A very memorable day!!!
I had an exciting night at the election count at Oaklands Sports Centre, now rebranded as 'Energize'. Firstly there was a wait as the count wasn't going to start until all the ballot boxes were in. There were two counts, York Central and York Outer, with the hall split into two halves. Sometime after midnight the first boxes were tipped out onto the tables, starting with number 1, and then working through to the low 60s with the Central count, as this was the constituency I was interested in, as the Greens didn't stand in York Outer.
The first job was to check whether the number of ballot papers matched the tally on the sheets taken by the officials in the polling stations. So the ballots were sorted into bundles of 50 for easy counting. This allowed us to look at particular polling disrticts to see what the balance was, so as the ballots were unfolded and put on the pile, I noted whether it was UKIP (hardly any) Hugh Bayley the sitting Labour MP (lots) our man Andy Chase, (just a few) the racist BNP (even fewer) Christian Vassie for the Lib Dems (quite a few but not as many as Labour), Eddie Vee the Loony Elvis Impersonator (virtually none) and Susan Wade Weeks the 'Greenest Tory in the land' (similar numbers to the Lib Dems). I used the 'four-bar gate with a fifth cross-bar' method of tallying. This initial tally told us that Hugh Bayley would retain the seat. It also 'worked' as on one table, a counter put 51 in one pile by accident, and the ballots were rejected as it didn't match the numbers on the sheet. The wads of 50 were recounted and the error found.
All the ballot boxes and postal votes were counted before the second stage of the process. This was where the bundles of 50 were sorted into the 7 candidates. Here, the observers' job was to watch very carefully to see that the right ballot papers were going into the correct pile. It is easy to make a mistake, faced with thousands of forms to sort. I pointed out several errors, where a sorter put a ballot paper in the wrong pile, so close and astute observation is really important. At this stage, the spoilt ballot papers are weeded out. There were a few with no mark whatsoever, and a few with a cross against more than one candidate, or all of them! Some ballots had the mark in the area of their candidate, but not in the box where it should be... for instance, one had the number on the left circled rather than a cross or tick in the box on the right. There were waved at the officer who was collecting the piles of ballots, and she decided whether it was a valid vote, or needed to be seen by the candidates for a decision. There were also quite a few ballots I saw with messages to the candidates, including one with the 'CRASS' anarchy logo scrawled across, and another saying 'I cannot vote for any of you'', and another with a lot of pictograms of male genitalia against the 3 main parties and the UKIP and BNP (not the Greens though!!!) and several others. These are put in a 'spoilt ballot' pile and the candidates check them to see they are indeed spoilt. There were a few with 'difficult to decide' marks, where perhaps the voter first put the cross in the wrong place and scrubbed it out and put it in the intended place. These are shown to the candidates and they decide if it is a spoilt ballot or 'belongs' to one candidate. There are usually over 100 spoilt ballots in an election of this size.
After all the ballots for each candidate are put together, they are put back on the table and counted into bundles of 50, for the final count. The counter makes a bundle of 50, and then swaps with their colleague who also counts it, so each bundle is counted twice. During this counting, usually with a rubber thimble, any incorrectly placed ballots might also be spotted, as all the crosses should be in the same place.
Finally, the bundles of 50 are all put together under the candidate's name and it is easy to count them for the final result. All this took about 5 hours, and the announcement was just before 5am.
The results were Bayley 18,573; Wade Weeks 12,122; Vassie 11,694; Chase 1,669; BNP 1,171; UKIP 1,100 and Eddie Vee just 154. There was a 61% turnout.
After the results were announced Bayley did his acceptance speech, with lots of thank yous for the staff, his team, his wife and lots of others, and all the other candidates spoke briefly.
Then we were done. I cycled home and got in just before 6am. I put the telly on and had a bowl of cereal. Within the hour, the result from Brighton Pavillion came in, and the news I'd been waiting to hear for some time... that Caroline Lucas had won the seat... our first Green Member of Parliament!!! A historic day, a joyous day. The interweb lit up with messages of joy and congratulations. I was quite emotional.
I also started getting messages of birthday congratulation, as it's my birthday today. I couldn't have wished for a better present than Caroline's win.
