is a long time since any of them were worn. Dunno why I even keep them in the wardrobe.

In other news I’ve bought a ticket to go to the Writing The Air War conference at the International Bomber Command Centre in Lincoln on May 11th and 12th. I like a bit of history. Anyone else I know going apart from @Dan Ellin? Not everyone’s cup of tea perhaps. As Dan put it it is better than binge watching World War 2 documentaries.

Right thassitfornowgottago.

Sat quietly in my hotel room. I’m catching the ten oh six north but don’t need to go yet. The choice is sit in the busy lounge at Kings Cross or here in an armchair. Feels as if it will be cold out though I may be wrong. Not stuck my head outside yet.

There is an easy bus ride from the Doubletree Angel to the railway station. It’s also an easy walk but I’ll take the bus. Three stops. Lots of bus options as they all stop at the railway stayshun.

All is quiet. I can hear a gentle humm from the air conditioning but that seems to be it.

…

My Oyster card didn’t work on the bus. Neither did my phone. Strange. These busses do have think plastic covering the terminal so perhaps it is no surprise.

Boarded the train early. My carriage was full of LNER staff but they were just going and the platform hadn’t yet been announced so they weren’t expecting punters. Train looks pretty full. At least in first class. I’ve bagsied the first two seats right at the end. They never book these seats as there is no window but I’m ok with that. Plus I figured with a cough like mine it was the least antisocial place for me to plonk myself. Bloke just got on train and was about to sit in the seat opposite me across the aisle. He then did an about turn and got off. Strange.

Busy weekend ahead if all goes to plan.

…

Home sweet home now and back in the shed. Shed sweet shed. THG walked through the door moments after me having just been to the hairdressers. She looks lovely obvs 🙂I don’t really need lunch after breakfast at the hotel followed by a toasted teacake and a banana en train.

When I was waiting for my taxi outside the stayshun and old boy walked past pushing his shopping cart. One of those rectangular jobs with wheels. He didn’t appear to have his teeth in and his face was very much grizzled. Still, he pushed his trolley to the bus station. Fair play I thought. I wondered what his story was. Did he live on his own? I could picture him getting home and unpacking his shopping onto the kitchen table and then into cupboards and fridge. Not sure about the “living on my own” bit though. I get very lonely if THG has been away for any length of time. It’s what you are used to. I guess you don’t tend to have a choice in this old world.

I’d put the old man at late seventies. I guess I’d be happy if I was still catching the bus into town to go shopping at that age. Mind you Waitrose is only a mile away and Tesco less than that. Don’t like going to Tesco. It’s too big man and they don’t sell my kind of stuff.  As it is, I very rarely “go into town”. All it is is shops and caffs. Usually I just to go to the stayshun.

It is cold out. The birds seem to be ok with it. I guess I don’t need it to be warm all the time but a little warmer than this would be quite acceptable. Just switched on the heater. 

This afternoon I have one call, although it does have a habit of being cancelled at the last minute. Otherwise I’ll be easing into the weekend. Eeeeeaassinngggg. Dunno yet what this entails but after an exhausting lunch and two dinners in London I should wind down appropriately. 

Might watch a bit of Masters of the Air. This is not as good as Band of Brothers but Joe persuaded me to give it a try. I realise this is “daytime” but I’ve never been one to follow a specific daily pattern. Not someone who regularly turns left at a certain corner at the same time every day. This is to avoid being ambushed. If you don’t have a regular routine they can’t plan around it. Makesalorrasensetome.

You shouldn’t get the wrong idea here. I don’t spend my life avoiding a regular routine in order not to be ambushed or kidnapped. As far as I am aware nobody has tried to do this, yet. You can picture the scene. A gang of baddies, masks on their faces, hangs out just around the corner waiting to pounce but I don’t show up. Drat, they say to each other and slouch on, hands shoved into pockets, hoodies up.

The Bayswater Road trundles steadily by. A red open top doubledecker stops to pick up punters. Purposeful walker gets in her morning steps. It is a sunny morning in London Town.

