DIARY OF MANCHESTER PART 2

Part 2

OK, five seconds seemed like two minutes until I heard Hubs voice asking where was I. I held onto him as we wobbled up the train, OK, I wobbled, he gracefully walked the catwalk.

I by this time still didn’t know if we were on the right train. It was packed.

At last we found a seat with two sets next to each other.

Whose seats? Didn’t know, didn’t care.

I was roasting and exhausted. Didn’t know I could still run. Hahhahaha.

LC as ever was great, lay down under the seats.

The ticket man came and said it didn’t matter we were on the wrong seats but told us the most important thing; we were on the right train.

Few.

One and a half hours later, we arrived.

We were met perfectly at the station, great, what a gentle breaze. It was still sunny and the smell of coffee was wafting in from the side café’s. What a huge station.

Down a lift then up a lift.

Out into the street. Across three small roads. Up a ramp and there was a taxi.

We knew it was ten minutes max to the event so the man said he would wait for us at the taxi rank and asked when we would be there?

I knew it finished at four, so Hub and I agreed about twenty past?

When we got out of the taxi at the other end, the driver stood close to his taxi. We faced him as we paid him. I asked if he could tell us where the venue was?

He answered

“Straight a head. Well, straight ahead, was towards him. Then his taxi. So I pointed to him. He said no, turn left, then left again.

O

K

So, left and left again, is straight a head.

Into the door and there was a ticket person on the door. From then on, it was a piece of cake, or cup of coffee at least, as we aimed for the coffee bar, where the only sandwiches available for vegetarians like me were cottage cheese and pickle, or, wait for it?

Cottage cheese.

Yack, with a capital Y.

I just had coffee as did Hub and we thought we would eat on the way back, as this place was packed.

We ended up not paying for the coffee, because there was no one there to take money, or they saw the absolute desperation on my face to just be there safely.

I must say the staff were amazing. Though from stepping in the hall, to leaving, we must have had the attention of about eight different staff, they were all wonderful and so friendly.

They said someone would be there to collect us to show us to our seats.

Haha!

Well, as we had about two minutes left before the show was to start, we got a little anxious, but by this point thought it was just funny, it was a case of laughing or crying.

The massively filled café became empty.

The silence was amusing.

Not even the coffee machines made a sound.

One minute to go, and at last, on the dot, we were rescued. Our seats were right in the front row. Four foot away from the big band.

Candle light and all in Victorian costume! The brass band began with the Christmas concert.

It was great. Hub and I really enjoyed it. It was jolly and really professional. This is why Hub and I are good together, as Bruno Mars a few weeks ago and Sunday, a big, brass, band. We have such variety in our tastes of music, from heavy rock to classical. The only thing Hub and I don’t agree on, is he likes Organ music. I would rather poke my eyes out with cocktail sticks, rather than listen to organ music, but all other kinds of music we both enjoy.

It was rather funny to hear the Hooray Hennery’s too. There were a lot of them in the audience.

It was toe tapping hand clapping and we even got to sing a song.

Oh God, this was rather funny as there was a lovely couple next to us and the lady thought she was still a young choir singer and went big time for the almost impossible notes. Well, I’m not saying it was painfully high, as that would be nasty, I shall just say, that LC had to put her paws over her ears and we had to restrain her from howling.

Well, I had to keep very streight faced, as I knew as an x choir singer myself, there was a part of this famous carol that as a singer, you could really turn the Carol around and form so many different harmonies. Oh she went there, bless her, she was the only one in the hall, but she dared to go and once you make such a huge statement, you can’t go back on yourself.

Well, one of the notes just went on and on and on. I wondered if her hat pin got stuck in her skull. Just as I was about to call for an ambulance, I heard to my relief and LC’s, a deep breath. Few, thank God. But then she went for another note. This one lasting longer than the last.

Being so close to the stage, I did wonder if one of the musicians mutes had slipped and rather than up the instrument, had gone elsewhere and made a closer contact with the lady than was comfortable.

The mat thing with LC was funny. As the lady who worked there asked if we would like a mat for our dog, they provided her with a door mat. Hahahahaha. She was not impressed. It was one of those mats you know, the spiky straw, or coconut ones.

Like a bristly brush, which would leave burns to LC’s delicate skin.

So the end of the concert and so’oo’oo’oo much more to come, getting home was as dramatic as going there.

More later. X