Mon 6th April
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0PAZXY3ZEE]
Wanderings, wonderings, Springsteen and The Chicks
Mon 6th April
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0PAZXY3ZEE]
On Monday I went to see the film “Springsteen and I” at the National Media Museum in Bradford. The cinema has had a refurb and it’s an even better venue now. The film was ok but I would much rather see Bruce live, so on Wednesday I did just that.
This was the first time I’ve been to a big gig on my own and given that my relationship with him is one to one this was fine!
I got to Leeds mid afternoon and parked the car easily at the top of the Merrion Centre which is bang next to Leeds Arena. It was 28 degrees and I thought that if I was going to stand in the queue for any length of time I would be roasted alive so I popped straight into Boots for some factor 50 and then into Sports Direct for a bargain cap.
I’d booked a ticket for the Badlands fan club pre-show party at Tiger Tiger. It was lovely and air conditioned. Mark Wright played some Springsteen songs, he’s a good performer but he just isn’t Bruce.
I drank a bottle of Peroni in the afternoon which was something I haven’t done for a very long time indeed. Then I was a bit chilled by the air con so I left to get in the queue for the Arena.
It was weirdly now quite cool outside and I had to worry if I would be warm enough! I got into the queue and had a chat with a nice couple from Boston Spa. They turned out to be friends with Nils!
Bruce was rehearsing so there was a bit of a wait, you would think they knew the songs by now, as it turned out he played some rare songs so these would have needed rehearsing. At last I got into the Arena and went straight up to the top. It’s very well designed so that there’s a good view from all seats, mine was right at the front of the top tier so not bad but I would have loved to be closer (some of my work colleagues managed to get much nearer, grr).
I got myself a pint of Heineken and a small veggie pizza, well designed, more like an actual pie in shape so it held the contents in. It wasn’t bad at all. As well as getting good marks for having a veggie option they also sold salad in a pot which is a first for this type of venue.
The only thing the Arena needs to sort out is that the loos didn’t have catches on them which meant that all the women coming out were having a good moan. I can’t tell you how many times I heard “there’s no catch on the door!!”
In my seat and Bruce was half an hour late getting on stage. On my left I had a man who just absorbed intensely and on my right was a couple who moved not a muscle and clapped politely. Really I don’t know why they bothered to come. Everybody around them was on their feet and joining in as per usual.
The show was one of the best I’ve seen and my highlight was If I Should Fall Behind as acoustic solo prior to Thunder Road at the end.
But still no Frankie for me so looks like I’ll just have to go again, I need to be closer to him. I have been once, at Milton Keynes on the Human Touch tour but perhaps if Bruce could just pop in for a cold beer and some home cooking then that’ll be just fine…
Please visit Map and Compass and learn how to interpret a map with me and my navigation partner, Cath.
On Monday I went to see the film “Springsteen and I” at the National Media Museum in Bradford. The cinema has had a refurb and it’s an even better venue now. The film was ok but I would much rather see Bruce live, so on Wednesday I did just that.
This was the first time I’ve been to a big gig on my own and given that my relationship with him is one to one this was fine!
I got to Leeds mid afternoon and parked the car easily at the top of the Merrion Centre which is bang next to Leeds Arena. It was 28 degrees and I thought that if I was going to stand in the queue for any length of time I would be roasted alive so I popped straight into Boots for some factor 50 and then into Sports Direct for a bargain cap.
I’d booked a ticket for the Badlands fan club pre-show party at Tiger Tiger. It was lovely and air conditioned. Mark Wright played some Springsteen songs, he’s a good performer but he just isn’t Bruce.
I drank a bottle of Peroni in the afternoon which was something I haven’t done for a very long time indeed. Then I was a bit chilled by the air con so I left to get in the queue for the Arena.
It was weirdly now quite cool outside and I had to worry if I would be warm enough! I got into the queue and had a chat with a nice couple from Boston Spa. They turned out to be friends with Nils!