Unhurried start to the day. A few phone calls to make. I say phone calls but only one of these involves the cellular voice network. All the others are data calls in one form or another. Mostly international.

Interesting how people covet expensive cars. Staying in central London there are a lot of them on show. Status symbols. I suppose if money is not an not an issue why not?

I guess if people had the choice between a spacious penthouse flat with rooftop terrace or a dingy basement then that’s an easy call.

One week at a time, as they say. This week it’s a couple of nights in London. Arrived early at Lincoln Central stayshun and the train was conveniently already at the platform waiting for me. It was probably waiting for other passengers as well but that’s not my lookout. In fact I’m not looking out, as I’ve just said.

Lincoln used to have two railway stayshuns, the other being St Marks. St Marks, which is where I first arrived in Lincoln, is now a shopping centre so not much use to anyone. I guess people must shop there otherwise the shops wouldn’t be there although Debenhams went ages ago and has not, to my knowledge, been replaced. I’d need to go there to find out but that would be an unnecessary journey, as the poster used to say.

My journey to London Town is necessary. At least I choose to label it thus. I have four meetings to attend. Well a lunch, a few beers, a dinner and a meeting to be precise. Not in that order. Reverse the last two. Tomorrow morning will be spent at leisure. 

If the weather is fine, I’ll be spending my time, just walking in the park. Hyde Park. Tomorrow doesn’t start until four pee em. Couldn’t shift the lunch to tomorrow which would have made sense but hey…

Sounds as if the train is gradually filling. Most of the train is behind me so I am relying on a not very acute sense of hearing. Boarded at the front as it will be nearer where I need to be for the connection at Newark Northgate. Not that it is a biggie as I think I have at least half an hour to wait in Newark. Maybe more.

Lots of my posts involve being on a train. I guess that is one way of filling the time on an otherwise dull journey.  I could stare out of the window. No matter how often you’ve done the journey there is always something new to see. Sometimes, when seeing something new, I wonder weather the train has been repathed, as I believe they say, but reality is that I don’t often stare out of the window so it is quite easy to come across something new when you do. Mostly it is just fields anyway.

On the Azuma train the last two seats in first class do not have a window. I quite often sit there as it is quite cosy. Private. You are the first to get served with teas and coffees when the trolley comes out.

At precisely nine eleven the train pulled out of the station. Another on time departure by East Midlands Railways.

I sometimes get John Betjeman moments where I describe what I see as the train whizzes by. Obvs I don’t have the same poetic pedigree as him. The turn of phrase and the tone. We all have to aspire to something 🙂.

Thies train is very much not high speed although the bloke carrying the flag at the front does seem to be working very hard, perspiration rolling down his cheeks. Fair play.

The fields between Lincoln and Newark are a harrowed brown, green and one or two in between where new growth is just emerging. Still water on the ground. It is officially springtime. The best time of year.

A pickup truck races along behind a hedge on a path that will intercept the train. He is on to a losing battle and will have to stop at the railway crossing. Slow down boy, don’t go too fast.

Have big dreams, you will grow into them. Begin on the train. <Poster in the carriage. This is interesting. I’ve never dreamt big but I’ve always assumed big. Assumed success rather than set it as a goal. 

I guess the question is what is success? I know people who are multimillionaires but who had to spend most of the time their kids were growing up working all the hours under the sun.

A luxurious Tuesday ahead. Nothing in the calendar other than a trip to the tip with THG this afternoon. Did a sort out of CDs and DVDs for disposal yesterday and came across a few keepers including a Harry Potter boxed set and Dad’s Army series 4. I feel a Captain Mainwaring session in the offing though I would like to get hold of the complete oeuvre. Might invest in that. Would be a worthwhile use of cash.

Just booked my train to town tomorrow. Having to change at Newark which isn’t the end of the world. The connection at Newark is rammed but comes with the “Dine” menu which contains a full English and must mean the origin was likely Edinburgh. Normally the Lincoln train only gives you a poxy bacon roll, no butter. Mind you the full English comes on a very small plate so don’t get too excited. Also I’m going down for lunch at one pee em so unlikely I’ll want it anyway.

