Septeverus Snape

So September started with a three day trip to Dundee as the Society of Liverpool Golf Captains descended on the home of Denis the Menace and Minnie the Minx. Dundee used to be regarded as the drugs capital of Scotland but much investment has been ploughed into the harbour area and town centre and we found the place safe,  vibrant and a wee bit querkie.

I played 3 halves of good golf, and three not so good,which has been par for the course this year, and apart from the fairly long drive there and back,  I would happily revisit. We played Scotscraig, Ladybank and Edzell which all had their own idiosyncrasies and made for an interesting three days.

I was able to take advantage of a free energy survey based on the fact I take an asthma inhaler,even though my symptoms are slight. A very pleasant lady came round to see whether  I would be eligible for any grants. Radiator bluetooth controls, like Nest would be useful, or a bit of loft insulation. Unfortunately I did not qualify but she did spot some damp in one room and on further examination we spotted some loose tiles on the roof. I have now had three people come and assess the problem. Luckily the insurance have agreed to cover it, the down side is the access will need to be from my new neighbours garden so it is a bit complicated getting access. Best will be a cherry picker but worst could be extensive scaffold. I await the next visit to see what they decide on.

Following on from that I was selected for the above golf society match against the England Golf Captains at Caldy. My partner Ben and i will victorious but England were victorious on this occasion.

My annual day trip to Lords was squeezed into the last day of the season this year but the usual great day was had. glorious sunshine, good food and drink and 20 wickets had every base covered. I even managed to pop into the St Georges Hall beer festival when I got back to Liverpool. I certainly slept well that night.

Finally I ventured into Wales to meet up with number 1 God daughter and her parents who were visiting Bethesda where she works. We had a very pleasant lunch in a place called St George almost England away from England. Katie, the God daughter is working in a bakery and seems to be loving it so all good on that front

Oh yes, we did have our one and only house viewing during the month, but nothing doing, so on pause until 2027 I think. 

Storming round

Yesterday was a very wild Saturday up here in Scouserland, although it did not stop me playing golf. We got 14 holes in before the skies darkened and we headed back to the 19th hole for an all day breakfast and coffee. They were two  wise decisions. Firstly, some moments after adjourning to the bar, the heavens opened and shortly afterwards a procession of drowned rat golfers came scurrying in, all looking enviously at our scoff.

Having that was the second wise decision, as later in the afternoon SWMBO and I were attending a wedding in St Georges Hall. It was a 4;30pm start so solids would not be available much before 7pm.

The wedding was a civil ceremony held in the small concert room. The room is a small amphitheatre which holds about 500 people and was restored to its former glory between 2000 and 20007, its centrepiece is a crystal  chandelier which is made up of over 2,800 pieces .It was in this venue that Charles Dickens held many of his readings.

St Georges Hall is a magnificent building, and one of the finest neo-Grecian buildings in the World. It holds a Civil Court and a Crown Court although neither are used in anger now, but they do feature regularly in TV and cinema drama. The cells in the basement are also maintained for the same purpose.

Its most impressive feature though is the grand hall. The hall boasts the third largest organ in the country after the Liverpool Anglican Cathedral and the Royal Albert Hall. Its floor is constructed of Minton tiles and is protected by special flooring  for all but two weeks a year when it is exposed and put on view for the public.

We went into the wrong end of the Hall when we arrived so we were lucky enough to be walked along the gallery of the grand hall, and saw that it was laid out for a 500 people Burns night dinner that evening.

We were all taxi'd to the reception in another elegant building in  Water Street, and bailed out in the early hours.  Luckily the storm had passed by the time we left, but the joy of weddings is that there always seems to be one brewing the next morning, only time will tell.