I stayed up til the boys came down before going to school, and then retired to bed. However, there was a phone call at 11 which woke me up (the car hire company, worse luck!), and I then stayed up til about 2.30 when I went to bed for another two and a half hours.
I did a very short stint in the garden but there was another phone call which brought me back in. But it was a booking for the summer Fair for the Madhyamaka Centre, which was nice.
Gill made a pizza and baked a butternut squash. A nice birthday tea. She also made a cake for the St Nicks 10th Anniversary tomorrow and a pile of buns, each with '10' in icing on the top.
A very memorable and enjoyable day.
Friday, 7 May 2010
Thursday, 6 May 2010
Thursday 6th May 10, Election Day
Gill got me up at 7 as I'd agreed to go and stand outside a polling station at 8am. I got there at 7.45 as it only too me 15 minutes to cycle across Low Moor and over Millennium Bridge to St Chad's Church Hall. The Green Party 'door smiler' told me that in the first 40 minutes of voting, there had been 80 voters! I took the Green rosette and did 2 hours of 'door smiling'. We don't take poll numbers, as this is to find people who have promised to vote for a party, but then haven't turned up at the polling station, so that in the last couple of hours of the poll, the party activists can go and ask the voter if they have voted, and even invite them to have a ride in a car to the polling station. The Green Party stand outside polling stations mainly to remind people that we have a candidate... and with the hope that by doing so, we might get a few more votes!
After this, I went to see Pauline. I changed into my usual scruffy clothes there (I was tidy for the polling station!) and had a coffee and chat, then sawed up some scrap wood for her.
I called in on Country Fresh on the way home and bought some fruit and veg, and picked up a small sack of biodegradables. Freshways also only had a small sack.
After lunch I picked up a prescription for Gill and voted. The polling station was busy.
Then I had a few quiet hours, before the children came home, did a bit of paperwork, and then at 4 went down to town again for my annual check-up at the optician. I have Glaucoma in the family so I have a 10% chance of getting this, so I have my eyes checked regularly.
On the way into town, though, I had an accident, a collision with a car which stopped suddenly in front of me. I was on a left-turning corner and a car on the outside of me started to pull in to the left, which would have trapped me. Now I could have applied my brakes sharply and stopped, or I could have accelerated away from the danger. I chose the latter... but the car in front then stopped suddenly and I went into the back of it, scratching the paintwork. I banged my groin on my crossbar and my tri-bars were pushed up, but the bike wasn't damaged. The passenger in the cat was quite upset though... shocked, and I calmed her down and explained what had happened and gave her my contact details, as the accident was partly my fault. She told me it was a hire car and she'd bought extra insurance for it, so I don't know whether I'll get the bill or not.
Fortunately, my eyesight is fine, so far! Maybe I could do with a 'road-sense judgement' test!!!
Came home via Country Fresh where Rich gave me a lot of dryable fruit and I gave him some dried fruit as a thank you.
I had tea soon after coming home (linguini and a tomato/veg thing) and did some more writing.
Soon after 9 I got myself ready to cycle over to Acomb to attend the count. I won't be back until the wee early hours, and will probably stay up to see the outcome of the election.
After this, I went to see Pauline. I changed into my usual scruffy clothes there (I was tidy for the polling station!) and had a coffee and chat, then sawed up some scrap wood for her.
I called in on Country Fresh on the way home and bought some fruit and veg, and picked up a small sack of biodegradables. Freshways also only had a small sack.
After lunch I picked up a prescription for Gill and voted. The polling station was busy.
Then I had a few quiet hours, before the children came home, did a bit of paperwork, and then at 4 went down to town again for my annual check-up at the optician. I have Glaucoma in the family so I have a 10% chance of getting this, so I have my eyes checked regularly.