I remember once years ago catching a similar connection and asked for a full English. It was in the days when this dish was served by the attendant from a large oval platter and you could get reasonably generous portions. The answer on that occasion was they had sold out of full English and could only offer toast. Grudgingly, because breakfast is part of the deal on LNER 1st  Class I accepted the offer only to find that they had even run out of toast.

My other dining experience when catching a train to London from Newark was when I was on my way to Israel for a meeting. I had a taxi booked from the Castle Hill Club around six thirty and had a few pints with the boys before setting off. The plan was to eat on the train, get to London and hit the hay.

I arrived at the station with thirty minutes to spare to find that the train was already stood at the platform. Turned out it wasn’t my train. All trains were stopped whilst the Emergency Services dealt with a “jumper” further down the line. In fact the train was rammed and the only reason I was able to get on was because I was in First Class.

I went straight to the dining car only to be told that they had practically sold out of everything. It was the night before the Calcutta Cup in Twickenham and the southbound rugby crowd had almost drunk the train dry. All they had left was a bottle of muscadet and a bacon sandwich. I promptly ordered that before the bloody rugby p!55heads could snaffle it. When I got to Kings Cross they didn’t charge me for the “meal”.

I remember on that trip the outbound flight from LGW was showing The Full Monty movie. It was a lunchtime flight and the whole plane laughed, everyone having had wine with lunch. The early morning return flight to LHR a couple of days later also showed the same film. Not a single person laughed. At six thirty ey em most people tried to finish off their kip.

thassitfornow.

Well it’s back to being cold and wet in the shire and the cough has added “a bit of a throat” to its army of symptoms. The Strepsils do ease said symptoms but to spoil the fun the packet says you can only take one every two hours. 

Outside the shed I see magpie looking for nest building materials. It toyed with the idea of using a small twig but decided upon reflection it wasn’t what it needed. Wrong shape I’d say 🙂

The garden feels strangely quiet. As if the sound insulation in the shed has suddenly improved. Not that it is bad insulation anyway. I can mostly just see the effects of the wind. It is quite windy out and I can hear the wind. Perhaps that drowns out all other noises. The occasional bird tweet penetrates.

The milkman came at four thirty four this morning. We still have a lot of milk leftover from the weekend.

…

Bit of advanced notice but I’ve decided to make this year’s trefbash the last one. For the past few years I’ve approached each bash as if it is going to be the last as I didn’t want to presume that a) people would still want to keep coming and b) the sponsors would want to keep supporting it. 

Every year I’ve been wrong. The sponsors have typically told me on the night that they’d like to do the same again next year and the partygoers themselves stick it in their diaries as soon as they find out the date.

Every bash has turned out to be at least as good as the previous one. It is a winning recipe: great food, music, people and booze.

The one thing I’ve always been concerned about is not wanting the bash to peak and start to go downhill. Whilst there is no evidence of this happening I’ve decided that the 2024 trefbash, tropical trefbash, is a good time to finish. Finish on a high.

I’m going to go the extra mile with tropical trefbash. Not sure how yet as it is difficult to top the current formula but I’ll think of something. If you want to support the bash by chucking in some sponsorship towards the bar tab/food/band etc then please feel free to get in touch. 

The date is Thursday 12th December, 2024 and the venue is the same as always – the Phoenix Arts Club on Charing Cross Road in London.

Quite a few of my friends from outside the UK have made the effort to come over the years but the time of year can make it difficult to travel. Hopefully the incentive of this being the last bash will be enough to attract those who have not been able to make it in the past. The advanced notice should also help.

In the meantime there is nothing for you to do other than stick it in your calendars and start thinking about your fancy dress. 

The milkman came at two fifty nine this morning. He has only been earlier than this once since records began which was at two fifty four on Friday 15th March. Records didn’t begin on 15th March. That was the date of the earliest delivery 🙂

Tbh as long as the milk is there before six thirty ey em I don’t care what time he delivers. Six thirty is tea making time. We don’t normally let the milk supply run out anyway so if he is v late it mostly doesn’t matter. His latest delivery time was five twenty on the eleventh of March. Well inside the SLA. Not that there is an SLA. Afaik.

