Little Scouse Secrets

You may have noticed in my last post that I briefly mentioned that I had moved back down south. I won't go into details on here with you as they are personal, but yes, I am okay now, and am back residing with parents back in Southampton. I thought as a fitting tribute to my adoptive I would give you my top five places to eat, drink and visit.

First up...it's food!

An American sensation swept over Liverpool in the last few years, and saw the opening of several 'Man vs Food' style burger joints. My favourites of these would be Nolita Cantina on Bold Street and Free State Kitchen up by Hope Street. As a massive fan of corn dogs, Nolita is my go to place for these little nibbles of joy - can anyone tell me how to make these myself as they are my numero uno comfort food? FSK has a lovely little garden out the back which is great to enjoy your burger and fresh lemonade in (check out the specials on offer, you won't regret it).

TriBeCa is a yummy yum yum pizza place that has two restaurants in the city, one on Berry Street and other on Smithdown Road (most dangerous when you live a quarter of a mile from it). With such a range of toppings you are sure to find something you like, and the best thing is they're all under eight squid! Sticking with the pizza theme is a brilliant alternative to a regular fast food joint; American Pizza Slice also has two restaurants, one in Whitechapel and one in Waterloo, providing slices of American pizza pie for £1.99. Utterly delicious!

Now, I've saved the best until last because to say I love this place would be an understatement of gigantic proportions. I will confess something to y'all now...I may or may not have eaten at Lucha Libre three times in one week. Okay. I did. I admit it. But this place is beyond amazing! Opened by born and bred Mexican Luis Michel, Lucha specialises in Mexican street food and does the best tacos this side of the Atlantic. If you go to Liverpool - or Manchester, as they have just opened a branch there too - and do not eat a Cali Steak Burrito then you might as well not have gone at all! Plus, you can wash all this down with frozen marguarita from their sister bar, Maya, but I'll talk about those in the next section...

Who could resist this? (Sorry Lucha, had to nick this from your Facebook)

Next up...drinking! As a cocktail waitress and bartender I spent a lot of time in bars doing 'research' so here are my favourites.

This part is most likely going to be very biased by my old boss, the legend that is Danny Murphy, honestly co-owns the best bars in Liverpool; one of them has only just opened so I haven't actually been able to see it, but Jenny's I am coming for you! First up is Aloha, my old second home for eighteen months. It is a provider of blue skies in the grey clouds of northern England, bringing a firm sense of Polynesian paradise to Liverpool. Specialising in rum and tequila the bartenders (best in the biz, dontcha know) will shake you up anything you can dream of whilst the barbacks and waitresses bring the party, often dancing along with the guests. My personal favourites are the Junglebird (rum and Aperol based), the Saturn (gin based) and, for the brave, a Trinidad Sour (Angostura Bitters and Whiskey based...yes...be brave).

Fellow Aloha-ite Sarah and I enjoying a Dead Reckoning

My other two favourite Murphy bars are Berry & Rye and Some Place. Both of these places are going to take a little digging to find. If you walk along Berry Street, almost to the end at the Chinese Arch, you'll see a black door. Give it a little knock and (if you've got the right door, if not you'll look like a right ninny) you shall be transported back to a prohibition style speakeasy fresh from the back streets of New York, Chicago or Hollywoodland. Classic whiskey and gin cocktails are served with elegance and class, often accompanied by the gentle tinkling of the ivories or the lull of a blues guitar. To find Some Place (only open Thursday-Sunday, sorry) you need to walk down Seel Street until you see a little green light - no doubt powered by Green Fairy dust - follow the lights up the stairs and you will find a tiny little bar serving the best absinthe in town. Absinthe? Oh no! I couldn't possibly drink that! Well why not? Be a little adventurous! Like a mojito? Try the Absinthe Frappé - Scott knew as soon as I came up those stairs that is what I'd be ordering!

I mentioned Maya above and now I'll tell you why. Tequila is a beautiful liquor. Tequila is not just that scary shot you do at the bar that makes you feel sick. For beginners, try one of their flavoured Frozen Margaritas and for the advanced go for a Tommy's Magaritas (its with agave syrup rather than triple sec). They also have an amazing selection of cocktails designed in-house for a range of tastes. Again, be adventurous and put down the vodka!

Sticking with tequila, El Bandito is another hideaway underneath Santa Chupitos. It is the perfect place to finish off your night as it stays open until 5am, and sometimes even 6am! It's a great place for a last beer and shot before getting those chips and hitting the hay. But be warned, it is tiny. And I mean tiny. Be prepared to get squished if you do venture down there!