Bruce was rehearsing so there was a bit of a wait, you would think they knew the songs by now, as it turned out he played some rare songs so these would have needed rehearsing. At last I got into the Arena and went straight up to the top. It’s very well designed so that there’s a good view from all seats, mine was right at the front of the top tier so not bad but I would have loved to be closer (some of my work colleagues managed to get much nearer, grr).
I got myself a pint of Heineken and a small veggie pizza, well designed, more like an actual pie in shape so it held the contents in. It wasn’t bad at all. As well as getting good marks for having a veggie option they also sold salad in a pot which is a first for this type of venue.
The only thing the Arena needs to sort out is that the loos didn’t have catches on them which meant that all the women coming out were having a good moan. I can’t tell you how many times I heard “there’s no catch on the door!!”
In my seat and Bruce was half an hour late getting on stage. On my left I had a man who just absorbed intensely and on my right was a couple who moved not a muscle and clapped politely. Really I don’t know why they bothered to come. Everybody around them was on their feet and joining in as per usual.
The show was one of the best I’ve seen and my highlight was If I Should Fall Behind as acoustic solo prior to Thunder Road at the end.
But still no Frankie for me so looks like I’ll just have to go again, I need to be closer to him. I have been once, at Milton Keynes on the Human Touch tour but perhaps if Bruce could just pop in for a cold beer and some home cooking then that’ll be just fine…
Please visit Map and Compass and learn how to interpret a map with me and my navigation partner, Cath.
I arrived in Oxford in the early afternoon with Angela’s excellent directions. She and Paul live in Jericho which is close to the centre of the city. Although I went to Oxford quite often as a child, I haven’t been since my brother’s graduation which was quite a long time ago, he is now 60.
After some delicious leek and potato soup, we headed off out for a whizzy tour of the city, taking in Christ Church Cathedral Choir School where Mum taught until 1951 when she married Dad. I had made a donation some time ago for Mum’s name to be put on the hearts on the railings at the front of the school and wanted to see these. They had promised a small ceremony for the people who did this but the headmaster had been taken very ill and it had never happened. The hearts were on the railings but no names visible from the street. Angela encouraged me to persevere so we went in through the car entrance and persuaded a parent to let us into the building and he delivered us to a teacher. This chap listened to my tale and then took us to the other side of the railings where the names have been put on the railings themselves on the inside which makes more sense and they won’t be vandalised there. Mr. Bagnall then kindly showed us around the school which was great as I’d never been there before.
Then we wandered around a bit passing several of the colleges and ending up in the Old Bank hotel in the Quod bar where Angela had a mojito and I had a bottle of Old Hooky. Back to Walton Crescent and then out again to the Lebanese resto at the bottom of the road. A glass of wine came and then an interesting plate of salad – carrot sticks, olives, strange pink pickled cabbage, one large tomato (whole) and one Little Gem (also whole)! And no dressing! Then a substantial wait until we decided to chivvy them along only to find that something terrible had happened to Angela’s fish. I explained the need to hurry and Angela opted to have the same as me, our food then arrived very quickly. We had lentils and rice with fried onion and spices. It was tasty but could have done with something else to lift it! A little dry cake arrived as a complimentary item in an effort to redeem themselves. We had sweet black coffee and then toddled off to Christ Church.
A lovely concert in aid of Christ Church Cathedral School Education Trust. Vaughan Williams and Faure. I liked the music and liked being where Mum and Dad were married nearly 62 years ago.
I saw Gordon and Richard who are Old Boys (I am an honorary Old Boy) which was great, lovely to see them. Gordon had organised the concert. Richard I’ve known since I was a child.
We continued to the Rickety Press pub in Jericho where I had a Laphroaig. They also did Caol Ila but I didn’t spot that until too late. Followed by seeing how Paul’s concert in St. Barnabas (St. John Passion) had gone. St. Barnabas is interesting and has half completed art work, very dramatic and unusual church.