Now that I mention it I’ll have to give some thought as to how much milk we will need to last the weekend. Peak people density in the house is nine on Saturday night. Sunday morning. Correction we will have some more punters around for brunch on Sunday so the number will be higher. Not sure how many of those are milk drinkers but will give it some thought. THG herself doesn’t drink milk, other than in tea and cawfee. I typically have black coffee but am not a regular consumer of the bean.

I think I could see if I could get a part time job working for the Milk Marketing Board if it still exists. Just half a day a week would do me. Knowworramean? Might even get the milk delivered free of charge. Would make sense. I bet all the staff of the MMB get free milk. In little ⅓ pint bottles just like the old days. The very old days. I remember them.

Slooking like another balmy shorts and tee shirt day ahead. Yesterday the shed doors were flung open for the first time this year. Sgood. Not got a huge amount on today so might see if I can get the grass cut. This is highly contingent on being able to start the mower so we will have to see. Might take a while. I also need to plant my sunflower seeds.

Tharrldofornow.

…

The shed doors are, again, open. The birds continue to tweet. I know not the make, brand or model of bird but the likelihood is that a blackbird is amongst them. Red tulips nod their heads in unison. A feather floats to the ground.

Wow – house sparrow, common chiffchaff, eurasian blackbird and great tit. My sister @Sue suggested I download the Merlin bird app and these were the birds identified singing in and around our back garden. It is a wonderful app. I’m quite pleased about the chiffchaff as I didn’t know we had these. This is going to be a regular thing outside the shed. Wow wow wow wow wow.

I can’t get the lawnmower to start. Yet.

…

Lawn mowed and bbq fired up – easiest way to clean it is to run it hot for a while. The ignition didn’t work so I used one of those plastic wands. Hopefully after the initial flush through the bbq’s own ignition will start to work. I can see it smoking away from my vantage point in the shed.

Then rustled up some scallops with bacon for lunch, as you do. I had nine scallops. That’s about fifty quids worth or more in a restaurant. I rarely order scallops when eating out as you only get three. 

My 2pm meet just got cancelled so that’s me done for the day. Don’t like to do much in the way of work work on Friday anyway. The afternoon is so pleasant it feels as if anything too onerous in the way of jobs would be inappropriate. 

…

I just dismantled a wardrobe that THG had deemed surplus to requirements and was on the list of things to take to the tip.  During the process I realised it was good quality pine from Anne’s mum and dad’s gaff so rather than chucking it it is now in a place of safety in the potting shed. Of course the shed needs a huge tidy up so that is not the final resting place of the wood. Can’t chuck good wood like that. I daresay the wood will turn into something useful but gawd knows when 🙂 

Too late to go to the tip now anyway. Shuts at 4pm. I’ll do it Monday.

Garage also needs a tidy. Everywhere needs a tidy. I can squeeze in some time the week after next, as long as it stays fine.

Interesting. Having publicly decried my cough I’ve now started seeing patent cough remedy adverts pushed to me by snake oil salesmen. I assume that’s what they are. They mix their evil and ineffective concoctions in their dingy kitchens in run down concrete highrises or graffiti strewn backstreet lockups and operate anonymously by mail order, or the modern tinterweb equivalent. Begone, snake oil salesmen. Cough still there though and now I’ve written this I’ll be getting more ads 😉 cough cough  cough cough cough cough cough cough. Cough cough.

In line with a mantra fine tuned over decades, it now being British Summer Time, I have decided to stick with the shorts despite the unreliability of the weather, and the presence of the cough.

In the shed for eight this morning. Granola at my desk. THG makes a top notch granola. Add berries and yo ‘gurt and you are set up for the day. THG also delivered a pot of tea. Wonderful girl that she is.

Funny how you instinctively know how much milk to pour into a cup before adding the tea. Ok you occasionally get it wrong but by and large that slurp followed by a drop does the job. If the tea is particularly stewed you might add more. That is likely to be the second cup and this morning I poured the tea first knowing that there wasn’t a full cup left in the pot and needed to know the level before adding the milk.

