Liverpool Nativity

I just got back from the BBC Liverpool Nativity which was amazing. A part of me enjoyed it more because it was filmed, in part, around my neighbourhood. Another part of me enjoyed it because I have a soft spot for Jennifer Ellison. If you are wondering where I was stood, I was next to the guy with the hands off sign at the back near St Georges Hall.

I was also impressed with the turn out. It is nice to see Liverpool give a good account of itself.

I'm Going To Rockferry Tomorrow

I am giving you my hot tip for the forthcoming musical year. It is my public demonstration of down-ness with the music scene. Proof that I am down with the kids. My previous tips have included Bon Jovi in 1986 and Michelle McManus in 2003 which demonstrates my pedigree.
My tip for 2008 is Duffy who sings about a town called Rockferry which is on the Wirral. I have been to Rockferry and I can think of nicer places to move to or sing about. But then what do I know. The song is the shizzle.

Oh, I forgot to mention Pato Banton in 1994.

Addicted to Charlie

I love Charlie. Not Charlie Boorman and not Charlie in the Vietnam or Class A context. I love my hairdresser. When they booked me in at Andrew Collinge (name dropper) on Castle Street and told me I would be seeing Charlie my initial thoughts were that a young man would be running his coarse hands through my hair which unsettled me a little bit. Not because I have issues but because I pay that little bit more for 'a bit of all right' to do my hair. Hey, everyone thinks it. Its just that I have such little self respect that I say it out loud.

Anyway Charlie was definitely a women if you know what I am saying. Definitely. She didn't say much though, for the best as her breath stank from here to the Wirral. She knew it as well, you know, when you know someone knows? It was really bad. My god.

Today I have been listening to by neighbour singing in the shower. You can hear it thought the ventilation pipes in the bathroom.

Give Me Something To Believe In

Manchester this week to see Maroon 5 at the MEN and I was expecting pop rock. The expected running with a skip in your step was provide in the Chris Martin style which was nice to see. A classic move. At one point the lead singer and the drummer were belting out beats on the a couple of sets of drums and it was amazing. It was the intro to "A Little Of Your Time". I thought Elbow were good with their flashing lights/drums repertoire but this was very uptempo and made me want to samba. Although last time I danced in the salsa style, Hermione, who had come to the Gbar with me, compared me to a country dancer. So I didn't samba. I am no Colin Jackson.

Too many references in this post. Here are some nice photos taken while putting my zoom lens to good use from the back of the gig.

Feast On His Flesh

I have friends over during the weeks sometimes. I am a party animal in that respect. Today I hosted Cuthbert for chicken fajitas. Cuthbert is a local Liverpool lad, but his accent is not so strong that you cant understand what he is saying. He calls me 'cherub' a lot, and often I don't understand why he says some of the things he says, but you put up with it. He is also a compulsive liar.

Anyway, mid dinner I hear voices in the court yard. Sounded like someone had found a dead body. I looked out the window and saw nothing. I walked down the stairs with Cuthbert to find out what the noises were about and there, sat in a corner of the courtyard was a bird of prey, a sparrow hawk I thought, with a pigeon pinned to the ground under its claws, one wing still flapping as it tried to get away. I was fascinated by it. Cuthbert was even more excited than I was. We watched for a few minutes and had a staring contest with the bird which looked at us in a way that made me think we were its next target. It was a big bird.

The wing had stopped flapping and hawk started pecking at the pigeons upper body. It made a sound like you would hear when tearing expensive wrapping paper. Or when you are ripping flesh. Feathers were flying everywhere, it was quite moving in a natural predator vs. prey type of way. It was wrong but then I thought it was no different than a trip down to the local butcher (you should see my butcher). Cuthert piped up "It was so exciting.... I enjoyed watching it so much that at one point i thought about touching myself".

That bit was definitely wrong. Fajitas were tastey though.

How Old?

