Sunday Sevens #32

I haven’t written a Sunday Sevens in a while, and I so love doing them. So thanks to Natalie at Theads and Bobbins, who devised the wonderful series, and here’s my seven (plus a few more), for Sunday!

New work space

DIY: Last weekend, David was busy sprucing up the guest bedroom/study. We spent most of Saturday driving back and forth from Warrington’s IKEA to purchase box cupboards which would conceal all our detritus. I think he’s done a fantastic job! We have so much more storage space and a bigger work surface.

#walk1000miles: I think it’s always nice to update you all on how my walk 1000 miles challenge is going. This week I have managed to rake up a reasonable 34 miles, (my best tally so far!), which brings my total for the year so far to 601 miles! My miles are mainly made up of hours on the treadmill, walking between bus stops, lots of scanning in work (the scanner is at the opposite end of the corridor from the office) and walking the dog. I think Riley appreciates the increase in walks. He is eight now and carrying a few extra pounds due to being neutered when he was three. I thought I was doing the right thing by neutering him, but no one told me he would put on weight after it! Anyway, Riley (and myself) has loved his park runs and visits to Crosby Beach, even if the wind was fierce the last time we visited!

Riley at Sefton Park

Riley at Crosby Beach

Another Place at Crosby Beach

Collecting: It’s been a while since I found a Beatrix Potter 50p. This week while counting the petty cash in work, my boss and I found a third collectible, Squirrel Nutkin! How cute is he?

50p Squirrel Nutkin

5 eggs

Pets: This week our Blue-faced Parrot Finch, Forrest has been laying eggs. Her mate Leaf has been busy lining the nest with feathers and straw. I wonder if any of the eggs will hatch? We shall see in a fortnights time! I’ll update you all!

Book I am reading: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. I’m only 50 pages into the book but it’s accompanying me while on my daily commute to work. I am enjoying the characters so far. Have you read this book? What were your thoughts?

The Book Thief

Hans Zimmer Live

Culture: This Saturday (17th) was the day Hans Zimmer and his Live on Tour came to Liverpool. This was my second time of seeing him live on stage. You can read my review on the Birmingham 2016 concert here. Though it was the same programme as his European tour, there were subtle differences. The orchestra and choir had been paired down. I personally preferred the energy of the Birmingham concert, but there was the same chat by Zimmer with anecdotes on the films he had scored. The lighting was just as fierce but I think there was less camaraderie between the principal performers. The Liverpool audience were a little too vocal for my taste but the show of phone torches after Aurora was touching, though I wish he wouldn’t talk over all of it. It is a beautiful composition, reminiscent of the vocal version of Barber’s Adagio for Strings. My two favourite pieces did not disappoint, in fact One Day from Pirates of the Caribbean Three brought tears to my eyes. The Dark Knight medley was just as energetic and inspiring! I felt blessed to see my music hero live onstage!

Have you been to see any live music recently? What’s your experience of arena tours?

Days out: The weather this weekend has been beautiful. Perfect summer days filled with lots of warm sunshine and mild clear evenings. I must say it has been a very full weekend! I was going to end the post with Hans Zimmer’s concert but I just wanted to share with you my wonderful Sunday.

After visiting Claremont Farm in the Wirral and picking our own juicy strawberries. David and I headed for the coast and Thurstaston Beach, to have our lunch overlooking the sandy estuary. I’ll write more in my 30 Days Wild – Week 3, but for now here are some pictures of our wonderful day.

Strawberry picking

Thurstaston Beach

Strawberry picking

That was my week, how was yours?

Thanks for reading,

Christine x

The Iron Men – Reprised

Two weeks ago I blogged about taking Riley to Crosby Beach and Sir Anthony Gormley’s Another Place. You can read the first installment here.

This May bank holiday Monday dawned wet and miserable, (as is usually the norm!) I did not want to stay stuck indoors at home, however warm I would be. I wanted to have an adventure, getting wet and sandy would be par of the course!

Another Place, Crosby

I managed to get David to agree on another trip to Crosby Beach, even if it was drizzling. Riley was excited to tag along! Indeed he was sitting at the front door waiting for me to come and collect him! 🙂

The journey to Crosby Beach, and the coastguard car park took 30 minutes from Liverpool. I thought the journey would never end. Poor Riley get’s car sick and it was something I was hoping to prevent.

Finally we arrived under a grey leaden sky. The tide was out but the rain showered down like arrows! We paid £1 for two hours. It seems all the car parks are pay and display now.

The car park is only a stones throw from the beach and it was not long before Riley’s lead was off and we were running across the wet sand, throwing the ball for Riley to chase.

We got soaked to the skin, Riley even more! Let’s just say we had to give him a bath afterwards!

Riley

Another Place

The figures of Sir Anthony Gormely’s Another Place were even more atmospheric in poor light and bad weather. Somehow they looked wistful.

I took my GoPro along with me and filmed Riley having fun. Below is a montage, I hope you enjoy!

I’m sure another trip will be on the cards in future!