On the way into town, though, I had an accident, a collision with a car which stopped suddenly in front of me. I was on a left-turning corner and a car on the outside of me started to pull in to the left, which would have trapped me. Now I could have applied my brakes sharply and stopped, or I could have accelerated away from the danger. I chose the latter... but the car in front then stopped suddenly and I went into the back of it, scratching the paintwork. I banged my groin on my crossbar and my tri-bars were pushed up, but the bike wasn't damaged. The passenger in the cat was quite upset though... shocked, and I calmed her down and explained what had happened and gave her my contact details, as the accident was partly my fault. She told me it was a hire car and she'd bought extra insurance for it, so I don't know whether I'll get the bill or not.
Fortunately, my eyesight is fine, so far! Maybe I could do with a 'road-sense judgement' test!!!
Came home via Country Fresh where Rich gave me a lot of dryable fruit and I gave him some dried fruit as a thank you.
I had tea soon after coming home (linguini and a tomato/veg thing) and did some more writing.
Soon after 9 I got myself ready to cycle over to Acomb to attend the count. I won't be back until the wee early hours, and will probably stay up to see the outcome of the election.
Wednesday, 5 May 2010
Wednesday 5th May 10
Gill woke me at 9 asking if I was supposed to be doing anything this morning... my only diary date was that between 11 and 12, Stewart from Freecycle was cycling down from Huntington to pick up 5kg of brown chapatti flour... donated by Freshways, not sure why, as the best before date is 10th May 2010, so it's in date. But we'll never get through 25kg, so I advertised it on Freecycle and got four requests, which is 5kg each, as we'll hang on to some. I've never made chapattis but am going to have a go. Stewart told me how easy it was.
I did some housework and spent time with Gill, had lunch and then at 1.45 met my neighbour outside the front because my Freecycle request for wall capping materials had been answered by the daughter of a woman in Holgate, Julie, who was happy for us to take away some capping tiles. So, we drove in his huge car over to St Paul's Square and found the guest-house car park.
The capping 'blocks' were huge! They might look OK on the wall, but if not, they could also be really useful as planters (in a group of four) or as a retaining wall for a raised bed. The car, despite being a monster, would only take 10 or 12 of them, so the first lot went and I stayed and moved others, cleaned them up and sorted them into good ones for wall capping, ie without damage. There were more than three loads worth, but we took just three, leaving quite a lot for Julie to use for holding back a terrace or for planters.
I got back after 4pm and helped unload. A good haul, let's hope they get used for something worthwhile!
I had tea... the last of yesterday's nutloaf, and a hard-boiled egg sandwich, using an out of date egg which I reclaimed form somewhere, and two boiled carrots.
After tea I popped over the road to a friend who's a drinker, who has collected a load of aluminium cider cans for me... I squashed them all and put them in a bin liner, ready to be taken to the metal merchant and sold.
Then towards 7pm I set off down to St Nicks where Sandra Geere was doing a talk on gardening in small spaces. I was pleased to meet my friends Nick, Tracy and Anneliese as well as the expected St Nicks regulars Ivana, Jean and Catherine, plus Catherine's mum Susan, and a new person Melanie. A reasonable turnout. I enjoyed the talk, and contributed to it a bit but tried to keep my gob shut as much as I could. I was inspired to do more growing. I am more of a composter than a grower, but I should try harder to have more food plants.
I got back at about 9.30 and all was peaceful at home. Gill had met up with another Freecycler called Jo, who was delighted with her 5kg of chapatti flour.
Washing up, 10pm news on TV, Newsnight, computer, stove. A pretty normal evening.
I did some housework and spent time with Gill, had lunch and then at 1.45 met my neighbour outside the front because my Freecycle request for wall capping materials had been answered by the daughter of a woman in Holgate, Julie, who was happy for us to take away some capping tiles. So, we drove in his huge car over to St Paul's Square and found the guest-house car park.
The capping 'blocks' were huge! They might look OK on the wall, but if not, they could also be really useful as planters (in a group of four) or as a retaining wall for a raised bed. The car, despite being a monster, would only take 10 or 12 of them, so the first lot went and I stayed and moved others, cleaned them up and sorted them into good ones for wall capping, ie without damage. There were more than three loads worth, but we took just three, leaving quite a lot for Julie to use for holding back a terrace or for planters.
I got back after 4pm and helped unload. A good haul, let's hope they get used for something worthwhile!