I do love me some tequila!

One last bar I'll mention is Salt Dog Slims. More American influence is felt in these walls from the décor to the drinks to the hot dogs you can munch on to line your stomach. Yes. They sell hot dogs. The most famous thing Salt Dogs is probably known for - apart from their eating contests - is their steins of Dortmunder beer. One pint is just not enough in this bar!

Last but by no means least I will give you some ideas of where to go in this fair city...

I suppose I am killing two birds with one stone with these first two suggestions. Lark Lane and Sefton Park are right next to each other but deserve their own separate nominations. Sefton Park is a famous and historical open space which is amazing all throughout the year. Many a day was spent there this summer, basking in the glorious heat by the lakes. It is equally beautiful in autumn and winter (try to catch the big fireworks display on Bonfire Night if you can!), and provides the perfect amble with a rest stop at the cafe. Or, a rest stop at one of Lark Lanes numerous restaurants and pubs perhaps? (That was a smooth link, wasn't it?) I tried to make it to most of these venues at some point in my Liverpool life - for a while I was going to live just off of it - and its variety caters for all. Bier does a great selection of beer, you have to get a patty from Raggas Caribbean restaurant, and Archer's ice cream parlour does gin and tonic flavoured sorbet! What more could you ask for?!

I caught a rainbow over one of the lakes at Sefton Park this summer

Liverpool is famous for having two cathedrals, one Catholic and one Anglican. Both are worth a visit for their architecture but if I had to choose one I would say the Anglican one, mainly because its more my thing, plus is surrounded by the most amazing cemetery. I kinda like cemeteries, don't judge me, blame the archaeologist in me! It's a Gothic wonder and the biggest in the world? Is that right? Someone correct me please.

I might as well stick with cemeteries at this point and guide you towards another. It's nothing special but I went past it nearly everyday for three years so it stuck in my heart a little. Toxteth Cemetery on Smithdown Road has some form of beautiful peace about it, and I often found myself just wandering around there looking at the gravestones and imagining what the people were like. I was lucky enough to be friends with the people at lived in the house at the entrance - boy did we have some parties!

I used to go to a lot of parties with the 'Graveyard House' people and one of our favourite haunts was the Kazimier. Apart from the bars I mentioned above, this is my favourite venue in Liverpool. The team there put on great gigs and nights in the main venue, but also convert their garden space in the summer to provide an open air bar and general hang out. I believe they have done another conversion for the winter, but I haven't been able to see it for myself yet. From vintage fairs to crazy and off the wall nights out, the Kazimer is the place to have you mind blown. Oh...and they have an absinthe bar too!

This summer, supping gin, at Curious Orange's Vintage Fair @ Kazimier Gardens

So that's it from me! These are my favourite places in Liverpool. It has been a fabulous three years and I look forward to visiting it again!

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The Quest Continues...

Oh, woe to me. Ever since moving to Liverpool I have yet to find the perfect hairdresser. I know these things are hard to find but I thought in this city famous for its beautiful people, it'd be easy. How wrong could I be? They seem obsessed with short layers and 'curly blows'. I have learnt in the four hair cuts by four different hairdressers (who shall remain nameless) that when they ask if you want some volume in your hair, it should be translated as "Do you want to look like an extra from Footballers' Wives?". In three years that doesn't sound like I've had very many cuts but I always dreaded having my hair done so much here that I'd wait until I was back in the South and in safe hands.

Two of the four had nothing wrong with their cutting skills, but their eyes and ears need some adjusting. Both of these times I have asked for a Fearne Cotton style bob (see image below) but both times I have walked out with the same hair cut - both being completely not what I want. I can hear your crying "why did you leave the salon then?". Well, I leave the salon (and then write sour blogs on the subject) because it takes me a while to realise that this is completely wrong. For instance today, since running my hands through it, brushing it, and generally eyeing it up in the mirror, I have concluded that I need at least another inch off the front and preferably an inch to an inch and a half off the back. The layers are way too short, giving it that dreaded (by me) curly blow look, where as I wanted them to be there but very subtle as to give the bob - yes, bob, not medium cut with layers - a blunt look.

The Fearne Cotton bob I wanted...

And what I left with...

(Apologies for image quality)

It's a shame because the hairdresser that cut my hair today was really lovely and talented with her scissors, however it is obvious that she is set in the style that she is familiar with. I am currently sat in rollers praying to the gods of hair that I can style it into a style I'm more comfortable with for the mean while, but its way too long for what I asked for.

