Urban Living

Well, it's been a busy week with some distance traveled, new sights seen and experiences had but in a different kind of location than normal. I've been well out of the mountains and wilderness and deep in the heart of some urban environments. So many different parts. In a somewhat random turn of events, Clare and I found ourselves in Liverpool last week auditioning for the circus! (actually, as stage climbers in an aerial theatre company who are doing a performance in Hungary this summer). We didn't make the cut, but had fun trying out a new style of climbing in a big warehouse near the docks.

Swiftly moving on from there, we went south to London the next day and had a really fun day with the little ones, exploring their neighborhood.

Friday night was a real hoot. Clare had left to go to a Positive Psychology Conference, so I was going solo in the city! It was super hot and humid as I made my way across town and knew I was going to be in for a good night, when just as I was starting to get too hot, was given some free ice cream from outside a coffee shop! Thanks Leo!

Having previously made a few calls and plans, I was lucky enough to be arriving at Victoria Park where there was a concert on. (Massive) Thanks to Rob, I avoided the queue and was ushered into the festival area VIP style.

I spent the later afternoon having a look around and seeing where my 'special wristband pass' would get me. As it turned out, there were quite a few perks and some good viewing points too.

I walked between the stages and got to see some great bands, before Rob's band came on to headline. The band called Blossoms were really good and the swelling crowd seemed to love them too.

After they came off stage, I went for a sit down backstage on some comfy beanbags. While I was there, the band came over, so I got to meet them and have a chat too! Very surreal, to be talking about bikes and Stockport, having just seen them on stage.

Then it was time for the main event. When I came back out from the VIP area, the crowd was enormous! There was no special viewing area close up for the wristband holders, but I did get let through the press area, so slotted straight into the front of the crowd.

It was a great show and amazing to watch from so close. There were the biggest screens I've ever seen on the sides of the stage as some people must have been half a mile away at the back of the crowd.

I was pretty well placed though.

The crowd knew every word and were so loud that sometimes the Van (the singer), just stopped and listened to the crowd.

A great rock and roll show that was over all too quickly. Afterwards, an army of stewards literally swept the crowd out of the park. It was quite an operation. A major litter picking process then started. As I walked away I had to tiptoe around so many sunglasses that were trampled into the grass!

Outside the park, the roads had been closed to allow people to leave, which seemed pretty smooth. Unfortunately, the tube stations were getting overloaded with queues right down the street just to get into the station! I ended up taking a longer walk to another station and arriving at London Bridge, only to find the station closed for the night! Thankfully, a night bus arrived and got me back home eventually...

Next day (Saturday), I met up with Wally and Andrea. They'd been invited to Tim's party; so invited us along too! We had a good catch up in a very cool cafe before finding the party. I'd not seen Tim in about twenty years, but it was good to see him again and he welcomed us into his amazing home and party.

There was plenty of fizz to go around and I particularly liked the label on this one.

Then, just to keep the lucky London vibe alive, Rich and Fiona turned up from Cornwall too! It was amazing how many short degrees of separation I had with people at the party. Great day, good people and with a quality family catch up thrown in as well!

Sped back over the Thames just before dark, utterly goosed...

To where the Shard was shining brightly in the night.

Sunday was a morning of rest. A long sleep and sunny breakfast in the garden was well needed before our next lunching engagement. We met Andy at a very cool outdoor market, where all kinds of food and drink were on offer. Inside it was stifling hot, but we managed to get a shaded table outside where we could eat, drink, chat and watch the world go by.

In the afternoon we walked down to the Thames again to see some sights.

And finished the day off with a drink on the South Bank in a comfy deck chair. London hiking is exhausting!

Passed through the shopping hub that is Oxford Street on Monday...

Left a jam-packed tube station mid afternoon... 

...And by evening had arrived back here...

It was so hot on the train that we went straight from the station to cool off at the swimming hole. As always, the transition from London crowds to North Wales solitude in just a few hours felt remarkable and surreal. The water was bliss...