Sunday, 4th May
Morning all! A late night last night, so I’m a bit later posting this one! There’s a distinct absence of sunshine this morning here in the Wirral – in fact, as I write this, it’s started to rain! It’s our last full day before heading for Wales after breakfast tomorrow.
It looked like a day to be INSIDE, so, after breakfast, we headed back into Liverpool from Bromborough by train for another day of culture.
The highlight of the day was going to see Oli in concert at the Tung Auditorium this afternoon, but before that – a visit to probably the best Art Gallery NOT in London!
The Walker Art Gallery
11.56am: After the short walk from Lime Street we arrived at the Gallery.
Opened in 1877, the Walker Art Gallery houses one of the largest art collections in England outside of London. Admission was free.
There’s a lot to see here!
This one really lived up to its promise! Plenty of high-end works of art, room after room after room!
The World Museum
12.42pm: The World Museum was next door and also free to get in.
Being a Sunday and being a Bank Holiday meant only one thing! It was busy… VERY busy! It was good to see that ‘dinosaurs’ were still popular with the majority of the audience – sprogs! But the Egyptian floor, not so much! 😁
Sadly, no Doctor Who stuff, but we did have Sir Tim Peake aboard the ISS!
1.25pm: Having worked our way from top to bottom, we skipped the ‘Bugs’ (yuk!) floor and finished in the Aquarium. The displays were a bit of a disappointment, but just like the popularity of dinosaurs, the ‘sharks’ were drawing an appreciative audience!
All-in-all, another Museum that packed a lot in. Some displays were better than others, but on the whole, very educational and the kids seemed to be loving it, judging by the noise! 😲
1.35pm: Time for a cuppa in the rather decorative Café!
2.15pm: We then wandered up to nearby Lime Street station
Oliver, live in Concert!
We headed for the Tung Auditorium to see Oli in concert. He’s playing the double bass.
2.58pm: We arrived around 3pm and after a bit of ‘experimental wandering’, we found the Café and waited for Roger and Jane.
It was quiet when we arrived, but was packed by the time the concert was due to begin. Roger & Jane joined us just after 3.15 and we enjoyed the opportunity to catch up with everyone’s news over a drink or two before heading for our seats.
The Concert was fantastic. The almost 80-piece ensemble made a beautiful sound together and were clearly enjoying every second of the performance. OK, some of the tunes were a bit highbrow for me, but the second half was much more familiar and included Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake.
There was clearly some great musical talent in the room tonight, including a piece written by student, Jose Esquivel Virgen called Obsidian Butterfly. We also heard the Piano Concerto by Clara Schumman (nope, me neither!) played by another student: Soraye Verjee accompanied by student Ellen Sharpe on Cello. Yes, they may not have been familiar pieces to me, but there was no doubt that they were all performed with passion and professionalism! To think at that age, I was stacking beans at Sainsbury’s!
Not only was Oli playing, but he, together with fellow Student Jacob Taramasco, are the Orchestra Managers too. Amongst other responsibilities (that no doubt included periods of ‘herding cats’), this involved both of them giving short speeches to the retiring Conductor Gethyn Jones (no, not THAT Gethyn Jones! this one is also a Cellist for the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra!). Gethyn seemed genuinely touched by the gifts of signed LPs featuring many of the larger pieces they’d played together over the past 5 years, together with a bottle of Welsh Whisky.
Not only was Oli was supremely confident on the double-bass, he came across as a natural and confident public speaker when the time came – and it was a big crowd!! Well done Oli!!
After the Concert, we waited for Oli, who was busy socialising with his Uni chums – some, he was seeing for the last time. In fact, he had so much socialising to do, he wasn’t able to join us for our evening meal. So, we said cheerio to Oli and took the short walk to the Restaurant on Hope Street, taking in the sights of the nearby University buildings. Fifteen minutes later, we arrived at Papillon where our table was waiting, which was preferable to the biting wind outside! 🤔
Family Meal…
The service was swift and the food, delicious (all helped down with a bottle of Red!) and plenty of family chat followed – just like it should! An hour or so later, with empty plates all around, when the time came, our Waiter even booked a cab for Ann and me to get us to Lime Street (as we didn’t fancy the walk). We said our goodbyes, leaving R&J to tackle the Desserts (I’m not sure how we managed to resist those!) whilst we jumped aboard Mr Uber. The train back to Bromborough arrived quickly, and we were soon on the now familiar route back to the Premier Inn. We’ve been very impressed with the train service here, and it’s cheap too! 👍
9.58pm: Dirty stop outs! 10pm and we were just going to bed! What a great day! A busy one, but very enjoyable – it’s always good to get together with the family. 😘😘
Tomorrow…
Tomorrow, we say goodbye to the Premier Inn and head for Gweithdy Bronafon, Both y Gest in North Wales.
See you tomorrow! 🙂
I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!
I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!
Comments