An everyday story of shed living. Put my new poster up in the shed yesterday. The Manx Motor Racing Club poster of the Manx Classic 1989 to 1999, patron John Surtees MBE. £3. It’s the one I bought from the Transport Heritage Museum in Peel. 

I’m always on the lookout for good posters. The shed is a continuously evolving space. I have yet to put up my African painting, bought at the craft warehouse or similar in Cape Town’s Waterfront. I have a plan to create a frame out of bamboo and stretch the painting inside that frame. The bamboo is there waiting as is the painting. Just needs executing. Maybs this week.

The milkman came at oh three twenty five. Back into the swing of regular deliveries.

A wet morning but not cold so no heating on in the shed. This is hopefully how it will be now until October or November. No heating in the shed that is. Now switched to shorts. It is the right thing to do.

I acquired five new books over the last two weeks. Six if you include the Isle of Man telephone directory. I brought this back with me from our house in Peel because I figured it was quite quaint. Not sure when we last got one in Lincoln but I’ve been using it to help light the fire in the front room 🙂

One of the books is about the defence of Gibraltar during WW2. On University Challenge last night I was able to answer a question based on the fact that I just read about it in that book. War of the Spanish Succession. The Imperial College team was brilliant. 285 points! Fair play. Thassit now until next season. Worramagointowatch?

Now that we are back home the difference in the garden is very noticeable. New life everywhere. Best time of year. Not sure how the apricot tree will fare this year. It has a lot of blossom but I can’t see signs of fruit coming along. Maybs I need to look a bit harder. Will find out soon enough. Some of the young leaves look to be in trouble but I don’t recall there being a frost.

This week I’m going to get the peas in. Will need to build in some defences against pesky pigeons. Effin pigeons. And mice. Need to build a cage really. With netting.

Otherwise all is calm. THG is out at the gym and I am swapping between reading my new book and the occasional conference call.

…

The reacquaintance. The managers that is. I’m watching a game of football on my laptop with headphones on whilst some ‘do yer house up’ programme is on the box. Doesn’t do it for me. Having to adjust my seated position to avoid accidental eye contact with the telly. As a Liverpool fan I want both Arse enal and Man City to progress natch. The more games they have to play the better.

I’m not overly bothered about the game. In fact I’ll stick it on mute whilst I watch Edwardian Farm on Amazon. Far more interesting. Now I never used to watch much TV but since covid and the lockdown era I seem to be doing more of it. Not broadcast TV mind you, other than University Challenge which is now finished.

So today we have three programmes on the go whilst I write this. It’s not right really but I’ve just finished my Guarnere/Heffron book and am expecting another to be delivered today. However, it is running late. I ordered a secondary laptop screen recently but that never showed up. Nicked presumably. I dunno. Doesn’t bode well for the book though can’t imagine anyone wanting to steal it.

My cough is starting to annoy me. Had it a couple of weeks and it got worse whilst we were on the Isle of Man. Feel sorry for others around me. During covid they would all have backed off with deep suspicion. I will self isolate in the shed when I get home 🙂

Add the cough to the fact that I still only have my sunglasses means I will very much be glad to get home. I’m typing this with the doc zoomed in to make the font larger and thus readable without my specs. Today’s meetings were called off due to train strikes so I am heading nowf earlier than expected and should indeed be in Lincoln before THG who is driving across from the Wirral.

I am now settled comfortably at my usual seat E5 on the ten oh six. Table to myself, as it should be. Conductor was quick out of the blocks this morning and came to check my ticket as soon as we pulled out of the station. He asked to see my railcard. I told him that was a rare event as mostly I was not asked this. Apparently I booked using a 16 – 25 railcard which is what aroused his suspicion. Checked the App and he is right. Dunno how that happened but all is well. Probs wishful thinking on my part.