Thanks for reading,

Christine x

The Iron Men!

Another Place (1997) by Sir Anthony Gormley was first exhibited in Germany before being permanently situated at Crosby beach in 2005. The idea behind the instillation was to test ‘tide and time, stillness and movement.’ Seeing the 100 iron casts (of Gormely’s body), stretched two miles along the beach, all looking towards the horizon is deeply emotive. Seeing the instillation during a high tide, the men’s bodies are submerged, leaving only their heads showing. Somehow it makes me think of resignation, like the men are giving up. At low tide the men are just watchers, deep in contemplation. Everyone will have their own interpretation.

Over the years the tide and weather have left their mark on the iron men. Barnacles cling to some while others turn red with oxide, highlighting that environment and time effects everything.

David and I have visited Another Place several times over the years, in all types of weather. This weekend we decided to take Riley along with us. The journey took 20 minutes from Liverpool and we found ample car parking at Crosby Coastal Park where there is a lake and adventure centre. There are now car parking charges. We paid £1 for two hours.

As it was Riley’s first visit to Crosby beach, we introduced him to the iron men. He sniffed around their feet and even offered his favourite toy for them to play fetch with him. It was cute watching him interact with them. I’ll finish the post with a collage of pictures of our day at the beach.

Anthony Gormley and Riley

Christine, Riley and Anthony Gormley

Have you visited Another Place? What were your impressions of the art exhibit?

Thanks for stopping by,

Christine x

One Magnificent City!

This bank holiday weekend coincided with Cunard’s 175 year celebrations here in Liverpool. The city witnessed a three day spectacle as Cunard’s three Queen passenger ships visited the River Mersey.

On Sunday the Queen Mary 2 docked at port and in the evening there was a laser display projected onto the three Graces followed by fireworks.

Monday was the main event! The Queen Mary 2 was to leave Liverpool to meet and greet her sister ships, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria. So, David and I decided to go to Crosby Marina in anticipation of seeing the ships. I am afraid I got carried away with all the excitement around this event.

Crosby Beach

So on a cloudy, cold Monday morning (25th May 2015), we headed to Crosby. We arrived just after 9am. We managed to find a street to park the car and walked towards the beach. Other sightseers were walking the coastal path, laden with chairs and binoculars, both of which David and I could have brought with us if we had thought on. However, we had to be content with standing as we overlooked the beach dotted with Sir Antony Gormley’s Another Place statues and brave the relentless onslaught of the chilling wind. It felt more like winter than late spring!

We stood in total for three hours during the spectacle. I could not feel my fingers they were that cold! Other spectators also shivered as we all waited for the Queen Mary 2 to leave her berth and make her way to the mouth of the Mersey to greet her two sisters. The crowed swelled. Many even went out towards the edge of the tide (that was going out) to get a better viewpoint. Where David and I stood was good enough, over looking the coast but high enough so no one could be in the way!

In the Irish Sea out in the distance we could see the Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria as they made their joyous approach to the city. Seeing them draw ever closer gave us something to distract from the cold. The sun briefly made an appearance before being blanketed by a thick bank of cloud that did not shift. I was afraid that none of my pictures of the event would come out due to shivering too much!

Then from around the headland the top of the Queen Mary 2 could be seen, she looked so close! She had left Liverpool at 10.45am. The crowd seemed to buzz with excitement. Cameras started clicking and I juggled with three!

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The Queen Mary 2 lead by the mighty Mersey Ferry stopped opposite where David and I stood. She sounded her horns to her sisters. The horns sounded so forlornly to me. The crowed cheered in response! As Queens Elizabeth and Victoria came closer along the coast, Queen Mary 2 pivoted and faced her bow back towards Liverpool. Queen Elizabeth was the first to pass Queen Mary 2 heading along the river, followed by Queen Victoria. Queen Mary 2 brought up the rear as they both followed Queen Elizabeth in a cavalcade towards more awaiting crowds in the city! With the Queens’ departure the spectacle at Crosby was at an end!

While David and I returned home, the Queens paraded up the Mersey and turned 360° before lining up side by side in front of the Cunard building, one of the three Graces. The ships seemed to dwarf the city’s skyline! There was even the obligatory fly over by the Red Arrows en-route to Blackpool! Their flight path took them over our house. A thundering sound announced their approach but it was over too quickly for me to get my camera out. I saw nine red jets flying in arrow formation from my living room window!

I watched the remaining festivities at the Pier Head via webcams. After the three Queens had lined up before the Cunard building the city said its farewell to Queen Mary 2. Queen Victoria docked and Queen Elizabeth anchored in the middle of the river, but she too would leave the city after the second showing of the laser show and fireworks. Queen Victoria would leave the city on Tuesday.

I thoroughly enjoyed witnessing the three Queens from Crosby beach, even though I was frozen to the bone. Spectacles like these truly show what a magnificent city Liverpool is. It’s street cred is definitely on the increase and quite rightly too! 😀

© 2015 Christine Lucas