And so, with that, I am booking myself into a salon that a friend has recommended to me on the fly to see if they can sort it out for me. If that fails...well I'll just have to leave the city.

Certified.

Hello! How have we all been? I've had a hectic couple of weeks since we last spoke, all of which I'm going to be filling you in with in the next two or three posts.

First up is news on my graduation! Now, a bit of a downer to start because my dad lost his camera (and all the graduation photos on it) at some point during the day which was more than a bit pooey. Thankfully I had a few on my own camera and so did my mum - some friends also kindly donated their images to me. But enough of that, on with the day...

It was an early start (6:30am! Eugh!) for me to get myself ready. This was the first time my flatmate saw me in curlers, and I'm not entirely sure what he thought. Anyway, I brushed it all out and donned my handmade dress that my mum had slaved over the previous week. The weather was absolutely scorchio and I was dreading donning the black robe and mortar board over my black dress, but it was all worth it to get the 2.1 with honours certificate at the end of the day and to celebrate the end of three years with my friends.

Bargain Booty.

A couple of weeks ago - the 16th February to be exact, the same day as the aforementioned Speakeasy - I went along to a vintage kilo sale in Liverpool, ran by Little Red Vintage of Bold Street. If you don't know what a kilo sale is it's basically a first come, first served basis and is a way of vintage shops to shift lots of stock quickly; you find garments you like, and you pay for them by the weight, this time £15 per kilo. Now, I must admit Little Red Vintage isn't my favourite vintage shop in Liverpool as I sometimes wonder if I've accidentally wandered into the wardrobe department of Midsomer Murders c.1997, but I was pleasantly surprised at the array of items available. Naturally, you're not going to find a mint condition 1930s ball gown at one of these events but there are plenty of later items along the lines of 'the 1980s does the 1950s' with most of the stock coming from the 1980s to the present. I did find a 1960s wedding dress, but as I have no purpose for one, and it definitely weighed over a kilo, I put it back - sadly onto a large pile which was going to end up on the floor, sob!

Enough rambling about the event, what did I get?! In total I got four items, one of which doesn't fit me so I'll be selling that on some how, and my total spend came to £10.80! Bargain!

(Apologies for not modelling these - I'm having a frump day with messy hair, no make up and nasty nails)

A little out of character for me, I spotted this 1970s (I think...correct me if I'm wrong) crop top. Initially I thought of it as a birthday present for my sister, but then I tried it on...why yes, this would look lovely with a pair of high waisted denim shorts! As soon as the weather is warm enough I'll be throwing this on for a night out!

This really is one of those items of clothing that looks disgusting on the hanger but trust me folks, this is a really nice playsuit. As a tall girl I find it hard to fit my long body into playsuits but this one doesn't cut me in half. It's green rose pattern on black give it a bit of a psychobilly edge, and the little wrap-over tie nips it in at the waist making it much more fitted.

Right, so...this looks really creased (and it is!) but when I put it on the creases do stretch out. I'm a bit scared of ironing it because the material feels really delicate, and I have tried everything from using the hair dryer on it to putting it in the bathroom when I shower to steam out the creases but alas, nothing is working. This dress is a little tight in the ol' chesticle department - everything is on me! - but it does look fabulous when it's on. I love the detail in the skirt, and the layering hugs the hips whilst not clinging to the tummy.

Finally the item I'll be selling on. This photo is cunningly deceptive into making you think that it is a shapely pencil skirt, but actually it's a frumpy wrap-around (this seems to be the theme of my purchases) skirt that is too tight at my waist but too loose at the bottom. But it probably cost me 50p so I'm not exactly complaining!

And that's it! I did find some bargains so I'll be looking out for another event like this in the future  but I'll save up my energy for the furious foraging that it requires!

Shhh! It's a Speakeasy!

Nearly two weeks after the event, I'm reporting back to you on the recent Speakeasy. Better late than never they say, and I was waiting for the professional photos to be published before sharing everything with you.

I had been looking forward to this night for months, literally months. It's very rare for me to find an event in Liverpool that I know that I am sure to enjoy, what with me not really enjoying modern music that much, and tending to dress a little...obscurely! This event had a lot riding on it's shoulders with my expectations so high, but, by heck, did it live up to it!

Our predrinks were spent with the company of Glenn Miller in the background and gin in the glass. Bliss! Easily the most I've enjoyed a predrinks in a long time!