Today we took Boris the bearded Collie for a walk in the park and then Angela took me for a tour of Boar’s Hill. We managed to go past Foxcombe Orchard without me realising as I couldn’t remember the orchard part of the name. This was a house built by my Radice grandparents which is now worth a very silly amount of money. Sadly my paternal grandmother was a nasty bit of work and none of the cash they got upon selling it came to my Dad, This was his punishment for marrying my mother (you should see the letters Dad’s mother wrote to him upon his engagement – pure venom). Dad’s father in complete contrast was a lovely gentle man, with a delightful Italian accent.
Then we drove through Wootton where my Radice grandparents are buried, straight through Abingdon and onto Clifton Hampden. My Guillaume grandparents are connected with CH but I can’t remember how and one of my cousins is finding out about this so will edit this post when I know. We went in the church which sits on a small prominence, just as well because a lot of the village is/was badly flooded. The church was a bit of a tardis and very dark inside and the lights didn’t work but I liked the gloom.
Finally back via Cuddesdon where my Dad trained to become a priest and then back to Oxford. It was great to be driven about, a real treat for me and very interesting to see the landscape and places that meant so much to my parents. Many thanks to Angela and Paul for everything.
This is the clock that the boys of the school gave to my Mum when she left to get married:
Boris!
Please visit Map and Compass and learn how to interpret a map with me and my navigation partner, Cath.
Monday 5th
Trains all went well as both were late, in Leeds I arrived and departed from the same platform which is good as I have had to run up and down those blasted steps countless times.
The train from Leeds was very cold so I arrived in fish finger state, got a taxi up to my hotel in Berkeley Square and checked in to a very cold room. Half an hour later I was in a different much warmer room slowly thawing out.
The Berkeley Square Hotel is Georgian in facade only, having been the YMCA in 1952 and I’m in the basement.
As it was a fasting day I did an online tutorial for my OU work and then got settled in. I popped to Sainsburys for some fizzy water and wine which I then drank.
I feel like I almost recognise bits of Bristol but it’s so different from when I lived here and I can’t remember how it all joins up. I lived here for about 3 or 4 years. It wasn’t a great time for me and included a year with a person who used to hit me. Guess what I would do if I saw her now! So slightly mixed feelings for me. I had some good fun here too.
Setting off, very cold. Self photos make my specs look bigger than I think they are. |
So many bikes |
Before I mess it up |
Tuesday 6th
Woke in the early hours to furnace radiator! I’d thought fireworks would keep me awake but the basement meant I heard nothing at all, fab as I hate firework explosions.
Breakfast of fresh fruit, dried fruit, nuts and yoghurt. Waffles, mushrooms, beans, tomato and egg plus a mini pastry.
Down the road to Boston Tea Party for an espresso and back to the square for my course just a few doors up from the hotel. A Canadian called Steve to teach us. He’s great and really knows his stuff and makes it easy to understand. Quite a lot of talk for the morning. Lunch had not been ordered so we go to Pret (a Manger) and can have what we want within reason so I pick a yummy superfood salad. We take these back to the classroom to eat. I then go out the back to Brandon Hill to look at the Cabot Tower and find I can go up it so yes of course! Good views from there.
Finally get to shoot some footage. We get to use nice big camera and a Kodak flip type. We take it turns to film, be filmed and hold the reflector shield.
Some more chat then some more shooting. This time I go out with the boys with the Kodak.
Each time we review the clips and Steve critiques them. One of the boys I”m working with is very experienced already, however I still get to play so overall ok.
