baby

Cameron's new baby. Makes a lot of sense this picture!

christmas

Due to the Mathew Street Festival, our local bus operator, Arriva North West, just for a change wisely used double-decker buses on the 53 route today, and yesterday for that matter.

Above is 4433 (MX09LXR) a 2009 Alexander Dennis Enviro400-bodied Alexander Dennis Trident. These buses are usually seen on the rarely full cross-city 60/61 routes between Bootle and Aigburth.

Then there was 3309 (R309WVR), a 1998 Northern Counties Palatine-bodied Volvo Olympian YN2RV, new to MTL Merseybus.

It was fantastic to see these monsters working the local routes for a change, rather than the time-expired 38-seat Dennis Darts. The deckers are proper buses in my opinion. It's just frustrating that tomorrow they'll be back on their regular haunts, and the next time we'll see them in Crosby is around Christmas, when Arriva next expect bumper loadings.

This morning I went up to Southport to collect a parcel for Mum. But I managed to snap a couple of buses on Lord Street. These two shots are of currently the newest and oldest buses in the Arriva North West fleet.

3037 (MX10BZW) is a Wright Pulsar 2-bodied VDL Bus SB200CS, new to Arriva in March 2010.

And then there's my favourite - 1449 (GKA449L), the 1973 Alexander AL-bodied Leyland Atlantean AN68/1R - the last ex-Merseyside PTE bus in Arriva ownership. Apparently, 1449 is a little tired mechanically now. I read a story today that there's been recent trouble building up air in the bus which, crucially, controls the brakes. It's likely that 1449 is in its' last season of operation, finishing at the end of the week.

I'd hope that this bus goes into preservation, because it really is one of the last of its' class in existence.

molehill

Not the prettiest win I'll ever see, and a mountain of a molehill was made achieving it, but these were the sort of games we were drawing last term.

Fernando Torres, yet again, showed why he is a GOD in the red half of my city. Because when the chips are down, he comes up trumps. Never stops trying, always looking for the ball, and more often than not he can make something happen out of the blue.

This El Nino I'd like to see more of, thanx.

festival

For the first time in many years, I went to the Mathew Street Festival in town today.

Personally, I could've happily missed it. But Aaron was particularly eager to attend. He was bugging both me and Jayne to arrive early to see a Kiss tribute band, but it fell on deaf ears.

I met both Aaron and his grandad (Jayne's dad) Ged at Moorfields station, whilst Jayne and Bethany went shopping on Lord Street.

We walked extensively around town, settling on Eric Faulkener's Bay City Rollers on the Exchange Street Stage. They were loud, avoided the hits, and crap to be honest.

The above pic is of Aaron, with Ged standing behind him, as we watched the final minutes of a Guns N'Roses tribute band on the stage at Derby Square. They were quieter than a mouse.

We then went onto the stage in Wiilliamson Square (shown at the top of the page). Both me and Ged were bored, but as long as Aaron enjoyed himself that was all that mattered.

We finished off at the "Tunnel" stage opposite St.John's Gardens, and witnessed tributes to Dire Straits (shit), The Police (very good and cabaret-friendly), McCartney (the image, left-handed, but marred by bum notes), and Queen (the Brian May lookalike was a 75 year-old pensioner in a curly wig).

I left early because I was doing the chippy tonight.

Maybe it's just me. Well....yeh, it IS just me, but I thought there were too many people about. And whoever relented the on-street alcohol ban needs shooting. Too many people brought their own cases of Carling/Stella/Fosters/etc. Regardless of it being a free event, the booze ban should stay in place, aside from the inevitable drunkenness, the mess left will be horrendous. I wish the public would respect their city's environment a little bit more.

callback

Some strange ideas can come into one's head at times. As the summer ends, and the days shorten, it's inevitable that my mind opens up to schemes and ideals when I'm staring at a dark wall for hours on end whilst waiting for a delivery during the chippy run.

Or maybe I'm just softening up as I approach my 40th birthday?

My hardline stance on organised religion, for example, has mellowed. The idea of God isn't as alien to me as it once was, but unless you give yourself over completely to him/her/it, there really doesn't seem to be any point sitting on the outside umm-ing and hmm-ing over a concept you'll never complete accept. It either hits you in the head or it doesn't. And with me, it doesn't, but I respect people's choice to believe. It'd be nice to have that kind of faith in times of need, but support systems for the human psyche can come in many different shapes and sizes.

