Liverpool

[Bryan]

20 hours ago, Allan Bell said:

 

Edo I think you have picked the wrong side of the country. All the British weather generally comes in from the cold wet Atlantic and of course the west side of the country takes the worst of any storms. YEH! I know the from the east was a bummer for us on the east side but that don't happen so often.

 

Anyway head eastwards over the hills and start basking in the warm and generally drier weather.

 

I was once told that if I was considering the west side to live that I should ask where the obligatory damp patch/s were in any property I was considering purchasing.

 

Now I am going to be in the doghouse from those that live in the west.😉

 

Allan

 

 

The problem with living in the east is that, if you fancy a trip somewhere and consult the weather forecast, you generally find that you're better staying where you are!

 

I've lived on both sides, the west can be warmer, but it's almost always wetter. I've a son living west of us and made up  a hanging basket for him earlier in the year. When I asked if he kept it watered he just said This is Manchester! It became cottonopolis for a reason.

 

Sadly none of this is helping Ed, I suspect that the rental problem will pertain throughout the UK.

Edited August 22, 2019 by Bryan

[Ed Rooney]

 

Bryan, do you think Queen Victoria's unhappy expression has to do with the weather?

 

 

Joking aside, folks, I prefer the cooler weather here . . . just not for most photography. I'll deal with it. I've been dealing with it. I'm still adding about 100 new images a month to Alamy.

 

And yes, finding a place to live is my big problem.

 

[Bryan]

Here's a suggestion for a cheering day out Ed.

 

Buy an ancient person's annual rail pass - I have one, it gives you a 30% discount on off peak travel - and take a train to Leeds. Then take the free water taxi to the Armouries Museum, which has free entry, you can allay your conscience by buying an over priced coffee in the cafe. Take the water taxi back to the station then wander over to the lovely old corn exchange building in which there is (hopefully still there, was a month ago) a wonderful secondhand photo store.  Coming out of there explore the beautiful old shopping arcades and market hall in the city centre.  If you have a bus pass, take a ride to Roundhay Park, the stop is just across the road from the market entrance, and stroll around the lake before indulging in a bite to eat in the lakeside restaurant. Bus back to the station and head back to Liverpool.

 

Another day out, make it as far as York. etc

Edited August 22, 2019 by Bryan

[Ed Rooney]

 

Sounds nice, Bryan. But I won't be taking any side trips until I have a place to live. Liverpool is not London but it has a rich history to explore. Most of the major museums here have free entry. 

[John Mitchell]

7 hours ago, Ed Rooney said:

 

 

Sounds nice, Bryan. But I won't be taking any side trips until I have a place to live. Liverpool is not London but it has a rich history to explore. Most of the major museums here have free entry. 

 

That's a real boon. Museum admissions can be very expensive these days. Trips to museums always pay off for me.

[Ed Rooney]

And on a rainy day, John, shooting in a museum might be doable. Maybe, but the light from outside would be weak. 

 

This question should be in my Cuisine post. But does anyone know the origin of this very tasty veggie stew? The menu said Arabian Stew. The grilled cheese is called Halloumi and is originally from Cyprus. The cheese was OK, but with not much taste and rubbery. Pretty though. 

 

 

[Thyrsis]

Halloumi is an unusual cheese in that it is almost always eaten cooked. It’s very salty as it is brined but as it has a really high melting point you can marinade and then  bbq it to make it more tasty. The grandkids call it ‘squeaky cheese’.

 

Not sure about the stew but with chick peas and aubergine (?) it will be middle eastern?

[MDM]

51 minutes ago, Thyrsis said:

Halloumi is an unusual cheese in that it is almost always eaten cooked. It’s very salty as it is brined but as it has a really high melting point you can marinade and then  bbq it to make it more tasty. The grandkids call it ‘squeaky cheese’.

 

Not sure about the stew but with chick peas and aubergine (?) it will be middle eastern?

 

I like to fry halloumi with olive oil, garlic and chilli powder (better for the eyes to have it in the oil in the first place), maybe with tofu slices and sliced pre-cooked potatoes as well. Delicious.  It fries really well because of the high melting point as you say, going crisp on the outside very quickly.  I think halloumi is very tasty but I have been vegetarian a long time so my taste buds are adapted to what might be bland to a meat eater. These dishes could be associated with anywhere from Cyrprus to Lebanon these day I guess.

 

Edited August 25, 2019 by MDM

[Ed Rooney]

Oh my, I've got a bunch of savvy cooks here.

 

I found a lot of info with Google. The cheese I had was not salty but rather bland. That was at the Dale Street Kitchen, good food, not expensive, and near my hotel. 

 

I'm not a vegetarian, Micheal, but I eat veggie or fish for most meals. I have a cheeseburger about twice a month, meat once a week. 

[John Mitchell]

4 hours ago, MDM said:

 

I like to fry halloumi with olive oil, garlic and chilli powder (better for the eyes to have it in the oil in the first place), maybe with tofu slices and sliced pre-cooked potatoes as well. Delicious.  It fries really well because of the high melting point as you say, going crisp on the outside very quickly.  I think halloumi is very tasty but I have been vegetarian a long time so my taste buds are adapted to what might be bland to a meat eater. These dishes could be associated with anywhere from Cyrprus to Lebanon these day I guess.

 

 

I'll have to try that. Sounds delicious. I love Middle Eastern cuisine. It's a treasure trove for vegetarian dishes. I keep hoping someone will order my falafel plate. It has been zoomed, but no takers yet, which no doubt says something about my lack of skill as a food photographer.