Look! A proper polaroid!

The event ran from 9pm until just after 3am - there was a dance class before but tickets for that went in a flash! We arrived a little after ten thirty, fashionably late, and the venue was already filling up. The Kazimer is built like an old theatre with the seating removed, so there is a stage, a large dance floor where the stalls should be, and stair ways up to the balcony. The balcony is where the absinthe bar is situated, and this is where we headed first...

On the other wing of the balcony is the set up for their regular themed photo shoot. It's been mug shots, picture frames and this time, poker tables!

First on was The Fire Beneath The Sea, band whose Facebook describe them as 'progressive rap' - not really sure what that means but they were good! I can't really describe what they sounded like but they got the party going for the main act. Riot Jazz. Riot Jazz were sublime. A nine-piece jazz band who mix traditional style brass jazz with rapping lyrics. If you like that sort of jazz fusion thing on a night out - you know what I mean, jazz that you don't have to know how to Charleston, Lindyhop and Foxtrot too - I'd definitely try and get to see them!

Fire Beneath The Sea

Riot Jazz

So yes, after many an absinthe (Hemingway's Dream is definitely up there in my top ten off-the-menu cocktails) we left, hair waves slipping and kohl liner smudging, with aching feet.

The next Speakeasy is on the 27th April - I might not be able to make it because of university deadlines but hopefully the next one will be inked into my diary!

Roll Up! Roll Up! Get Your Tickets!

My Facebook has been bombarded with me asking people to buy tickets for The Mad Hepcat's Tea Party. It's seventeen days to the event, and since tickets went on sale a week ago we have already sold a quarter of our tickets! And now, I spread my word to you! Even if you don't buy a ticket yourself, please spread the message - after all the proceeds are all going towards Macmillan Cancer Support!

Tickets are £7 each and are available here. It would be amazing to see lots of you there, so anyone in the north west, what are you waiting for? We shall be feeding you, watering you and providing you with the best rockabilly entertainment in Merseyside!

The Mad Hepcat's Tea Party

I've been holding back on releasing this news since it was first thought up by myself and Sarah (Ruby La Rouge) a few months back whilst taking afternoon tea. We had noticed that Liverpool didn't have nearly enough rockabilly events, so we decided that it was about time we fixed this. So, we combined two loves of ours, tea and rockabilly-ness, and created The Mad Hepcat's Tea Party. Our first event will be held on the 29th September at Aloha in Liverpool, with all the proceeds going towards MacMillan Cancer Support.

So, my faithful readers, please be prepared to be bombarded with news and what not of the event, but in the mean time please follow us on Twitter (@madhepteaparty) and 'like' us over at facebook! 

Tag You're It!

I got 'tagged' by the lovely LisaFreemontStreet on Youtube to do this vintage tag. Now, before you get your hopes up that I've been fraternising with people who have such high-standing in the community...she tagged everyone on youtube, not just little old me individually. So, here is my tuppence worth of opinions and factoids on what I think of the vintage style and how I blend it into my everyday life.

And now I tag you! If you're interested here are the questions for you to answer in a video, or if you're camera shy just in good old fashioned writing.

1) Who's your style icon?
2) Whats your favorite way to get inspired?
3) What's your most used hair tool(s)?
4) Whats your favorite hair tool/ gadget?
5) Up-do, down, or half and half?
6) Is vintage styling something you do daily?
7) Whats your favorite blush/ lipstick?
8) Dress, skirt or trousers? Heels or flats?
9) Homemade or off the rack?
10) Do you swing dance?
11) Small subtle touches incorporated into everyday wear ( flavor of vintage, if you will) or all out extreme? 
12) Favorite perfume/ skincare?)
13) What does the rest of the family think of your "style"?
14) Favorite accessory?
15) Do you find the vintage community warm and inviting, or cliquish and snooty?
16) What drew you to this style? 
17) Your favorite place(s) to shop vintage?

Disconnected.

A fly in visit I'm afraid, I'm still very much disconnected from the online world, as I have been for the past month, for the next few weeks. I'm currently sat in the lovely coffee shop on Smithdown Road, Oomoo, pinching some of their wifi whilst supping on a delicious cappuccino as my new house isn't yet connected to the world wide web. That's right. My new house.