The human race itself isn't of this planet. It can't be. What other life-form living here is hell-bent on destroying it's environment? I'm fairly sure we, as a species, are a genetic experiment gone wrong? Or maybe we're programmed to act shit to each other and pollute this oasis of life in the most vile ways possible?

I still believe Rock will save the world though. Not everybody is a tyrant. The big fear is Rock could let me down. A few weeks ago, I closed the curtains, turned up the volume on my 5.1 system, and put on the latest U2 DVD of their "360" concerts. I thought that in an enclosed environment, immersed in the songs, I may get some sign that it's possible for my essence, or my soul, to leave my physical body. Yes, I know it sounds nuts, but I PRAYED for a callback - even for the briefest nanosecond......

Nothing. Not a jot. I didn't blame Rock, but it's amazing what a random thought about the shelf-life of milk in the fridge will do.

I do want it. I crave a spiritual moment with the Ether, the universe or whatever it is. I just think I'm too grounded in what I'm going to have for tea.

As I say, you get the funniest ideas staring at walls.

city

Awful result last night. The optimism shown against Arsenal was badly lacking against a pumped-up Manchester City.

One has to consider the possibility that City are probably a better team than Liverpool now? Sure, there's half a dozen players at our place that any team in the world worth their salt would fight over. But the money thrown at both Hughes and Mancini to improve City is just way, way out of our league. And even though we have a decent squad we haven't the strength in depth, nor the competition for places the likes of Chelsea and City now possess.

It's results like this that make me question, that as a club, is it really worth all this aggravation?

The amount of mindless sex we've had in last fifty years, but now it feels like things have come to a natural end.

Because even the most ardent, die-hard Red will grudgingly acknowledge that we can't compete. When we've tried to compete, we've sold our souls to the Devil (i.e Gillett and Hicks). And been taken to the cleaners.

Make me dream again......

safari

Today, me, Jayne, Aaron, Bethany and Jay went to Knowsley Safari Park.

For me personally, I haven't been here in over 30 years. The last time I remember being on a double-deck bus driving through the reserve, and not much else.

The only other dealings I've had with KSP are the age-old wind-up of getting someone to ring Knowsley on 430 9009, asking for Mr. C. Lyon.......

The weather was fairly dreadful for most of the day, and I did worry when I came out this morning that we might not be going. But I think the poor weather actually worked in our favour because it was fairly quiet in the place, and we got to see everything we wanted without pushing, shoving or stampeding!

Tiger

Me, Bethany and Jay on the Pirate Ship. It wasn't long before Jay's face turned the colour of his coat!

Me, Bethany and Jay. Taken by Jayne.

A baby giraffe.

The camels were headcases. They came up to our car window to see what people would feed them. No food, and they quickly moved on to the next car.

Lions. We took some photos earlier on in the day of these beasts, but the poor weather spoiled them. Jayne took these snaps second time round, by which time the sun had come out.

A rhino. Again, a better photograph later in the day.

One of the sealions during their show. The sealions genuinely seemed to enjoy performing, and I found it entertaining, but I still wonder?

Aaron and Bethany. Hard to believe he's only 13. Whilst Bethany's a definitive 10!

Meerkats. Comparing the market.

We found these dodgems whilst waiting for Aaron to come off a ride. All I could do was spin in circles, and felt quite dizzy after it ended. £1 a go.

We had a really good day, and I think you would too. But, BE WARNED! The park is as expensive as hell. Mum gave us a couple of "free child with every adult" coupons, which really helped. But, as it was, the kids thoroughly enjoyed themselves, and both Jayne and me did to, and that's the best value you can get.

babel

Couldn't really say I was that enthralled about our win over Trabzonspor tonight.

It reminded a little too much of a Benitez-era European game where there was too much keeping hold of possession and back-passing rather than taking these supposed-minor sides to the cleaners.

Aside from his fine goal, Ryan Babel did nothing as usual. What I will never, ever understand is how a player of so much natural ability is so capable of looking so ordinary. Yet, just for a moment there he came out of his shell and gave another tantalising glimpse of what he's got in his bag of tricks.

Christian Poulson made a solid debut, and gave a passable impersonation of Didi Hamman. I didn't know much about Poulson to be honest, and what I did know was found on a notorious Youtube video of a game between his then-Juventus and AC Milan where he man-marked Kaka - basically kicking the shite out of the Brazilian for the entire match. But Poulson had a decent game tonight, and had a perfectly good goal ruled out.