Just sucking on a throat lozenge which will be the cue for my bacon sandwich to arrive. I traded the hotel breakfast for catching the 10.06. On this occasion it is a bit of a shame as the Hoxton breakfast looks infinitely better than the crap dished out by Hilton. When this year is out I might be tempted to stay at a Hoxton more often.

Woman ran along the platform at Stevenage but the train doors had already shut. As we rolled past her she was gesturing at a member of staff. It is a bit of a nuisance for her if she is bound for Lincoln as the next direct train is not for two hours. Slifejim.

It’s good to be going home. Been away for twelve days. Not quite the marathon that was France last autumn but these trips are always full on and take a bit of recovery time. We won’t have much recovery time really as there is a big party on in Lincoln next weekend with hannah and Lois’ joint 30th birthday bash. We will have a houseful with sofas even being bagsied as the bedrooms are all taken.

There’s a Virgin Atlantic pilot sat at the front of this carriage. Talking business. I try not to do that on the train. Firstly the signal ain’t that reliable and then I don’t want to disturb other passengers. There’s also the issue of trade secrets being overheard I suppose 🙂 Last time THG stayed at the Dibbinsdale Hotel there was a woman talking loudly on a conference call over breakfast. THG started to drop cutlery on the table making a lot of noise. The other woman was heard to say “hang on I’m just going to move to somewhere less noisy”. Result.

The land north of Peterborough looks to be agriculturally rich. Many of the fields are brown and harrowed suggesting they have just been planted for the new growing season. Onward ploughs the train.

Went to the Hermanos Gutierrez gig last night. They were alright. Had plenty of fans in the audience and the gig was sold out. Their stuff was all instrumental and one song sounded very much like another, at least to me. Imagine an evening of spaghetti western derived music and you are there. 

What made me think of it was the fact that I get a lot of posts on Facebook from the likes of Live Nation. This is fine. I follow them to find out about interesting gigs. The problem is I haven’t heard of most of the bands. Some of them appear to have been around a long time. The point is if their music was that good some of the songs would very much be in the public consciousness. Let it Be, Get Back, Hey Jude, stuff like that. Everyone knows them.

Maybe I’m being unfair. I daresay the music is a good bop.

Thassitfornow, bloody cough.

PS the milkman came at three fifty nine this morning.

All packed and ready to go on the last leg of this trip. London bound. Shepherd’s Bush Empire tonight with our John for the Hermanos Gutierrez gig. Anyone else going? I will look the part with my shades and love and peace leather jacket from last year’s trefbash. Must be said I will be glad to get back to wearing my normal specs when I get home tomorrow night.

Out to Khans in Beerkined last night for a meal with cousin Jeff and Glenys. Always nice to catch up with them. I’m feeling the after effects this morning 😉 You just never know how spicy food is going to be from one curry house to the next.

Taxi picking us up at nine forty five for a ten forty three train. It’s a twenty five minute trip so a bit of contingency in there.

…

Very nice livery in 1st on Avanti West Coast fair play. What’s more it has contactless charging on the table in front of me. There are only two of us in this carriage at the moment. The irony is that both our reservations are aisle seats facing each other on the same table. No way am I sitting opposite him 🙂 I now have a table to meself. Coat hanging up.

Attendant just came to check whether I knew this coach was Standard Premium and not First Class. To be quite frank it isn’t worth paying an extra hundred quid just to have free drinks. Would be avoiding alcohol anyway at ten forty three ey em, on a Sunday, during Ramadan.

Outside, rows of terraced houses with evenly spaced chimneys surround a church. Do the house dwellers all attend Sunday service?

…

Kissed THG goodbye on the platform. She is meeting Jenny off the eleven oh three Merseyrail to go for lunch at the Crown. The Crown looks v art deco from the outside. My train to London only has four stops including Runcorn, Crewe and Milton Keynes. I get Crewe and even MK but Runcorn is just outside Liverpool and nobody seems to have got on.

“OK google, when does time have no meaning?”

08:56 1 31

In its final state, the Universe may end up as an inert cloud of energy and matter, where everything is evenly distributed. In this gray nothingness, “there is no future, there’s no arrow of time anymore,” she says. At that point time has no real meaning, she says. “It has no direction.”

