Category: Personal

50 before I’m 50 – Watch the Foo Fighters play live

It’s incredibly boring to talk about a music concert in text form, but yesterday I watched the Foo Fighters play live in Anfield, Liverpool as part of the Take Cover 2026 tour.

The first hour and a half was incredible, with me grinning throughout. I’m not afraid to say that during Learn to Fly I got a bit emotional and cried a bit. That song felt so fresh and so new, when we finally got a satellite subscription at the turn of the millennium and it was played all the time on MTV, and my go to song in the jukebox in The Marine after (and before, oopsie) I turned 18.

I didn’t appreciate the comments Dave Grohl made about playing an “Old School” song and it was off the Foo’s third album, and there were two songs I know they didn’t play that I loved (Next Year and Walking after You – I wasn’t sure they played Everlong but the set list said it did?), but overall a top gig. Would definitely dad rock again.

Also, I reckon given a few weeks practice I could solve a Rubik’s Cube faster than Dave Grohl’s daughter’s boyfriend. Just saying.

Also, before the gig I had some amazing sushi at Hibiki in Liverpool. Bit of a hidden gem, recommend going.

On Makerfield

In the end, it wasn’t even close.

I rarely talk about politics here. Not real reason – I believe we should talk more about politics and how things affect us: a blanket “no politics” rule kills a safe space for marginalised communities, but for whatever reason I feel like the permanent nature of blogs and the temporary nature of public opinion means it may bite you in the bum at a later date1.

Nevertheless – I do wear my political opinions on my sleeve (which is ally, left wing and think that Brexit is the stupidest thing we have done as a nation), and I was happy waking up to read Andy Burnham – the mayor of Manchester – won the Makerfield by election and therefore has a definitive path to become prime minister.

There has been genuine change in Manchester: the busses are now yellow to match the trams and have clear branding promoting £2 bus fares, and homelessness is at the very least a lot less visible and at most almost eradicated. The city has transformed over the past 10 years, and Andy Burnham spearheaded it. Between that, the work he did for the Hillsborough Justice Campaign and how visible he was during COVID and in the aftermath of the Ariana Grande concert bombing, he feels like a genuine change and a genuine bloke.

I was worried about this election. To drive from mine to my partner’s house drives straight through Makerfield, and the last few weeks I’ve seen so many Reform signs out. I saw one Restore sign, and about 3 Vote Andy placards. Sunday I was tailing a Reform bus in the off teal colours for about a mile on Sunday, and I felt like it was inevitable for a shock. A lot of the places I drive through is one of those places that have England flags everywhere, and not just for the World Cup.

I’m sympathetic to the resident’s plight – as I live in a similar area that has been forgotten, and people are crying out for change. It’s just depressing that the void in these places has been taken advantage by racist populists, who believe the country is full, taxes are too high and anybody who doesn’t scale a lampost to hang a Union Jack is unpatriotic. Last night felt like a bit of genuine hope.

I’d never vote for Reform or any far right party (or indeed center right at the moment), and their candidate seemed like the sort of person I wouldn’t get on with. For them to be licking their wounds after being told resoundly to go fuck themselves made me smile.

Anyway, good luck Andy, hopefully you are the change that people desperately need.

  1. I had a football blog once where I praised an individual for a classy gesture, who later turned out to be a wrongun. ↩︎

Chester Zoo’s Zookeeper Experience at The Reserve

Seemingly because it’s now a thing, a few weeks back I stayed a night at The Reserve: luxury accommodation within the walls of Chester Zoo.

It was located in the Heart of Africa, so you were surrounded by animals that you tend to see in Africa, with the huts overlooking the enclosure with the giraffes and animals we call “Antelopes”1. You also got an evening meal, breakfast, access to the Heart of Africa exhibit before the zoo opens and after it closes, but the main thing was the accommodation. Waking up to a full vista of the antelopes playing and the giraffes was an experience like no other. It’s like being in the opening of The Lion King.

Of course, as well as a great night sleep in a fantastic location, we also got two day access to the Zoo, so just being able to explore that as a leisurely pace was also excellent. Chester Zoo is massive so being able to explore it over 2 days was great. Meant we could lunch without feeling rushed.

I loved the lemurs (I do love lemurs), the vibrant flamingos as the big animals like the rhinos and the elephants. 10/10 would go to Chester Zoo again.

  1. They weren’t, but I forget what they were. ↩︎

WordCamp Europe’s Totally Unorganised fringe event: Krakow Pinball Museum

Krakow has a pinball museum. I’ve been a few times. It’s a great place to go for an evening.

I’m in Krakow for WordCamp Europe in a few weeks, and I’ve suggested this and Krakow’s parkrun as things I want to do whilst listening to talks about how AI is going to ruin us all. Surprisingly this seems more popular.

So consider this an open invite for a trip to the Krakow Pinball Museum, possibly followed by beers and Zapiekanka in Kazmierz. I’m happy to coordinate and be somewhat of a host1. Pay for your own entrance.

  • Where: Krakow Pinball Museum, Stradomska 15, Kraków.
  • When: Wednesday June 3, 6pm – 9pm (ish)
  • Cost: 70 zloty (about €16.5).
  • RSVP: Drop a comment here.

I’ll try and co-ordinate attendance, obviously if folks don’t show and I get bored I’ll probably bugger off a bit before, but it’d be nice to get some quality screen came as we flip balls.

I’m not listing this as an official side event, because the venue is not accessible (there’s a large staircase to the basement), and some of the language I use when the ball goes between the flippers may be deemed to break a code of conduct. But mainly as it isn’t accessible.

  1. Well, by “host” you mean “grunt conversations whilst playing Addams Family Pinball” ↩︎

50 before I’m 50 – Learn to smoke meat

As part of my birthday present earlier this year, Fern got me a half day cooking course for Outdoor Dirty Cooking and smoking workshop from Howl Bushcraft, which took place a couple of Sundays ago. As part of the workshop, we learned to smoke fish, venison, and cook over an open fire using leaves to add flavour, and make cuts in meat, build vegetable and leaf wraps, and how to skewer effectively to ensure even cooking.

It was a delicious way to eat food. I think my favourite things were the smoked fish, the seabass and learning to make bannock bread, but it was all delicious. What was great was the ingredients were all largely supermarket bought – the flavour was added from the open plan cooking. Couple that with a beautiful surrounding of the Yorkshire countryside (the camp was located in the grounds of Harewood Estate), I had a fabulous time and would recommend it.

So another of my 50 before I’m 50 has been ticked off the list! I think from the above, definitely can do the leaf wraps on the barbecue (although I don’t trust myself to pick hedge garlic and burdock leaves you can replace with wilted cabbage) and I may try and build a rudimentary smoker, as the smoked haddock was incredible.