I had tea... the last of yesterday's nutloaf, and a hard-boiled egg sandwich, using an out of date egg which I reclaimed form somewhere, and two boiled carrots.
After tea I popped over the road to a friend who's a drinker, who has collected a load of aluminium cider cans for me... I squashed them all and put them in a bin liner, ready to be taken to the metal merchant and sold.
Then towards 7pm I set off down to St Nicks where Sandra Geere was doing a talk on gardening in small spaces. I was pleased to meet my friends Nick, Tracy and Anneliese as well as the expected St Nicks regulars Ivana, Jean and Catherine, plus Catherine's mum Susan, and a new person Melanie. A reasonable turnout. I enjoyed the talk, and contributed to it a bit but tried to keep my gob shut as much as I could. I was inspired to do more growing. I am more of a composter than a grower, but I should try harder to have more food plants.
I got back at about 9.30 and all was peaceful at home. Gill had met up with another Freecycler called Jo, who was delighted with her 5kg of chapatti flour.
Washing up, 10pm news on TV, Newsnight, computer, stove. A pretty normal evening.
Tuesday, 4 May 2010
Tuesday 4th May 10
Up early as lots of protests about school starting today. I wish children didn't have to go to school and could just play. Life might (or might not?) be simpler and more peaceful.
But both boys did go to school today, and I spent most of the day doing housework. Gill did some accounts. I washed up and tidied. I spent some time relaxing and playing Scrabble on facebook, but interspersed with chores.
In the afternoon, I made a nutloaf for tea, which all the family enjoyed. We had it with purple sprouting broccoli from the garden.
At teatime I did a bit of chainsawing, the pallet planks I prepared the other day. I did a bit of weeding too, the raised beds which I hope I'll get some crops into soon. I also did a layer or two of compost in the metal-sided bin, and riddled some leafmould.
In the evening I chatted to Lorna on the phone and found out that she managed to get an invite for both days of the Spencer Tunick event! Even she's not sure how she managed that!
A quiet evening, actually quite a boring evening. Tired.
But both boys did go to school today, and I spent most of the day doing housework. Gill did some accounts. I washed up and tidied. I spent some time relaxing and playing Scrabble on facebook, but interspersed with chores.
In the afternoon, I made a nutloaf for tea, which all the family enjoyed. We had it with purple sprouting broccoli from the garden.
At teatime I did a bit of chainsawing, the pallet planks I prepared the other day. I did a bit of weeding too, the raised beds which I hope I'll get some crops into soon. I also did a layer or two of compost in the metal-sided bin, and riddled some leafmould.
In the evening I chatted to Lorna on the phone and found out that she managed to get an invite for both days of the Spencer Tunick event! Even she's not sure how she managed that!
A quiet evening, actually quite a boring evening. Tired.
Monday, 3 May 2010
Monday 3rd May 10
Woke at 11.30 due to my missing a night's sleep yesterday. I had a fairly quiet day, with just one visitor, a Freecycler who asked for some compost for a raised bed and I offered her a free sack... she came round with her enthusiastic little son and had a tour of the composting and left with 5 sacks. She works nearby and said she'd come back for some more, and pay me.
After this, I got a phone call from Rich at Country Fresh and he said he'd just sold the last of the compost I left with him, and could I bring some more please? So I loaded my trailer and panniers with bags of riddled compost and took it all down there. I was happy to take a couple of sacks of material away again, and came home via the St Nicks composting area, which needed some management. I spent just under an hour there.
Gill had made a rice and veg thing for tea, with local asparagus. Lovely.
Then at 7.15 I left for the monthly LETS meeting down at the Seahorse, and Ben and Lynn were there. I felt only half there. But I'm glad I went as I was able to explain the Social Fund concept, which seems to have dropped out of the way that YorkLETS operates, and we should (in my view) re-introduce this as it can be accommodated in the new LETS website, and it's a good thing to have. Also, at the end of the meeting, Ben showed me how to do 'predictive texting' on the mobile phone Gill has given me.
Got home at 10.30 with a pallet on the trailer, donated by a student house who had it put in their front garden as a prank. I put the recycling out as it is collected tomorrow morning.
