83 Ullet Road
Liverpool
April 2026
I have been home in Liverpool for over a week now.
It has been very busy. I had to come back and hit the ground running.
I had so many clients to catch up with and a workshop to provide.
A highlight was celebrating dot-art 's 20th birthday with Lucy, Andrew and Sofie.
It was a very festive evening at The Music Room which is a part of the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall.
We had champagne, music, a portrait artist, and speeches, a real celebration of Lucy
dot-art celebrations
A big surprise at the end of the evening for me was to see Tall Paul again after about 20 years.
Tall Paul with Andrew and Helen
Portrait painter did one of Andrew and I
Apart from the fun stuff. I have been dealing with 83 Limited banking issues; they came up due to some people leaving and new people coming in .As well as getting Rich my electrician to give a quote then finally fit eight new timing light switches in the hallway.
We finally got the folk to take away a skip which was delivered a few days after I left for Castalla and was still there when I got home. The cellar has been cleared which is a good thing, and Josh used the skip for the debris from having his bathroom revamped.
I have enjoyed being back in Sefton Park for my walks. It has flourished in the last month since I left.
I went to see The Devil Wears Prada 2 which I had been looking forward to as I love the first film .
I did not enjoy it so much disappointingly.
I did enjoy Sense and Sensibility at The Woolton Picture House. It is my favourite Jane Austen book and this version of the film with Emma Thompson is brilliant.
I want to spend more time in Castlenel but was bewildered by the 90 days in 180 days we are allowed to spend there ; happily Andrew found me an app which makes it all very easy to work out.
I immediately booked to go on September 30th till October 21st.I would have gone sooner but I like to help A&L by looking after Jasper when they are way. They will be away in Greece till late September .
I will go again in 2027 soon after they come back from their Japanese trip.
23 days now till I go off to Castalla again as I type this. Then four days later I will be welcoming Philip back to Castlenel.
While I have been here Matthew has repaired the cellar wall and painted Los Angelos.
Cellar Wall
Los Angelos beautifully clean, but a bit bare without my things and the art.
After speaking to A&L I have decided to go ahead with the dark blue on the back wall. Although I have done a lot this year in Castlenel off my own bat; it was all obvious improvements.The Dark Blue wall seemed a bit more dramatic. Matthew picked up on my anxiety and said he could do it later if the family agreed.
Andrew and Lucy were surprised I did not get it done as I had done so much. I have contacted Matthew and asked him to go ahead.
Matthew has done two coats already and still not sure it is perfect; the darker colours are not so easy to get right. He is going in again on Monday to see how it looks and if he is happy with it he will send me a picture.
Matthew finally felt happy with the wall after four coats.
In the next two weeks as well as work; I will see Patsy ,Kev, Tony and Sue and hopefully a few more nights at The Phil and Fact.
I enjoyed a night at The Phil to see Richard Ayoade Andrew and Lucy were there too.
I really enjoyed him, possibly more that A&P.
I had dinner with my niece last week it was such a treat to have a few hours just the two of us. I usually see her in a family group.
She sent me these pictures a few days ago of her and her dad out for a walk, Richard looks a lot like his dad in this picture and Julie is looking more like Richard as she gets older.
Johnny Roche had his 18th birthday in June in the middle of his A levels. Johnny is our miracle boy.
A very big highlight was staying up to watch the first Scotland match of the 2026 football world cup and we won. It was very exciting and very tense too. One of the best parts was seeing the Scottish fans ( tartan army) in Boston and Scotland.
I really enjoyed going to Liverpool Art Fair with Sue it was a beautiful warm day we had coffee at The Blue Coat and Lunch at Liver Building where the fair was.
We both voted for this artist.
This was my favourite painting " Summer Steps"
Windswept in Hamilton Square on my way to see P&K.
It is now 10 days till I leave for Castalla and 14 days till Philip arrives. I am trying not to get over excited as it is too long to stay in that state.
