Tuesday 29th December
Decided it was high time I got out of the house after the last few days binging; eating, drinking and lounging. I had to break the vicious circle of torpor! :-) Thought we'd go and finally check out The Brindley. When it first opened we couldn't get to it because of severe congestion on Runcorn Bridge caused by major road works and then after that, I suppose we couldn't be bothered!? They do have a cafe overlooking the Bridgwater canal though and this seemed as good a place as anyway to gradually ease ourselves back into civilization. I really wanted to go to the Walker but I didn't fancy braving the hoards of bargain hunters in and around L'pool!
But when we got there, it was closed! So, not feeling particularly inclined to roam afar, we decided on either Norton Priory or the Catalyst Museum (which I have still yet to visit despite it being on the doorstep, so to speak! :-) As the priory was only round the corner (and they have a cafe too ;-) we plumped for a roam around the relics, but pensioners aside, it was a good opportunity to get some much needed fresh air!
It was £4.25 each entrance fee and they didn't take debit cards! Nor did they take plastic in the refectory which left us with £1 between us, not even enough for a cup of tea each!!! We hadn't had lunch and were starving to boot so we bought a Mars bar to keep us going ( it was all we could afford!)
They'd stuck a red nose on it and I managed to knock it off, I was desperately trying to reattach this piece of red cloth! :0)
It was ruddy freezing walking around the gardens and after about half an hour, we legged it to Borders in Speke where they have a very nice Starbucks! :0) After a ham and cheese panini and a caramel macchiato and a warm comfy armchair, I began to feel much more civilized! Culture is all well and good but on an empty stomach, you can keep it mate! :0)
I can never leave Borders without parting with money and this time I succumbed to a couple of sheet music compilations; "It's Easy to Play Burt Bacharach" and "It's easy to Play Classical Themes" plastered in larger than average lettering on the cover! I wish they'd make these beginners' books a little more discreet! It's like walking round with a copy of "Janet and John"! Then again, I should be grateful for small mercies, after all, they could have been called "Piano Solos for Dummies"! ;0)
Oh and tell me something Burt; "...I've got lots of friends
in San Jose. Do you know the way to San Jose?..." So
why doesn't one of them give you directions!? ;0)
I've finished Phantom :-( What a brilliant novel!
Saturday 25th December
It snowed, it actually snowed! Well, here it did anyway :-) Whether it snowed on the roof of the Met office or whatever the rule is, I don't actually care because, as far as I am concerned, I had a white Christmas. It didn't come down for very long but long enough to give everything a nice white dusting. I can't remember the last time it snowed properly at Christmas but I do remember years ago, as soon as it snowed, pestering my dad to get the home-made sledge out of the garage and take us to Camp Hill in Woolton with a flask of hot Bovril! :-)
Camphill and Woolton Woods
The 30 hectare Park lies within a Conservation area and has been in the ownership of Liverpool City Council since Woolton Woods was purchased in 1920 and Camphill was bequeathed in 1921.
The History of Camphill and Woolton Woods- The land, which now makes up the park, has seen a variety of uses over the last 1000 years, with one original use being an Iron Age fort situated on the crest of Camp Hill.
The name of Woolton (cited in the Doomsday Book as Uluentune) is derived from 'Wulfa's Tun', from the Anglo Saxon personal name Wulfa and the Old English Tun meaning 'Village, Farm or Homestead'...
The 8 hectare section of the park known as Camp Hill owes its origin to the belief that from 150 BC an iron age camp occupied this high land. The estate was owned in 1862 by Charles Myers and by 1891 was the home of Frederick Herbert Gossage. The last owner, from 1911, was Charles James Williamson JP and he bequeathed his estate as a gift to the City of Liverpool upon his death in 1921....
Today however, I just wanted to stay in with a cup of hot tea! :-)
Nearly finished Phantom, the Persian is taking Raoul
into the bowels of the opera to find "him". The author's
technique of building tension is masterful! It's gripping stuff, I can't put it down.
Possibly because I'm afraid of what dreams may come when I do!
I was up until 5am this morning reading it. Mind you, I didn't get home until 4am! Texas hold 'em
and Tequila were the chief culprits.
We had dinner at Sandy and Paula's, everyone was drinking but me,
I was the designated driver, even sober I ended up losing! ;-)
Poker is very addictive, good job Ian won back most of what I
lost, even if it was only a fiver! I'll be practicing; there
will be a re-match and I'm going to make sure I'm NOT driving! ;-)
Thursday 16th December
you won't be hearing from me for a while! Managed to get my hands on sheet music for Phantom, my digital piano has organ mode too so god help the neighbours! :-)
Tuesday 14th December
Went to see the new film version of 'Phantom of the Opera'. I have never read Gaston Leroux's novel or seen the stage musical. I knew vaguely of the story (having seen Claude Rains in the role when I was a lot younger but have forgotten most of it) so, having nothing to compare it to, went in with completely open mind. Of course, I was familiar with the music (which I love) but it was the story I was interested in.
The opening scenes, when the chandelier is raised and the organ music blasts out, blew me away. I literally felt tingly all over. I enjoyed the film, the sets and costumes were exquisite and I felt the film created just the right atmosphere. Gerard Butler was a perfect choice for the role. He was dark, sinister and gorgeous! :-) But I felt that it lacked something which has been niggling away at me since I saw the film on Sunday. Tonight it finally hit me! Not being familiar with the story, I was intrigued as to the development of the relationship between Christine and the phantom and this was never really explored. I felt the director/film makers assumed a certain prior knowledge of the story on the part of the audience. Christine's acceptance of the relationship was alluded to in the sense of her father having promised her an 'angel of music' to watch over her. There was also a very quick flash back to explain where the phantom came from and how he came to inhabit the depths of the Opera Populaire.. However, in my opinion, more time should have been spent introducing the characters and how they formed their bond. Perhaps through flashbacks (of which there were a couple but not enough) or even beginning the story when they first encountered each other. Instead, we are thrown straight into the climax of their association. This, in my opinion, was too sudden. For a stage musical, these techniques would probably make the performance too long but I feel it could have been achieved in the film version. I did feel I'd missed out on something by not getting to know the characters before all the action began. I think I will watch it again once it's released on DVD and after I've read the novel, perhaps then I will have a different perspective.
I have managed to get my hands on a copy of the novel from Amazon for a very reasonable £1.50! So I am looking forward to getting to know the phantom better. He is a very compelling and mesmerizing character...easy to see why Christine fell under his spell. Especially if he was anything like the Gerard Butler! :-)
Saturday 4th December
I've always fancied owning a cactus :-) Principally because they look good and I believe, are relatively easy to care for. Now the conservatory is finished I thought it would be the ideal environment and it would also look great in there. I had my heart set on one of those stereotypical looking desert type cacti, like you see in westerns but scaled down to fit in a pot! :-)
The garden centre didn't seem to have any of those though. So what I ended up with was what I think is some variety of Espostoa cactus. It has 3 columns (of priapic proportions!) covered in short, dense, white bristles/spines. The pot wasn't labelled so I have no idea what particular species I have but after doing a bit of research on the net, my best guess is, as I say, some type of Espostoa. 'Why didn't you ask the garden centre staff?' I hear you cry. Don't be silly, they didn't know either! :-) That was partly what attracted me to the poor nameless thing.
Spike (as I have called him) says he feels very much at home and is looking forward to Christmas, provided I don't hang any of those silly lights and balls from him! Typical Latin temperament, sheesh! Now, where did I put the tinsel? :-)