 

[Thyrsis]

2 hours ago, Ed Rooney said:

Oh my, I've got a bunch of savvy cooks here.

 

 

 

Too right! 46 years of cooking almost daily for family or friends means I’ve built up quite a repertoire!

 

[BidC]

On 22/08/2019 at 09:45, Ed Rooney said:

 

Sounds nice, Bryan. But I won't be taking any side trips until I have a place to live. Liverpool is not London but it has a rich history to explore. Most of the major museums here have free entry. 

 

Ed - Have you tried 'Sparerooms' - sometimes they have whole properties to rent.  Also AirBnB sometimes have whole properties. I've never dine it, but perhaps you could negotiate a long lease .. Hope you find something

[John Morrison]

Just read this article in the Guardian, and it might be of interest...

[Ed Rooney]

Thank you so much, John -- very useful. I've not been that far out of the centre yet, but I will be going. 

[Nigel Kirby]

Maybe a trip to Strawberry Fields which they are opening up to the public

 

[Thyrsis]

7 hours ago, John Morrison said:

Just read this article in the Guardian, and it might be of interest...

 

Interesting article John, I read that this morning.

 

A Beatles related story: My dad worked  as an accountant at a well known tailoring company in Regent Street at the time the Beatles played their famous gig on the Apple roof. Dad’s boss told him to go and tell them to shut up!!  So Dad actually went up to the roof to speak to them. Paul politely apologised for the noise and John told him to * off.

[John Walker]

4 hours ago, Nigel Kirby said:

Maybe a trip to Strawberry Fields which they are opening up to the public

 

Opening tomorrow - 14th September.

[Ed Rooney]

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/whats-on/shopping/take-stroll-down-liverpools-secret-13532508

 

My hotel, the Tune, looks down on this lane. 

 

I keep up with the local news. It's a 25 min taxi ride each way to Strawberry Fields. I'll go with the picture below for awhile. 

 

 

 

 

[Joseph Clemson]

7 minutes ago, Ed Rooney said:

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/whats-on/shopping/take-stroll-down-liverpools-secret-13532508

 

My hotel, the Tune, looks down on this lane. 

 

I keep up with the local news. It's a 25 min taxi ride each way to Strawberry Fields. I'll go with the picture below for awhile. 

 

 

 

 

 

I like the image.

 

There's a bus every 10 minutes from Liverpool One to Menlove Avenue, the location of John Lennon's childhood home. From there is it 10 minutes walk to Strawberry Field and a further 20 minute walk, circling back, to Eleanor Rigby's grave. Another 15 minutes walk will take you through some interesting architecture through Allerton and back full circle to Menlove Avenue. If you were adventureous, another 20 minute walk would take you to Paul McCartney's childhood home. As a bonus the 76 bus goes past Penny Lane and the 'shelter in the middle of the roundabout'.

 

The only reason not to do this is, unless you are a big fan of the Beatles, is that the subjects are already very well covered on Alamy. On the other hand you have the fitness benefits of all that walking .

[Ed Rooney]

Yes, Mister J, I "Imagine" I'll be doing that some day . . . but not right now. I walk everyday. I've not been on a bus since I left NYC. I don't do mountains, towers, or long-range transportation trips on foot. 

[Ed Rooney]

 

There are lots of buskers on the streets of Liverpool. Most, as you might assume, are singing Beatles songs.

 

The best buskers I've encountered in my travels were in Galway. Here's a snap that showed up as a small sale this morning, three guys playing New Orleans "Trad" jazz.  

 

I had a nice sale on this image after I posted it here!  😀

 

Don't you love the Irish logic of the sign saying for a 5-euro "donation" you get a "free" CD.

 

 

 

Edited October 6, 2019 by Ed Rooney

[Allan Bell]

2 hours ago, Ed Rooney said:

 

There are lots of buskers on the streets of Liverpool. Most, as you might assume, are singing Beatles songs.

 

The best buskers I've encountered in my travels were in Galway. Here's a snap that showed up as a small sale this morning, three guys playing New Orleans "Trad" jazz. 😀

 

Don't you love the Irish logic of the sign saying for a 5-euro "donation" you get a "free" CD.

 

 

 

 

Great photo.

 

Allan

 

[MDM]

2 hours ago, Ed Rooney said:

 

There are lots of buskers on the streets of Liverpool. Most, as you might assume, are singing Beatles songs.

 

The best buskers I've encountered in my travels were in Galway. Here's a snap that showed up as a small sale this morning, three guys playing New Orleans "Trad" jazz. 😀

 

Don't you love the Irish logic of the sign saying for a 5-euro "donation" you get a "free" CD.

 

 

 

 

 

There is probably a reason for this. I am guessing they are not allowed to sell goods directly as they would probably need a hawker's licence but they can accept donations. 

 

 

[Ed Rooney]

That makes sense, Michael.

 

Thanks, Allan. I told the trumpet player that I had known Wild Bill Davidson (slightly), since I could tell from his playing that he admired Bill's style. 

Edited September 17, 2019 by Ed Rooney

[Ed Rooney]

What a day this has been. I saw two people taken away in ambulances, one with a heart attack, the other with an overdose of H. A young girl was doing vigorous CPR on the heart guy when I came around the corner. No response. The cops gave the women with OD a shot but she wasn't responding either. No, I did not take pictures.

 

When I got back to my hotel the electricity was off. It stayed off for 4 hours. 

 

But the weather was clear today.