So there I was sitting on my train, minding my own business at stupid o’clock this morning – looking forward to getting into work early to clear some stuff, when an announcement is made that all the trains were off and we were getting thrown off at the next stop, Birkenhead Central. Bollocks! That meant cramming into various rickety, sweaty buses with 4.73 million other commuters*, fighting to get on, fighting to get a seat and, probably, just fighting. Then I had a brain wave.
Why not walk down to the waterfront and get the ferry over the Mersey? one of the most iconic ferry rides in the world. I’ve never done it to commute, only as a tourist once, or twice. So I did. Except it was closed and I had to walk a mile and a half to the other terminal in Seacombe, because I’m a stubborn MF. It was mostly along the waterfront and a pleasant walk anyway. Taking my place upstairs on the front of the ferry, in the early morning sunshine, listening to Led Zep IV, I had what the romantic poets used to call ‘a spontaneous overflow of powerful emotions’** (often referred to as a ‘Spont’ in the 1537 household). Wow.
The Liverpool waterfront is, rightly, designated a World heritage Site, all those stunning buildings and the newer, impressive, but far less beautiful ones too. The Liver Building, Port of Liverpool Building, the Cunard Building, the Anglican and Catholic cathedrals … it really is just beautiful, what a great way to the start the day as it all slides across your view. I narrowly resisted the urge to ‘do a Titanic’ at the front of the boat, which is just as well as the ferry similarly resisted the urge to ‘do a Titanic’ in the middle of the Mersey.
573 Down (still)
*figures approximate at time of going to press.
**mind you they all used to wear frilly shirts, take huge amounts of laudanum and spend their time hanging around Italy trying to catch consumption and ball chicks, mostly successfully.
And here I was thinking of I Cover The Waterfront.
Nicely played. Stubborn MF or not, this is the best thing for your brain, a shake-up of routine.
You never mentioned, but with all the delays and extra walking, were you late for work?
No, I get in an hour and a half early so I can get to the gym/clear stuff off my desk, so no problems on that score.
I cover the Waterfront would have been a great choice – the God of the Pod shuffled it differently though.
Ugh, are you one of those Morning People? I mean, gym in the morning? Are you nuts?
The God of the Pod never listens to old jazzheads like me, in those clutch moments.
I am totally a morning person. If I’m going to do anything tough in a day it has to be before 12.
Nuts? not really, gym before work and at lunchtime’s the only time I can fit exercise into the week. You don’t get to look as much like Conan as I do, without putting in the hours!
Sorry, did I say Conan? I meant Terry Savalas.
Man, I think my best hours are from 2am -10am. After that, all bets are off and you gets what you get.
Telly Savales, eh? We should hang out. My Jason Statham would compliment your look well, I think. But we should only unleash that much manliness occasionally. Gotta give all the ladies time to recover. We’d be too devasting if we rolled all the time.
Just wouldn’t be fair on the chicks, not fair at all.
So true. It never is…. no sir, it never is…
Never been to Liverpool but your post makes me want to go now.
Do it!
Didn’t some band come from there? I thought I heard that once. Maybe that was something else…
Those Lego clouds are freaking awesome!
Thank you, they’re amongst my finest works.
That is pretty awesome. Silver lining and suchlike. Still no match for the Clyde though.
More shopping trollies in the Mersey, I bet.
We had a great time on the ferry when we did it. The Mersey is spectacular. They did pipe “that song” out the speakers at various intervals. Were they doing that at this time in the morning?
Nope they play ‘Dead Skin Mask’ until 8am. Fact.
Not the Frankie Goes to Hollywood version I hope?!
Don’t be daft and disrespectful!
It was the Erasure version.
Oh, thank Christ. The definitive version. I always loved Slayer’s cover of Respect too. Great split release that one.
I don’t want to pick a fight here but I always thought Slayer failed to capture the perky campiness of the original. I’m just saying.
I suppose. But they did try. Especially in the video. You know the one? Set in the children’s soft play area. They wore those pink hotpants and chased each other around with toy rayguns?
Much nicer than my automobile commute. But did you sing that song?
Christ no! and definitely not the Frankie Goes To Hollywood version either!
Altogether lovely! Nice choice of soundtrack, too. Next time please do a Titanic :).
Thank you! I can see it now, my toe rippling in the breeze, my long flowing locks streaming majestically behind me … (Okay so the latter is a bit wide of the mark these days!)
I’ve heard that frilly shirts can be equally effective.
Really loved this. I only see cornfields and other idiot drivers with the occasional deer or raccoon on my way to work. If I could see this on a morning commute I might be a little more inspired.
Thank you so much. Normally my metal tube just takes me underneath and deposits me in the centre.
It was a really nice moment.
Metal tube. Could mean so many things.
It’s what I’m going to call my ambient death metal band. You want in?
Yes! Let me just grab my jumpsuit and fake blood packets.