My friend Ron is very different to me. I like fruit, he likes vegetable. I like cities, he likes countryside. I use ten words, he uses one. I got my first response to the road trip email from him. "Count me in. I don't care where we go as long as we avoid french people on the way". I like him. He knows what he wants and is not afraid to tell people his opinion.

Is it weird that I have not hit mid life but I have been looking at this a lot recently?

When I say a lot, I dont just mean on the website. In showrooms. On the street. Anywhere.

I'm waiting for my fickle nature to kick it. Maybe I should book my CBT while the idea is in my head.

Road Trip!

I have a plan, I still have my legendary car, it is old but it has some legs on it. A bit like Tina Turner. My plan is another European road trip.

I sent tentative emails and Facebook messages to five friends.

"Boys, I am going into Europe again. Don't know where yet but I am thinking one (long) week in march and one car. I would like to visit the champagne region of France on the trip but I have no other ideas or final destination(s).

Who is up for it? Who has ideas?"

Todays photo is of Lands End. It is an old photo.

Long Way Down

Three years ago I can remember watching repeats of Micheal Palin's Hemmingway Adventure and a few weeks later I packed my Nissan Micra with clothes and Hobnobs and left Lancahsire on my own adventure through Europe for a week or two. I like learning about new things and new places. I love seeing old stuff. I feel something when I touch old buildings. Almost like I can feel its history and what it has seen. It makes no sense but I have done it for as long as I can remember.
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Three weeks ago I saw Micheal Palin in Waterstones on Bold Street, Liverpool signing copies of his new book, 'New Europe'. Give me a good non-fiction book and I can defy my fickle nature for at least the first few chapters. I have also been reading Ewen McGregor's and Charley Boorman's book 'Long Way Down' and watching the BBC program following their journey for the past few weeks. Not that I imagine I will ride to Cape Town on a motorbike but I get butterflies when I read the book. It has really ignighted something inside me. Couple that with my repeated trips to the travel section in any book shop I see I know there is a road trip happening in the next six months. I dont know where I will go or who my travel companions will be.
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But I know I will be going somewhere.

Run Away, Turn Away

I live in Liverpool city centre in a new block of apartments in a 1850's listed building. Its layout is based around a central courtyard and true to buildings of its time is was built with large sash windows for each apartment. This means that you can see clearly into the apartments both across from and down from my own. I have seen many residents move in and out. It is the nature of city centre living. But what I like most is that I can see them while they are living there.

Last week a couple of women moved in.

This week they saw me watching them.

Today's photo is the Jose Gonzalez stage at RNCM (minus Jose)

Chori Chori Chupke Chupke

Like every other person, I like compliments. Sometimes I fish for them. Most of the time I don't get them. I get less when I let my hair grow to the length is it at the moment. I get more when I wear my special occation suit. I couldn't do anything about the hair at 6pm on a sunday so out came the suit.

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I arrived at the wedding reception a little late last night so I sneaked in and found myself a seat across from Cornelius and his new girlfriend, Katie. Soon after the bride and groom arrived to a fan fare of applause and dhols. Bride is a stunning young lady. Groom is slightly older. Katie commented on what we were all thinking "He is not what I expected"

"What did you expect? Salman Khan?"

"No, I expected him to look more like you"

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The trusted suit wins the day again. Maybe I will start wearing it to bars and clubs.

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Today's photo is of the fifth largest cathedral in the world, the Anglican Cathedral.

That Which We Are, We Are

"Before you say anything, let me explain"
"Explain what?"
"What you might find upstairs, it's not what it looks like"
"What does it look like?"
"It looks like I am having an affair"
"So it looks pretty bad"
"You could say that"
"If it is not what it looks like what is it?"
" "
"Come on, spit it out"
"I know I promised you I would stop but I couldn't help myself, I was drunk and one thing let to another.
"Are you blogging again?"
"I am blogging again, thats it, I'm blogging again."

Todays photos: Kate Nash gig in Manchester

It is just an idea at the moment

Is my name "Joker"?
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I have not yet made up my mind