Got hot water on the stove to wash up and did my usual evening computer-based activities.
After this, I got a phone call from Rich at Country Fresh and he said he'd just sold the last of the compost I left with him, and could I bring some more please? So I loaded my trailer and panniers with bags of riddled compost and took it all down there. I was happy to take a couple of sacks of material away again, and came home via the St Nicks composting area, which needed some management. I spent just under an hour there.
Gill had made a rice and veg thing for tea, with local asparagus. Lovely.
Then at 7.15 I left for the monthly LETS meeting down at the Seahorse, and Ben and Lynn were there. I felt only half there. But I'm glad I went as I was able to explain the Social Fund concept, which seems to have dropped out of the way that YorkLETS operates, and we should (in my view) re-introduce this as it can be accommodated in the new LETS website, and it's a good thing to have. Also, at the end of the meeting, Ben showed me how to do 'predictive texting' on the mobile phone Gill has given me.
Got home at 10.30 with a pallet on the trailer, donated by a student house who had it put in their front garden as a prank. I put the recycling out as it is collected tomorrow morning.
Got hot water on the stove to wash up and did my usual evening computer-based activities.
Sunday, 2 May 2010
Sunday 2nd May 10, Spencer Tunick Installations
What a day... WHAT A DAY!!! The first few hours were spent on the very cold and windy quayside next to The Lowry Exhibition and Arts Centre in Salford, with Tony my friend from Leeds, Jane (from Stockport I think), and several other friendly people.
I'd been sitting down for a while and Lorna appeared. Lorna was responsible for telling me about this event, as she'd previously participated in a couple of Tunick photoshoots in Ireland. She had travelled up with her friend Johan and a nice Irish chap called Tony. I'd not met Johan before and was really pleased to do so as he's a very good friend to Lorna. I went to chat with the three of them, and had a little bit of modelling balloon fun with them before going back to my position in the queue.
The time went quite quickly as there was a lot of good humour and banter in the line, and I had the flask of coffee I'd brought with me at about 2.30am as I was flagging. But at 3 the queue moved and at 3.30, the first batch of 50 were readmitted to the Lowry, and we were right on the end of this group. Jane tagged along with me as she'd come on her own and this was the first time she'd been out to do something like this on her own, without her husband.
I'd filled in my model release form at home and this meant registration was very simple... we gave in the form, were ticked off on a list, and picked up an Ikea bag to put out clothes in and a little bottle of fruit-juice drink. Then there was more waiting. I played with my devilsticks and gave Jane a go... she wasn't too bad for a beginner.
Then we were herded outside to a fleet of waiting coaches and double decked buses... I got to sit in the front top of one of these. We were first taken to a place (Castlefields?) where there is a canal and a bridge, surrounded by a very industrial brick-built landscape, and we were introduced to the artist for the first time. He used a megaphone to talk to us all, and explained that he wanted to try to capture some of the LS Lowry style, with lots of people milling around. So then he asked us to disrobe and then get in position in the place where the photographs were to be taken. I got onto a barge which was in a lock, and wasn't able to walk around much when he asked us to walk around. It was very cold, and whenever the wind blew, there was a pained noise from the assembled masses. The artist yelled instructions at us, telling us not to look at him and the camera, and not to smile. Eventually he had got enough pictures and we got dressed again... i just put my dressing gown on, rather than all my clothes.
Most of us went back to the bus but Tunick wanted people over 60 to stay behind, and then as that didn't get enough people, he yelled out, anyone with grey hair, and he collared some more. Jane and I went to sit on the bus again and waited for our next place... which was back at the Lowry. We hadn't been able to do this at 5.30am as the megaphone and noise would disturb the residents, but we started this one at 7am, and assembled outside the front of the gallery, and did a lot more milling round and 'freezing' so images could be captured. There were more barked instructions, and some people were moved as they had too many tattoos or were too tanned. During this installation, we were asked to bend over, similar to how some of the Lowry figures are hunched over, and someone farted loudly which caused an eruption of laughter. We were so glad to get back in as it was very very cold.
