Classical

There are many places I have not been to, but one that is quite surprising is the centre of Liverpool. Today I got there.

As our daughter and son-in-law were today travelling from our house to his parents’ house in Magull and we had been invited to a bit of brunch with them (always great fun when we all get together – delightful people), we decided to then go into Liverpool. We had a conducted tour (son-in-law) of the very impressive buildings in the centre. Here are three of the party, across the road from the magnificent St George’s Hall. Of course I could have got the background a bit more subtly, but there you go . . .

One of the reasons for going into the centre was to visit the Walker Gallery, another impressive building, and find the portrait of Kim Cattrall, the commission for which was the prize won by Samira Addo in the 2018 Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year, which I had watched. (Extra) We all liked it very much and it was great to see it for real, after watching the artist through the whole process. 

We spent quite a while in the Gallery and then the two of them left to meet some friends and we returned home via Crosby to have a walk by the sea- except that the sea was a long way out. However, I am always pleased to see the Anthony Gormley figures.
 


Mamma Mia! Here I Go Again
The four of us went to see this last night at Rheged and we all thought it was fantastic. It is as brilliant as it has been hyped, which is amazing. We had all been very surprised at the Guardian review by Mark Kermode, someone who is often quite annoying, as he habitually denounces ‘popular’ films, sometimes with good reason, but often we feel for the sake of it, when he came out with such phrases as ‘Could not be better’. I think he summed it up by his ‘Never had something so wrong felt so right’. It is a professional, slick, emotionally charged and yet very funny production. The choreography is astonishing. It sweeps you along in a wonderful feel-good extravaganza. And yet it is also subtle and clever. Whoever had the idea of including Cher is a genius. I can only echo Kermode’s final words - I loved it to pieces and can’t wait to go again! Abandon all prejudice and go . . . 
(Warning: you do need to know at least the story of the original Mamma Mia! or it will be a bit confusing, as there is a fluid blend of past and present.)