The return leg in Turkey will be a challenge, but assuming Roy plays all the big guns, I can see us comfortably qualifying for the UEFA Cup group stages.

Famous last words..........

anya3

Very good news today as Anya3, yet again, passed her MOT with very little trouble.

Every time my car goes in for its' annual test I fear the worst, and yet, the Arosa/Lupo brand has never really let me down.

So from the top my collection of cars, starting with the current Anya3, then below is Anya2, and at the bottom is Anya.

I hate to say it, but keeping in with the SEAT Arosa is probably down to my time driving the one over the water. That little Arosa took so much punishment during my tenure there. I was very impressed the build and durability, and have stuck with the brand ever since - one of my better decisions me thinks?

commiserate

We had a barbecue at Jayne's folks house yesterday to celebrate/commiserate Ged's retirement.

The thing is Ged didn't want to retire from working. He's 66 but he's still raring to go, enjoyed what he did, and he was doing an excellent job in his profession. But he was forced out by his employer, and its' little comfort that the ConDems are reversing this piece of legislation.

I didn't get many pics (Jayne got loads on her camera), but it was a lot of fun anyway.

Bethany the cook says "live long and prosper, or I'll hit you with this plate"

Whenever there's barbecue, Jayne likes to cook. Isn't she happy? She got tipsy later.

Me, taken by Bethany. See the way my jumper colour-codes with the canvas behind?

Mum. Drinking. Again. She actually had a very good time. She met up with some old friends from me Dad's T.A days, and spent the whole night catching up and swapping old stories.

I had a busy night. I drove Mum home around nine-ish, and then with Jayne (who was singing by now) drove down to Speke Airport to collect Aaron, who'd been away with the Scouts to Switzerland for a week. Jayne soon sobered up when she saw how late the Geneva flight was due in. It wasn't too bad in the end, but we didn't get out of the airport until after midnight.

Apparently, I snored like a beast last night. I never heard it. But I kept Jayne awake (pay-back time lol!) and the cat was going bonkers downstairs in the kitchen with my horrendous noise. And I kept Bethany awake. Ditto poor knackered Aaron. And the neighbours next door. Plus them fellas in that deep underground bunker the other side of Russia. Etc, etc......

arsenal

And a HAPPY NEW YEAR to one and all. The "correct" new year by the way. Not that nonsense on the 1st January. The footy season is my (and many people I know) new year.

This was frustrating today. Harsh sending off for new boy Cole, though he wasn't in the game at all. But Atkinson's one of these referees who likes his name in lights, and if he can cause a bit of controversy he'll move hell or high water to provide it.

I thought we were very good value for the win today. Second-half display was as good as anything I've seen two seasons ago. N'gog took his goal very well, but it's the simple chances he misses that will frustrate his Liverpool career.

Under Benitez, we'd have gone the goal up, then spent the rest of the game defending our 18-yard box. But even down to ten-men, this Liverpool side continued to search for more goals in a responsible manner that didn't neglect defensive duties. It was refreshing to see.

And thank god the zonal-marking caper has been sacked off. True, there were still a few hairy moments, but the sight of man-to-man marking was good to see.

Arsenal didn't deserve their equaliser, and hopefully that's Pepe Reina's one and only mistake of the season out of the way.

But I'm slightly more optimistic about our chances now than I was a week ago. Roy's first month in charge has been a fruitful one.

cow

There's a cancer in football. It's called Wives And Girlfriends.........

Footballers' wives and partners, in themselves, aren't a problem. But some these appendages are under the misguided premise that they are as important to the media as their husbands/boyfriends are?

Take Peter Crouch and Abigail Clancy. I love Crouchy, I wouldn't have sold him. From what I've heard he's your regular guy. Jayne and the kids once met him at a function. Said he was lovely.

Ms. Clancy was a different tale. Jayne reports Clancy was rather hacked off that she wasn't the centre of attention and snarled rather madly at everyone.

It's no wonder Peter's gone and strayed elsewhere. What right-minded person, male or female, wants to be with a partner who's only in it for themselves? Clancy would never in a million years looked at Crouch if he wasn't a famous footballer.

What a mad bitch. And we have a sorry situation now as these women are considered "role-models" by impressionable female teenage youth.

There is a train of thought that suggests that a person should grab all they can while they can. But one must have a sorry over-inflated ego to believe that's the way to go through life.