 

The time between getting back from my dig on the Isle of Man (blog to come, have yet to sort through photos and gather my thoughts on the very wet experience), moving and settling into my house can only be described as hectic and traumatic. Remind me why people move house? I had 24 hours to get from the Isle of Man - the children's song "Going This Way That Way, Forward and Backward Over The Irish Sea" is not to be taken lightly, it speaks the truth - finish packing, move my stuff from the old house to the new house and sort out bills. Phew. Never an experience I want to repeat. It went smooth-ish, regardless of the fact my old landlord was rather rude to me and I was not one to be trifled with in my fragile state. But, I'm here now, almost complete with just the internet to sort out!

Next week I'm doing the four hour journey home to spend the week with family and then it's off to the Hotrod Hayride! Yes, it's that time of year again! Excited does not come close to explaining my emotions! I might be able to squeeze in another blog before the epic weekend but don't hold your breath.

Oh, and congratulations to any Liverpool Uni students who graduated this week!

Home Style Catch Up.

I am half way through what is shaping up to be a very, very hectic June. It started with copious and various parties, including Liverpool's latest student night: Untitled (run by my friend, Hasan!). I won't bore you about those parties, they were mostly drunken slurs of sweaty bodies jumping up and down to music, but I will provide a sneaky pic of what clobber I donned.

Ooh err you can see my brazier!

Can anyone else see the 'orb' over Rachel's eye? Is it Felix coming out to play for one last time? This is probably the last photo you'll see of that living room as we are all soon to move out!

What else? What else? Well I went home for the first time in two months, which, although short, was lovely! I got to see the family I didn't get to see at Easter, got a nice lunch by the marina in Warsash, and took a trip to Winchester with my darling sister.

I can't decide if I want to live in this house or one nearer the river...

So tomorrow I'm off on a two week dig on the Isle of Man - I'll do a little overview of those shenanigans when I return. And then it's the big move. Well, it's not a big move as such as I'm only moving four streets down the road but without the aid of a car it'll be strenuous to say the least! One last thing before I sign off to live in a hole: I'll leave you a (more than obvious) clue as to a new venture myself and a colleague are hoping to go into...

I hope W/S magazine don't mind me nicking this! (Check out Winchester Fashion Week! Almost over!)

A Bit of Girl On Girl Action with Sailor Jerry

I'm not one to turn down a competition to win some goodies, especially if the goodies come in the form of Sailor Jerry rum. There was an advert up at work to represent your bar at an arm wrestling competition at Mojo Liverpool so I thought I'd give it a shot. I've been hitting the gym recently so I thought I'd be pretty good at it - that was until I met the all-powerful Karen with her arms of steel! There was a good few pairs of lads to battle it out but the lasses were few on the ground, but we held our ground and put up a fair fight!

We started the night slapping some temporary Sailor Jerry tattoos on ourselves - the Mojo lads looked amazing with anchors, roses and pin up girls all up their arms and necks.

I really like mine! Perhaps a smaller version for real?

Heather wasn't so keen on her's...

It was soon down to business! Starting with a shot of the nectar itself, the lads went first, showing off their muscles and manly strength. Some of the wrestles went on for a while, others were over short and sharp. I got knocked out in the first round to the formidable Karen, but I like to think I would have won against the other girls...

Ash from Aloha also got knocked out in the first round, but Kieran kept it up for the tiki crew, winning the boy's round for the bar!

Me in action. I have seriously never met a stronger woman than Karen!

The winning round for Kieran

Now, although I went out early, the lovely Karen said I put up such a fight she very, very kindly donated some of her prizes to me, including a delicious bottle of Sailor Jerry rum, a Sailor Jerry t-shirt, a CD (which I've yet to listen to), some stickers and a pack of cards (which I gave to Heather for our house next year).

Look at my goodies!

So, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the gorgeous Sailor Jerry team (Emma-Li, Scarlett and Karen) and to Mojo for giving me such a lovely evening! Hopefully there'll be another one in the future!

Park Life

The entire world probably knows that Britain is currently in the arms of a rather pleasant summer. I, however, am in the middle of my second year exams and so most of my days are spent locked in my room doing revision. Yesterday, I had had enough! I took a wee break and took the short walk from my house to Liverpool's famous Sefton Park. It was stunning. It was full of people lounging around and enjoying the sunshine, eating ice creams and slowly turning into lobsters as only British people know how. I took my camera along to snap some photos to share with you the beauty of this historic park.