It wasn't long before we were once again taken out to the buses and coaches, and we were taken to Manchester Airport to a hangar near the plane spotters car park. The first group to be asked in were the over 45s, and the rest of us waited. Then it was our turn, and we went into the hangar... where Concorde was on show! We were moved into position under the aeroplane and had to squash up quite close.
Then were were taken to the Manchester City ground car park in front of two huge gasometers (gas holders) and Spencer divided us up into about 6 or 7 groups and got us to gather together in those groups, facing in different directions and sometimes bent over. The group I was in was right at the back this time. Then he asked for all the women to go to the double decker buses which had parked in front of some trees, and he got all the women to stand in the windows, I think with just their bottoms showing. However, I was back in the coach at the other end of the car park and wasn't paying much attention. I'll wait for the photos!
The photos that Tunick took today will form an exhibition called Everyday People, which will be on show at The Lowry from June 12th til September 26th. This is kind of lucky as the Manchester World Naked Bike Ride is on the 11th in the evening and I think I'll stay over and go to the opening of the exhibition the next day.
We were taken back to the Lowry, arriving just before 11am.. I went to get washed and dressed, said goodbye to Lorna and her entourage, and walked over to the tram stop to go back to Piccadilly, where I was due to meet Laura at midday. Suddenly Jane drove up and asked Tony and myself if we'd like a lift into the City. We accepted and she dropped us right next to the station. So we were a bit early there, and I decided to have a go at sending a text message to Gill... she had lent me her old phone and taught me how to send a text, so I sent her one saying all was well. I texted Laura too, telling her that I was at the station.
She appeared quite soon, and all three of us walked down to the 'gay village' area where Laura likes a particular eatery, called Via. But it was shut, so we went next door and had a pizza for lunch.
Then we parted company from Tony and Laura took me to find a couple of her favourite shops, both of which were shut. But much to Laura's delight (but not mine!), Primark was open, and she bought I don't know how many tops there for £4 each. We then went for a coffee. We decided to go back to the Canal St area as it's got a lot going on... and there was a gay line dancing thing in the street, and Laura joined in which was great to watch. She isn't afraid to have a go, despite not knowing the moves perfectly. After a bit of sitting and watching and chatting to a friendly old gent, I got my devilsticks out and joined in the spectacle... line dancing in front of the pub and just along the road there was space for me to spin my sticks. I really enjoyed this.
But time was moving on and I told Laura that I'd have to go. She tried to persuade me to go back to her house in Warrington to meet her family, but I declined as I too have a family to go home to, so we walked up to Piccadilly together, and there was a train waiting for me with 5 minutes to spare before going all the way to York. I did some pumpkin seeds on the train, which I'd brought with me just in case there was any spare time. But somewhere along the route a nice chap got on who was doing a MSc in hydrology and we talked about conserving water, droughts, floods, peat bogs and green roofs until Leeds where he got off. I was soon in York, soon home by bike (with a pallet in tow!) and after tea I had an hour in bed before getting up to do my blog and sort emails. Up til 2am.
I'd been sitting down for a while and Lorna appeared. Lorna was responsible for telling me about this event, as she'd previously participated in a couple of Tunick photoshoots in Ireland. She had travelled up with her friend Johan and a nice Irish chap called Tony. I'd not met Johan before and was really pleased to do so as he's a very good friend to Lorna. I went to chat with the three of them, and had a little bit of modelling balloon fun with them before going back to my position in the queue.
The time went quite quickly as there was a lot of good humour and banter in the line, and I had the flask of coffee I'd brought with me at about 2.30am as I was flagging. But at 3 the queue moved and at 3.30, the first batch of 50 were readmitted to the Lowry, and we were right on the end of this group. Jane tagged along with me as she'd come on her own and this was the first time she'd been out to do something like this on her own, without her husband.
I'd filled in my model release form at home and this meant registration was very simple... we gave in the form, were ticked off on a list, and picked up an Ikea bag to put out clothes in and a little bottle of fruit-juice drink. Then there was more waiting. I played with my devilsticks and gave Jane a go... she wasn't too bad for a beginner.