Ms.Clancy should stop whinging and go back to/carry on stripping in lads' mags for as long as her body lets her.

And let the rest of us admire Peter Crouch's football skills, and the added bonus that he sacked the demented cow off!!!

insight

I'm sure you're all dying to know how I got on with the paper round tonight?

Aren't you?

Well, it wasn't too bad. The weather was pretty good, but physically it was damned hard work. Which I'm a past master at. For little pay.

And I ran out of papers on the last row of houses. About ten short. I did everywhere required of me, but whoever did the recon for this round has their figures wrong.

But the most surprising thing about this little adventure was Blundellsands itself. Now I've been vaguely aware of how posh and expensive it is, and all the great and good of Liverpool (legally or otherwise) tend to live here. Though it isn't until you actually go into some peoples' grounds that you realise there's monstrous amounts of money involved to get their properties spruced up in the way they have.

Some of the landscaping is art personified. Balconies, borders, water features, private indoor swimming pools, long tree-lined drives, meticulously sculptured sandstone motifs, intricately forged metal security gates.

Here, people either flaunt their wealth in the most flamboyant, imaginative ways possible, or dumb down their homes with a shameful neglectfulness. The words "spendthrift" and "miserly" come to mind.

And more personalised number-plates than the queen has corgis.

The paper-round itself is still odds-on to be sacked off in a couple of weeks. But it has given me a valuable insight into how the other half live.

newspaper

I've sacked off doing the chippy on Thursdays, but to compensate I've begun a job delivering the "Crosby and Litherland Champion" free newspaper around Blundellsands.

The first round starts tomorrow.....after work!

But already, I really don't think this is gonna pan out because the Champion drop the papers off and want it delivering Wednesday, or at the very latest 10am Thursday morning.

The rota in work has me working every Wednesday. My neighbour, Danny, is taking the papers in for me until I get home. But, consequently, me can see me having a very, very long day.

I did a re-con off the round earlier on tonight and a walk of the route took me an hour and twenty minutes. So god knows how long we're talking when delivering the papers too?

Now, I could've told the bloke who came round, "no, forget it". I won't say boo to a goose, as you all know, but I'll give it a try for a few weeks and see what transpires.

Then sack it off and find something new. Again.

football

Took our Jay out on Sunday.

We went down to both Sefton and Calderstones Parks with the footy, with a trip to the McDonalds on Aigburth Road inbetween!

What I thought would just be a gentle kick around with a full-size football, turned into a monster session of whacking 30/40 yard cross-field balls at each other.

Jay's mastery of a football is astonishing. He's six years old, yet he's doing tricks way, way beyond his years.

Just as an example, I skimmed a brisk low ball across the grass, 20 yards maybe, and he stopped it dead first time. He then flicked the ball up once and hit a half-volley somewhere near me.

Left foot. Right foot. He can kick with both. Running with the ball is an art form few master at an early age. His heading is coming along fine too.

Now, I would never, ever push him in these tender years. And maybe, as his uncle, I might be subconsciously making him out to be someone a lot more adept than he actually is. But I've rarely seen football skills this good. I think it's up to him if he wants to follow it through.

P.S - McDonalds food is shit!

demented

Possibly one of the most demented things you'll ever see on YouTube!

diet

I've been on an unofficial diet for about a fortnight now.

I was so, so good going towards the end of last year. I was down to 15 stone 3 pounds, from 16 stone 13 pounds, thanks to lots of regular exercise and a fairly strict diet.

Since then I've managed to undo pretty much all the good work because I went back up to 16 stone 9 pounds. In the last two weeks I've lost five pounds. Not by doing anything too stupid, but a lot to do with keeping bread out of my diet, and most of the fatty snacks. And regular exercise helps!

As I approach middle-age, if I haven't hypothetically got there already, I look at myself and think that besides baldness (in the genes) and my fairly-accurate pot-bellied pig impersonation (which I'm working on losing), I look and feel quite good. I'm not being big-headed, but by and large, I've looked after myself and stayed away from a lot of the vices and indulgences that have been around during my time here.

Mind, on the other side of the coin, I suppose someone from school, for example, would look at me now and say, "what a rotten life you must have had the last 20 years. What went wrong?"

tressell

It can get boring doing the chippy on a Saturday night. If I haven't some decent podcasts to listen to, I can usually rely on a good book. Tonight's good book is a very good book, if not the Bible. Robert Tressell's "The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists" both entertains and maddens me to the core of my being.