We finish up much later than the advertised time so I change and then head up to Redland. I wonder if I ever walked round Bristol at all, it all seems like I remember it through a big fog. My plan is to eat at Wilks veggie resto and then walk down to the Watershed. Wilks is unfortunately shut on a Tuesday but opposite on Chandos Road is a resto called Moreish which I remember from my researches. So in I go and it’s very nice, the food is good, and I don’t get made to feel weird for being on my own. I am offered free wireless which allows me to post a photo of my beer on Faceache. I have Wild Hare which is a Bath Ale accompanied by root veg soup, lovely, then goat’s cheese tart with lots of Mediterranean veg. All very yummy and quite reasonable, especially when work is paying. Work is getting off very lightly with me having 2 fasting days while I’m here.
I walk down to the Watershed, admittedly having to check my phone for directions slightly, although my nose does get me to Christmas Steps, I’ve always liked the name and the steps are just the same.
A swift half of Bath Ale Festivity porter which is malty and nutty before going in to see dire film Keep the Lights On which makes me cross but have a nice chat with a couple of boys (my age boys) afterwards. As Carol would say, “anything in trousers”!
Walk back up Park St very fast, I really love feeling so fit and healthy now!
It’s the twirly thing on the phone |
Where the course was |
The hotel |
Cabot Tower |
Wills Tower |
White Bear |
Bottom of St. Michael’s Hill |
Wednesday 7th
Just fruit and yoghurt for breakfast today. Hotel espresso was rubbish. Up the square to start the day. I am straight out with the boys for our big video project, we have various rules but the main one is no more than 10 mins of footage. It’s quite hard to actually get much time individually with the kit, and it does seem to be that boys think they know more both about filming and about software (later) than people they perceive to be girls. Every single time I’ve tried to learn about filming, this has been the case and I am VERY bored with it.
I do manage to learn a bit despite all this but it’s not easy when I only get a few minutes on the camera. It makes it all a bit more stressful than I would like.
Lunch is sandwiches and I have some of these although am fasting today. I also have a couple of biscuits and later some fruit and nuts, yes I know, but I’m not going out for dinner.
After lunch we edit our footage using Adobe Premiere Pro which is nice software, this would be better if we could just edit the bits we had individually filmed without sharing the software. I suppose what I would have liked would be for us each to have a camera, this would give us more time to practise and we wouldn’t have to wait whilst taking it in turns. The sharing didn’t really work for me.
Finish up with our film reduced from 15 mins to 5. It’s actually better than I thought it would be.
The course has been very good but I would have liked more time actually filming and more time on the software.
Bye byes and then back to the hotel. I am expecting to go to Bristol Explorers’ Monthly Social but I’ve got the wrong day and that’s on tomorrow. After checking out a few things, I download a movie and am going to stay home and relax…
From Berkeley Square |
Old Vicarage, now a solicitors’ office |
The boys – Darcy and Andreas |
Thursday 8th
Last night I watched Seven Pounds which sounded good in the reviews as it said it had a twist and I would be very surprised. Only if I was very very stupid. Another one worth missing. How did I manage to pick the only movie about organ transplants. Some footage of people on dialysis, but don’t bother watching it just for that!
Today I felt tired and ready to go home, first a nice fruity breakfast plus some small but delicious pastries. I checked out and left my case at the hotel. Then a proper espresso at Patisserie Valerie (just as well I am full) and a bit of shopping. I picked up my case and got a taxi to the station, ate my large bready thing with veggie sausage and hummous in it which came from a nice shop on the corner of Berkeley Square.
Bristol still seems very foggy to me and I think I walked round with my eyes shut before. It’s gone bike mad, there are literally hundreds of bikes whizzing around everywhere. I used to cycle when I was here although went off it a bit after getting knocked off near Old Market by a woman who worked for the police, the only witness was her pal who also worked for the police, so although she admitted she hadn’t seen me at the time, when I wanted her to pay to repair my bike and my jeans, they all closed ranks.
All the trains did what they should and I am now glad to be home.
Back to real life |
University Music Faculty |
Watery chap |
Fighting chap |
Temple Meads station, how fab is that? |
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Please visit Map and Compass and learn how to interpret a map with me and my navigation partner, Cath.