We Had A Ticket To Ride!

And we used it on the train to get to Liverpool today! Keith and I had planned to go during our week off work, but were unsure which day to go. I am sad to say that we picked the worst day weather-wise, because up until today, every day has been beautifully sunny and, though cold, very pleasant. But of course the moment we started out today, the sun decided not to come out, and it was freezing!!!

Still, it was a nice day, despite that. Even though Albert Dock must have been the windiest place in the whole world today!!!

After a stilted start (our train from Crew to Liverpool was cancelled due to some signalling problems at Winsford!) we finally got to Liverpool via Chester and spent some time walking about Albert Dock. We paid a visit to Tate Liverpool to look at some art. Well, they call it art but most of it is just madness. Don't get me wrong, some of it was great and I can actually see the point of some of it. Jackson Pollock definitely had something and daft as it sounds, there is a technique to splashing paint onto a canvas. I can see that. But some of the art there today I could have done myself! A canvas simply painted all one colour and then put in a frame is just taking the piss in my opinion.

But it passed an hour or so and at least we were out of the cold!

After that we went to see "The Beatles Story", which was a fab (no pun intended) look at the lives and careers of Liverpool's famous sons. We got a headset and digital radio thing, and just had to press numbers into it as we walked around all the exhibits. It was a fascinating display, which included mock-ups of a few of the places The Beatles had played, including, of course, The Cavern, and also a replica of Abbey Road Studios.

After the tour was over, it was getting late, so we went to a nearby pub on the docks, and had something to eat, along with a glass of wine. It was nice to sit and reflect on the day. Then it was time to head back for the train after this whirlwind trip. We had planned to take a cruise on the Mersey Ferry, but it was simply too cold and windy for us to even contemplate that.

Still, it was a lovely day though. As we walked back to the station, we walked past the site of the original Cavern on Mathew Street

If the weather had been better, we would have been able to do more and, I am sure, we would have enjoyed it a lot more. But it was a nice day out!

Oh Bono, Where Art Thou?

I stumbled across this hilarious (and very useful I imagine!) Google Map search thing called The Bono Probability Positioning System where you can look at a map of Dublin and it tells you the probability of finding Bono in any number of locations (just click on the Bono cartoon faces). Apparently (ahem), it uses Dublin's CCTV network, and facial recognition technology to determine whether the be-shaded one is in the vicinity. So all you need is a laptop and a fast car and you are all set!

Me and Sue outside Hard Rock Cafe

Just to make our trip even more of a Bono-fest, we discovered this beautiful poster in the window of The Hard Rock Cafe at The Printworks in Manchester!!!

Wipe Your Tears Away!

I just got back from a weekend in Manchester where I succumbed to the magic of U23D no less than 4 times! I only planned to go once (with the knowledge deep down that I would probably go twice), but it was a surprise even to me that I would see it 4 times! Talk about overdosing, but what a way to get high!!!

My friend Sue and I saw it on Friday with a friend (Dawn) who had travelled down from Dumfries. To say we were stunned is an understatement. I won't detail too much of it here for the benefit of those who haven't seen it yet, but suffice it to say we were in tears from the very first moments of Vertigo - it just crashes in on you right from the start.

The concert itself, all technology aside, is amazing, and Bono is on fantastic form. It was very powerful and moving.

The next day, the friend from Dumfries had to go home, so me and Sue went to the afternoon showing, just to keep the drug in our veins!!! You spot things the second time that you didn't notice the first time.

That night we went to the Comedy Store to see a show and to have dinner. With a few glasses of wine in us, we wondered what it would be like to have Bono popping out at you when you were inebriated.... so, not wanting to die not knowing that, we went to the late night showing!!! U23D when you are drunk is everything you thought it would be and more.

And finally, not wanting to leave the weekend on an uneven 3.... I phoned my husband and suggested he come down to Manchester to see it with me before I headed home. He did, so I went through it all a 4th time. The things you have to do....!!!! Anyone who hasn't seen it yet, you are in for the best treat of your life!!!

I'm Back!

At last I have got my internet sorted out and am back online! I have missed it so much and felt so out of touch. Hopefully now I will be able to keep on with my Blog. This weekend is my trip to Manchester to see U23D, and no doubt I will have lots to say about it when I come back. I have booked Monday off work to recover (because Sue always forces me to drink too much!) so I will update then.

Hope everyone has a great weekend.

Apologies

Aaargh! I am so frustrated. I am in the process of swapping over my Internet Provider and getting myself set up on wireless. My laptop is my lifeline but for a few weeks now I have not been able to use it because of some problems.

But.... it's looking likely that we will swap to Sky in the next week or two. Sometimes they make you wait for a code, but at least we will put the wheels in motion and I will have an end in sight. I am really missing writing my Blog, and I do apologise for not keeping it up. Please keep checking back, especially in two or three weeks time, and I promise there will be something here.

U23D and more!

Exciting times!

Sue and I have just booked a trip to Manchester in February to see the U23D concert film. We are both so thrilled and it's a great shot in the arm after what seems a lifetime since we last saw U2 live. This will be the next best thing... we will literally be right in the action. Ha ha... it will be so funny to be in a room with so many other U2 fans and all of us wearing those super-trendy 3D glasses!!! Can't wait now... roll on Feb! We are making a weekend of it - seeing the film on Friday, and then on Saturday we are going to the Comedy Store in Deansgate and having dinner while watching some great stand-up.

And other REALLY exciting news is that we have booked another night in the penthouse suite at The Clarence for this coming November! You might call it madness - and you may well be right - but we just couldn't resist. This will be our last chance to experience it because at the beginning of 2009, the hotel will be closing while the re-structuring goes on, and when it re-opens, the penthouse as we know it will be long gone. That's very sad; eras are ending all over the place, and a lot of the Dublin we know is changing at a heart-breaking rate.

But... while the penthouse is there, we will take advantage of it one more time. Last time was amazing and the four of us had such a special time. For many reasons we will not be able to top that (for a start we won't have millionaire rock stars buying the champagne for us!), but we will make it special in other ways. There will be just the two of us this time and we plan to make the most of it - so many things planned for that scant 24 hours!

I will of course be blogging it afterwards!