Bit of conversation at breakfast this morning. At some stage, THG asked what the time was. I said we are in Liverpool. Time has no meaning.

I decided to ask google about that and you have just read the response. Soz about the Americun sbelin. You got it as google found it.

Breakfast was the usual Hilton crap. I stay in Hiltons because of the perks they give me as a diamond member. On this occasion free breakfast and valet parking for £12.50. However I’ll not get close to requalifying for diamond in 2024 so I’m just racking up the points this year with a view to finishing off with a five nights for the price of four reward stay somewhere nice. Next year I’ll choose hotels based on different criteria. Location, nice breakfast, price etc.

There was an American sounding guy in an Everton shirt sat behind me at breakfast. He had to shift his chair back to where it originally was to make room for my chair. No problemo. However what I was going to say was Everton are at home today v Burnley. Hotels are reasonably priced and not full. That is not our experience when Liverpool are at home. A game of two halves, a city of two teams.

Our room looks out on the Liverpool 1 shopping centre. People rave about it but it is a shopping centre! I had asked for a room looking out over the Albert Dock but all they could do was this one, six oh four, and said you can see some of the docks. The receptionist was right. If I lean right forward and bend my neck I can see some of the dock but not much.

Just below the room is a big Liverpool sign. As I looked down two women were having their photo taken in front of it by a bloke. I whipped my phone out to take the perfect street pic but wasn’t quick enough. The camera was set to video selfie and by the time I’d fiddled around to get it to take normal photos they had moved on. A moment in time lost and gone for ever.

This Hilton is right next door to a popular shop called John Lewis. I did go in there once on my own but didn’t stay the pace. It’s a shop. I don’t need anything. So this time I will not be visiting it, again.

Very nice meal out with THG last night. Date night. Had pondered finishing off at the Bridewell but we headed back early to catch a bit of Gardener’s World on the telly. That’s thirty six years of married life for you. I nodded off. That’s thirty six years of married life for you, plus a couple of gins and beers at the restaurant.

…

Operations moved to the lively hotel lobby whilst THG does the shops, again. She has some vouchers… The big TV screen is showing Sky News and the talk is about the opening weekend of the cricket county championship. Yay. I joined Notts CCC this year and plan to spend a bit of time there watching some cricketing action. If anyone wants to join me lemme know.

Meanwhile once THG gets back we are planning to head to the Liverpool Central Library which apaz is v ornate and impressivo. THG has been wanting to take me there for some time as part of her plan to impress me with the history and heritage of her home town. She doesn’t need to. Last time we tried the library was closed.

Back in the USSR blasting out in the lobby. This is Liverpool after all. Huge queue for breakfast now. It’s a quarter to ten. I’ll bet the breakfast service finishes at ten. Everyone must have been out on the lash last night.

I’d be interested to hear from others where their best hotel breakfast experience was.

In the lobby, life without specs is a bit of a blur. I’m holding my laptop close to my face and typing with my left hand in order to avoid wearing my sunglasses. It’s all very well looking cool, not being recognised and being able to see, albeit somewhat dimly but it is a strain on the eyes. It’s a compromise as I’m quite slow typing with one hand. Doesn’t really matter as time, as you know, has no meaning.

Two more days of this. I get home Monday evening. The Hermanos Guiterrez gig at the Shepherds Bush Empire is going to be a challenge. Unlikely the place will be well lit, apart from the stage. I’ll probs be the only person wearing shades, apart from the brothers themselves. At least noone will recognize me 🙂

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After a v enjoyable visit to the central library we ambled down to the Oxfam shop on Bold Street. They have a good selection of second hand books there and I bought a couple of history books. Decided to pass on Jane’s Fighting Ships of which they had quite a few. Wasn’t too impressed with the black and white photos and at £20 wasn’t worth it. Ubered it back to the hotel to pick up bags and car and set off for the Wirral.The uber was from Wolverhampton and clearly didn’t know the area as he didn’t park anywhere near where we were. He wasn’t very chatty either. Didn’t give him a tip.