I am winding down a wee bit from work.
Tonight I am going to Woolton to watch the next Scotland Match with Andrew. Excited and nervous for the team.
I have one more Creative Cluster on Tuesday evening , and a few more clients; then I start packing. Next weekend will be about leaving the flat ready for my Air BnB guests.
June 20
Andrew and I went to 1% for a few drinks before the match. It was a lovely catch up.
I made a Dundee Cake and some Polish Cake for the Iron Man weekend which I took over and I left a wee gift and card for Roy's 50th.
The Match was nerve wracking. Morocco scored within 70 second seconds which made the rest of the match very tense to watch. I felt quite nauseous most of the time.
We are probably still in with a wee chance of qualifying...I thought I might go to Glasgow to watch the Brazil Scotland match with M&M but now I am not so sure...let's see.
Adam has came to paint the back door and do a final tidy up of the garden.I like to leave everything nice before I leave; for me for the young neighbours and for my guests.
I emptied all the pots and cleared the sheds; Adam took all the debris away for me .I went to Dobbies and got some plants a few weeks ago .Andrew collected me and brought in the compost and the plants for me. I filled up the post and the place looks much nice now.
My favourite pots !
Four days now till I arrive in cast Castalla . I saw my last client this morning and apart from ( a few zoom
clients in Castlenel) I am free now till August 7th
My last ( summer top up ) creative cluster was a great night lots of love and encouragement in the room
Four gorgeous creative women choosing Angel Cards
I don't believe in Angels ( except real people who are angel like) but these cards give words of encouragement.
Adam came to finish tidying the garden and paint the back door. It looks clean and fresh now.
I watched The English Game one evening. It was quite educational and I learned a lot about the beginning of Professional Football. Not least that it was two Scottish Footballers who came to Darwin to be paid to help the working class men win the cup... something only done by Etonians and the like.
The first professional footballer in Darwen, Lancashire, was
Fergus Suter. He arrived from Scotland in 1878 alongside his teammate
Jimmy Love, and both are widely recognized as the world's first professional players after they were secretly paid by
Darwen FC to play the sport.
Sadly I was shocked to find the actor who played Fergus Suter is a convicted sex offender. I could not get his face out of my head for a while.
I stayed up last night to watch the Scotland Brazil match. I had thought of going to Glasgow to watch it with Matthew . I am so glad I did not go. Not only was the match gut wrenchingly tense and stressful, the heat would have made to journey a nightmare.
To day we have amber warnings ; we have over 30 degrees round the country. There are warnings not to travel by train unless you really have to. JMJ in Taiwan we had equally high temperatures and higher. The trains were not affected one bit in fact it was wonderful to travel on them to cool down
wit a caery oan....coudny run a minodge.
Keir Starmer has resigned. JMJ what is wrong with these folk?
I do not look at or even listen to the news...I hear most news by accident , someone tells me .
BUT I will always vote.
Sandra has been really unwell with sever back pain, but thankfully she is recovering , thanks to a chiropractor in Helensburgh. I have been really worried about her.I am also worried about Lucy running a marathon this weekend in this weather; hopefully it will be a bit cooler by Sunday.
Good luck to them all Lucy Max and Rick.
Steve opening his gift on Father's Day" the children" bought him a paddle board.
Well deserved he is a wonderful father. I still miss my dad ...
Dad as a very young man on one of his cycling weekends.
This weekend is being devoted to packing and leaving 83 ready for Air BnB guests.
I have a pretty good leaving and arriving routine now in both 83 and Castlenel.
I will publish the blog now ... I sit here in the warm apartment listing to Nessun Dorma sung by Pavarotti.
Pure Bliss
My next blog will be from dear Castlenel when I am reunited with Philip , my much loved son.
"The only thing sweeter than union is reunion." — Kathleen McGowan
Other things may change us, but we start and end with the family." — Anthony Brandt
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