The History Part:

Constructed (is that the right word for a park?) in the 1870s Sefton Park was designed to give the industrialised city a green space of over 100 hectares, away from disease and foul city air. Sir William Rathbone V (got a photo of his statue below) had a big part in making Victorian Liverpool a tolerable place so he's commemorated throughout the park. The layout of the park itself hasn't changed that much at all in the 140 years it's serviced the city; it's gained some new buildings, lost an aviary and sunk a pirate ship, but other than that it's pretty much as it was designed.

Sorry about the dirt! I cleaned it up as much as I could!

The Green House was revamped in 2008 and was previously derelict! It was closed when I went, not that I'd want to go into a glass building on a day like that!

Sefton Park is only about 15 minute walk from my house, but I'm ashamed to say I don't get down there enough. We go down for the annual Fireworks Night frivolities and the odd ice cream, but I do wish I got down there more! Hopefully this summer I shall find the time to wander on down. My favourite parts of the park are always by the streams and lakes they have running right through the centre. There's something very peaceful about picnicking by water, even if it does make you need the loo every half an hour! (There are no loos in the park - my only complaint - so this is a tricky situation)

The 'Fairy Grove' - an original feature of the park near the Iron Bridge

These flowers were everywhere!

The Fairy Grove and Iron Bridge entrance is the one nearest me - the other large entrance is off of Lark Lane, the entrance that both my grandad and mum used in childhood! It's a magical entrance, but with spooky undertones...

Anyone that knows me knows I love the paranormal. Some would say I am slightly obsessed by it, always on the look out for a haunting, a story, and any ghosts in the wardrobe. So imagine my excitement when I saw this plaque! What a story!

I took the long way around to the ice cream parlour so I could enjoy the streams and see what other things I could find. This is when I wandered across the 'life size' statue (it was pretty big, so I doubt it was life size) of Sir William Rathbone V. His history is pretty immense, this guy had a big heart!

Look at that sky!

Finally the ice cream parlour! Run by an Italian family it does scrummy yummy ice cream. I fancied a tropical flavour, but alas, they had none, so I settled for pistachio. Delicious!

Not a bad spot to eat ice cream!

Finally, I thought I'd share with you a little piece of my family history. My late grandad was a Liverpudlian born and bred from an Irish working class family. After the war, when he was evacuated to Derbyshire, the family settled in Aigburth, right next to Sefton Park. Then, when my mum moved back from Singapore aged six, she lived for a little while with her grandparents in the same house in Aigburth. So, my family has quite a long standing connection to the area, and to Sefton Park! My mum remembers there being a pirate ship and a statue of Peter Pan in the park, but just thought she was going insane when we couldn't find it when she came to visit last year. Well, I have solved the mystery! ...It sank. Sorry mum.

You can just see the tops of the sunken masts in the lake :(

The road my grandad and mum lived on - Panoramic photo, sorry about the curve!

'Hope Street Peeps'

Way back in September I got stopped on the way from university to town by a photographer who was starting a project on the people of Liverpool. I know, I'm not technically a Liverpudlian but the student lifestyle is such a massive part of the city's culture that it's playing a major role in the project.

I admit I kind of forgot that this even happened until a couple of days ago when I thought I'd see how the process was going and searched it up on Google.

And look what I found...

Check out the pink hair!

I'm wearing:

Dress - Primark

Cardigan - Primark

Handbag - Vintage

Sunglasses - Vintage

Check out my little addition to the work here.

I'm Back In Liverpool...

...And everything seems the same.

Okay, I couldn't resist doing at least one blog with that title given the city I spend over half the year in.

It does seem very much the same as when I left in December. The work load is very much the same and the people haven't changed a bit (which is good!). I've just sat my first exam of my first semester of second year; it was Ancient Warfare, if anyone was wondering. I think it went as well as it good have, and I got in some so called 'funky facts' in there to wow the lecturers, such as the commission for the Riace Warriors as a commemoration for the dead Athenians who gave their lives at the Battle of Marathon. Boom! This blog is truly educational!

So, I haven't even stepped anywhere near town since I've been back (except from my friend Jhodi's 21st birthday trip out on Friday, but that doesn't count!) so I haven't been able to scout out any vintage/repro bargains, see if there are any events on, or anything more interesting that giving you readers odd facts about archaeology. For this I must apologise.

One last thing before I close this brief post: I was warned by my housemate that my beloved house plant Barry the Basil had died. Try as I might with water, sunshire (pah, like we've had much of that recently!) and love Barry was truly gone. Barry II will replace him as soon as I remember to pick one up in Aldi.

RIP Barry