Another place
When I was in Liverpool I saw a beautiful sunset











I saw a man on the beach standing very still.










Then I saw another. My friend told me at was Antony Gormley's installation "Another Place". There were 100 iron men on the beach facing out to sea.











You can check it out at http://www.antonygormley.com/walkthrough/350_1x01_another_place.htm

Liverpool
I was in Liverpool yesterday with a friend. We were walking along the coast near some docks. A child ran up to us. She was blond and had two others children with her. They couldn't have ben more than nine years old.
"Excuse me" she said in her liverpudlian twang, smiling in that way children do,
"Have you got a ciggie I can have?".

Daddy Long Legs

I saw this on Burnham-on-Sea beach. Any idea what it is? (Large key hole shape was a person who has been removed for the sake of confidentiality.)















For more on Daddy Longs Legs go to SB4444

Territory
"Can you keep my seat " he said as he went to buy a drink. The match was about to start and we had good seats in the large Australian bar.
A young bearded man came over and started to sit in his seat.
"There's someone sitting there" said my friend. He shuffled slightly but didn't move.
"We're keeping that seat for somebody" he re-iterated.
The man shuffled again - but showed no sign of recognition. Then he got up and walked away.
"I don't think he spoke any english" said my friend.
"He's just going to the bar" I said.
But he didn't come back.
The first man thanked us as he returned to his seat.

Freedom
I have a free day today. Its sunday so there's no work. She's away and its the alternate sunday when I don't have my son. Older son is here - but he doesn't need me to do anything particular.

I reckon I get about 2 of these days a year. I haven't made any plans - thought I had a vague idea about drinking and a strong idea about watching cricket on TV. I could see someone - but they might get in the way of me doing what I want. I've been feeling slightly ill for a few days and I should make sure I'm in a good state for work tommorow - a concern that people without jobs don't need to worry about.

I'm not sure how I feel this morning as I have a moderate hangover from a party last night and a residual nagging guilt about upseting a friend with a throwaway comment. The one-day international plays already on Five Live Sports Xtra and I rage inside that its not on the telly and I have no idea which pub will show it.

I'll probably go out for breakfast when my older son surfaces. In the meantime I may as well get the paper and have a go at the crossword.

Duty
I went to my mothers on monday. I had been invited to have a meal with my brothers parents in law who are visiting the country from South Africa. He has a reputation as an un-apologetic racist so I partly feared and partly relished the though of a confrontation.

I found him a small, bald rather anxious man who talked a lot and laughed at his own, very bad jokes. He had ben trying to deposit some money in this country "In case it all blows up over there" and was having trouble opening a bank account because of the news laws designed to protect against money laundering.

He told me it was all because of that 9/11 thing "You know - that bit of trouble in america with the Paki's.."

I was dumbstruck at the ignorance and innacuracy of the comment and felt that this was the moment to say something. I smiled as I asked him politely if he could keep his language a bit more neutral.

I don't know what they thought I meant but both he and his wife smiled back at my an with an assuring tone they said "No".

An Offer
I was just walking back from the pub and as I went up Washington Ave I saw a group of young people chatting and smoking outside someone's house. Sometimes I get intimidated by groups like this - but this lot seemed OK so I just walked by them taking in the smell of marijuana as I went past.
"Hey you" said a young man to my surprize. Almost automaticaly I ignored him and walked on. He said it again and for some reason I turned my head and said
"What?".
"D'you wanna smoke some weed? he said.
"No thanks" I said and walked home.
I wondered to myself as I walked - Did he want to mug me? Probably not. Did he want to sell me some smoke? Possibly. Then I noticed the anorak I was wearing. I came to the sad conclusion that he must have thought that I looked like I needed some excitement.