Catching Up

There's some stuff I've been meaning to blog about but just didn't get to it, so I thought I'd tackle it here and now. A few weeks ago, we went to visit friends in Nottingham (hey Terri), and they took us to this really interesting "show" at the Galleries of Justice, about how the local Nottingham court and prison were used from the end of the 18th century up until the 1980s. What made the experience so memorable was the fact that we were lead through the exhibition by actors playing different roles such as the gaoler and an inmate. At one point the woman who played a mentally ill prisoner came out of her character to tell us some more current facts and it was fascinating to see her transformation - she had completely enveloped her character up until that moment. Good stuff.



Next up: A few months ago, Andrew and I went to see a fantastic show at The Octagon Theatre in Bolton called Once Upon a Time in Wigan - LIVE! The show was a re-make of an earlier production, this time accompanied by a live band. The story was about two couples who frequented the real-life, famous at the time, Wigan Casino, an all-night dance club that featured Northern Soul music. During the 1970s Northern Soul music was all the rage; it was and is essentially Motown or Detroit music from the US made popular and devotionally followed by kids from Northern England. But the trick here is that, for Northern Soul, the more obscure the song or the artist, the better. Wigan Casino was a place for the misfits and misunderstood of the country to come and meet, listen and dance all night to Northern Soul music. Now, there is a not so nostalgic element in that the Wigan Casino was shut down in 1981 because it had become a drug haven, but let's not dwell on that. Oh, the dancing! If you want to get a sense of what Northern Soul dance was like, and it's fantastic, check out the moves on the music video Mercy by Duffy.

Not taking sides or anything...

Nothing beats my beloved Leeds to Liverpool Canal, but this grand canal might come in as a close second.

What's Your Favorite Place?

I am drawn to Venice, Italy and have spent my most treasured times there with some of my most treasured people; last week I returned, this time with Andrew (my top treasure), for a long weekend. We discussed what makes it so special and romantic when, at first blush, it does look a bit neglected and unkempt. Well, countless people have written about this place, I'm sure quite eloquently; to me Venice is a delicate beauty, who transcends time and fashion, and remains just as you remember her.

Herban Gardening

I had a lovely birthday on Monday and spent some time at Urbis, an exhibition centre and multi-purpose space in Manchester. Although I wasn't particularly bothered to see it, I went to their Urban Gardening exhibition and found myself surprisingly turned on over the concept of integrating urban life and nature; incorporating nature into urban life. Interestingly, there were two subjects in the exhibition that also happened to be featured in two of my 'friend-ly blogs' (see right hand column). There was a feature on peregrine falcons in Manchester in both the Urban Gardening show and Mancubist blog; in my brother's blog, Cincy to Seattle, he writes about getting more connected to nature and acknowledging what it provides for us (fuel, food), which is also explored in the exhibition. Check it all out for yourself if you're interested (I'm just planting the seed).

Other Places

What a glorious day this past Sunday was, and our plan for the day matched perfectly the weather to the location. We first headed out to Formby, a town and beach near Liverpool. Now, the downside is, because it's a long walk to finally reach the sea from the shore and once you do, it's a long way until you can submerge into the water, so no one really goes to the sea to swim. The upside is there are no crowds, blankets, beach umbrellas, blaring music and the like as you'd find at let's say Jones Beach. Just an amazing unspoiled coastline with craggy dunes, pine forests and folks strolling along the rippled shoreline (see National Trust photo below) or fishing by the start of the sea.

We then headed over to Crosby beach to see the artist Antony Gormley's installation called Another Place : 100 castings of the artist's body made of cast-iron, scattered about and anchored into the shore line. As I stood by one of the statues, I became contemplative, considering the intermix of man, art and nature. Not a bad day at all.

Only South of 14th Street

We just got back from a trip to NYC to celebrate my dad's 80th birthday. Big up to my family and friends - it was fantastic to see you all and I love you! Here are a few photos I took whilst doing the tourist thing (double-click on each one to getter better view).

uplifting words and hand me downs on Second Ave

shop in the Village with trainers for $1000

where am i, on the moon? no, somewhere in Soho

Feel like dancing on Lafayette Street

Quit Whinging America!

Lately, the international versions of US news publications have been all about the rising cost of gasoline, which has reached a whopping $4 a gallon! But wait a minute, let's do the math: the average cost of petrol (gas) in the UK is 1.17 pounds per litre. There are about 4.5 litres to the gallon; approximately 2 dollars to the pound. That works out to be around $10 per gallon, more than double what Americans pay! Not to mention a UK sales tax rate of 17% and an income tax that borders 50%. If America really wants to curb immigration, reduce homelessness and ensure everyone has access to decent health care, why not try a little taxes. If we can handle it here, you can too.