A word of advice. Avoid the Wallasey Tunnel at all costs.the queues for the toll booths were lengthy and chaotic with cars switching lanes left right and centre. Took a good 15 mins to get through. 

The automatic barrier rejected my Manx pound coins despite the fact that they are legal tender. Instead switched to contact less card. That didn’t work either. In the end THG fielded another £2.10 and we altered finally through. 

That wasn’t the case for the car in the next lane. It had gone through a booth reserved for cars with the fast tag (or whatever it is called). He clearly didn’t have the fast tag (or whatever it is called) and so the barrier stayed down. He wasn’t very popular with the cars behind who by then were unable to reverse and try a different lane and probably wouldn’t have wanted to as they had the fast tag (or whatever it is called).

Hurricane Kathleen (I promoted her) was very noticeable as we came away from the tunnel onto exposed bits of the M53. She is a feisty girl is Kath (leen).

Farewell to Ellan Vannin. Sat at the window of our cabin looking out across Douglas Bay and the Tower of Refuge. Cup of tea in hand. Waiting to depart. The quayside  of the Port of Douglas lies below and a few workers in hi viz jackets go about their business. The fluttering Manx flag suggests a westerly.

The met office says south south westerly 24mph gusting to 36. Force six to seven. Tomorrow will be a lot worse as Storm Kathleen makes her mark on the Irish Sea. I had an auntie Kathleen. Mam’s sister who lived in Carlisle. Few of that generation are still with us and certainly not in our family. They remain in our thoughts.

From my balcony I can see St Ninians church, next to which I went to school. The school building itself is lower lying and don’t think is visible from the eighth deck of the Manxman. The Captain, a Scotsman by the name of Cambell I think, has just announced we are ready to rock and roll. He didn’t quite put it like that but I know that’s what he meant.

We’re off. The wifi seems much faster on the Manannan on the way out but this time I used the premium code whereas last time I just used the normal login available to the great unwashed. How do I know they were unwashed? I don’t.

Overheard at breakfast. The Manxman had 600 passengers booked on and were expecting it to increase to 800 as people brought travel plans forward due to the weather. They actually have 400 so lots of travellers decided not to take the risk. The sailing could potentially have been cancelled and we only got the go ahead at 6.40 this morning.

The boat is quite rocky despite the presence of stabilisers to mitigate the effects of the storm. Had to hold on to the handrail walking about. The bar and restaurant area was quite empty with one or two passengers stretched out on bench seats trying to get some kip.

Now having finished my full Manx I’m stretched out meself next to THG in the comfort of our cabin.

Oh take me home again, Kathleen,

Across the ocean wild and wide.

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Well this has been a really smooth crossing, in our cabin at least. It was a bit shaky down in the bar. Had a good shower and now up and at it. Made meself a couple of cheese and onion rolls for the journey using my Leatherman multitool. Same blade as I used to cut flowers for the grave yesterday 🙂

Not far to go now although no sign of land. According to Google maps it is there. Just shrouded in mist. 

From Heysham we drive to Liverpool where we will take shelter for the night in the Hilton next to John Lewis. The John Lewis bit isn’t why we went for the Hilton as opposed to the Doubletree we probably prefer. It’s just that it has valet parking and is near to both Pizza Express where THG is taking me tonight and the Bridewell pub which is one of my faves. Some good craft IPA/American Pale Ales. Former prison or simlar. The cells are still there, now used as booths. I can’t say I’m a big Pizza Express fan but I don’t mind going and we have a load of Tesco Clubcard vouchers to spend.

Just passed a boat of some kind headed the other way. A low lying blue one with a white superstructure up the front. Small tanker maybs? Marine Traffic tells me it is Highland Knight (GB). Offshore supply ship.

En route to Liverpool I have a conference call so THG will drive some of the way. It is her car after all. Then another one at three thirty. On a Friday afternoon!!!

Oh! I will take you back, Kathleen
To where your heart will feel no pain
And when the fields are fresh and green
I’ll take you to your home again!

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Lots of silhouettes in Liverpool. Getting dark and my shades are not a practical prospect.