"TRTP" is set in the fictional town of Mugsborough at the turn of the 20th century, and involves the day to day activities of a group of house painters - all of whom are underpaid and overworked, yet even enlightened by firebrand Socialist, Frank Owen, are unable or unwilling to help overthrow or change the Capitalist system. A better, prosperous life isn't "for the likes of them...."

The book was first published in 1914, and many of its' situations and dilemmas are as relevant now as they were back then. Consequently, its' message has helped radicalize many to the Labour cause - myself included.

Robert Tressell himself died in Liverpool in 1911 of ill-health whilst working his way to a new life in Canada.

Like most people, I work for a living. The conditions and quality of life I have as a result of my labours is fairly good - I could do better if I really tried, but it could be a lot worse. But everytime I read "TRTP" I get so angry. Because throughout my working life, aside from a short stint self-employed, I have been an employee receiving a weekly wage, whilst some of the bosses have accrued massive profits on the back of mine, and other workmates, efforts.

Some places have been much better than others, but a firm I worked for in Kirkby were the worst kind of slave drivers. I missed a lot of the worst excesses because I drove the company lorry and wasn't there as much, but they quoted for jobs at the lowest possible price and hired young lads on day release from college (so they didn't have to pay them wages) to do the lion's share of the manufacturing work. I left because the company foreman wouldn't stick up for the staff, even if he was right, and let himself and his minions be bullied by the two money-grabbing bosses.

The bosses lived in the opulent surroundings of Woolton and Formby, and raked in obscene salaries. They probably still do.

However, there is a local example of a company that defied the capitalist agenda for the betterment of its' workforce - the sadly missed Merseybus........

Merseybus was formed to take over the bus operating responsibilities of Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive. In 1992, facing financial difficulties, the company was sold to its' workforce for £1.

The company quickly took stock of the situation. It announced its prime intentions were to secure their operating territory and safeguard their jobs.

And it began to work. Not without problems. Expansions into Manchester proved worthless, but the local work proved profitable. The cash started to roll in, but rather than pay it out to shareholders, the money was used to purchase new vehicles. Between 1994 and 2000, nearly 400 new buses were delivered to the company.

Unfortunately, Merseybus made a crucial error. The company won two UK rail franchises, and their operation proved to be too costly to maintain. Struggling to stay above water, the bus profits only helped so much, before the company board recommended selling up, which they did to Arriva in February 2000.

They should've stuck to what they knew. For their part, Arriva have spent the last ten years cutting back on bus routes and hiking fares for the benefit of faceless shareholders. Bastards.

out

Not surprisingly, with the departure of Rafa Benitez, it wasn't going to be long before Javier Mascherano wanted out from Liverpool.....

The thing is, if Rafa asked Mascherano to stick his head in a gas oven and light it....well, you get my point. Some people are just made for each other.

When Mascherano goes, which he will to Inter Milan very, very soon, it will free up a one-dimensional Liverpool midfield so lacking in attacking ideas last term.

Our kid will disagree, but the one player who will benefit more than anyone will be his bezzie mate Lucas. Last season, both Lucas and Mascherano were doing the same job - and they were both, in effect, replacing one player - the great Didi Hamman. Lucas is more than capable of doing a defensive midfielder's job in front of our back four. He can't tackle for crap, but that's okay because a more free-spirited forward line will keep the opposing team more than occupied so not to worry about anybody getting anywhere near our 18 yard box.

The below player is more than capable of providing Gerrard, Torres and Kuyt with the sort of space and chances they all so sadly missed last season.....

Joe Cole's signing is a masterstroke for Hodgson. What a wonderful player. Though I wonder what went through the player's mind before deciding to come to Liverpool? The cynical side of me suggests Joe took a leaf out of Gareth Barry's book and went to the club offering the money rather than the challenge. The positive in me feel the reverse in that he's here for the challenge and the cash comes second?

It's probably a bit of both. The money in football is too much of a distraction not to be tempted by it. I think a lot of us would be in awe. The truly great footballers are too single minded to bother themselves with contracts and money.

The sale of Insua to Fiorentina is probably just as well, but re-signing of Fabio Aurelio is a strange move. No one doubts the lad's ability - he has a peach of a left foot. But getting a decent left-back with a limited budget must frustrate Hodgson immensely?