Then we were herded outside to a fleet of waiting coaches and double decked buses... I got to sit in the front top of one of these. We were first taken to a place (Castlefields?) where there is a canal and a bridge, surrounded by a very industrial brick-built landscape, and we were introduced to the artist for the first time. He used a megaphone to talk to us all, and explained that he wanted to try to capture some of the LS Lowry style, with lots of people milling around. So then he asked us to disrobe and then get in position in the place where the photographs were to be taken. I got onto a barge which was in a lock, and wasn't able to walk around much when he asked us to walk around. It was very cold, and whenever the wind blew, there was a pained noise from the assembled masses. The artist yelled instructions at us, telling us not to look at him and the camera, and not to smile. Eventually he had got enough pictures and we got dressed again... i just put my dressing gown on, rather than all my clothes.
Most of us went back to the bus but Tunick wanted people over 60 to stay behind, and then as that didn't get enough people, he yelled out, anyone with grey hair, and he collared some more. Jane and I went to sit on the bus again and waited for our next place... which was back at the Lowry. We hadn't been able to do this at 5.30am as the megaphone and noise would disturb the residents, but we started this one at 7am, and assembled outside the front of the gallery, and did a lot more milling round and 'freezing' so images could be captured. There were more barked instructions, and some people were moved as they had too many tattoos or were too tanned. During this installation, we were asked to bend over, similar to how some of the Lowry figures are hunched over, and someone farted loudly which caused an eruption of laughter. We were so glad to get back in as it was very very cold.
It wasn't long before we were once again taken out to the buses and coaches, and we were taken to Manchester Airport to a hangar near the plane spotters car park. The first group to be asked in were the over 45s, and the rest of us waited. Then it was our turn, and we went into the hangar... where Concorde was on show! We were moved into position under the aeroplane and had to squash up quite close.
Then were were taken to the Manchester City ground car park in front of two huge gasometers (gas holders) and Spencer divided us up into about 6 or 7 groups and got us to gather together in those groups, facing in different directions and sometimes bent over. The group I was in was right at the back this time. Then he asked for all the women to go to the double decker buses which had parked in front of some trees, and he got all the women to stand in the windows, I think with just their bottoms showing. However, I was back in the coach at the other end of the car park and wasn't paying much attention. I'll wait for the photos!
The photos that Tunick took today will form an exhibition called Everyday People, which will be on show at The Lowry from June 12th til September 26th. This is kind of lucky as the Manchester World Naked Bike Ride is on the 11th in the evening and I think I'll stay over and go to the opening of the exhibition the next day.
We were taken back to the Lowry, arriving just before 11am.. I went to get washed and dressed, said goodbye to Lorna and her entourage, and walked over to the tram stop to go back to Piccadilly, where I was due to meet Laura at midday. Suddenly Jane drove up and asked Tony and myself if we'd like a lift into the City. We accepted and she dropped us right next to the station. So we were a bit early there, and I decided to have a go at sending a text message to Gill... she had lent me her old phone and taught me how to send a text, so I sent her one saying all was well. I texted Laura too, telling her that I was at the station.
She appeared quite soon, and all three of us walked down to the 'gay village' area where Laura likes a particular eatery, called Via. But it was shut, so we went next door and had a pizza for lunch.
Then we parted company from Tony and Laura took me to find a couple of her favourite shops, both of which were shut. But much to Laura's delight (but not mine!), Primark was open, and she bought I don't know how many tops there for £4 each. We then went for a coffee. We decided to go back to the Canal St area as it's got a lot going on... and there was a gay line dancing thing in the street, and Laura joined in which was great to watch. She isn't afraid to have a go, despite not knowing the moves perfectly. After a bit of sitting and watching and chatting to a friendly old gent, I got my devilsticks out and joined in the spectacle... line dancing in front of the pub and just along the road there was space for me to spin my sticks. I really enjoyed this.
But time was moving on and I told Laura that I'd have to go. She tried to persuade me to go back to her house in Warrington to meet her family, but I declined as I too have a family to go home to, so we walked up to Piccadilly together, and there was a train waiting for me with 5 minutes to spare before going all the way to York. I did some pumpkin seeds on the train, which I'd brought with me just in case there was any spare time. But somewhere along the route a nice chap got on who was doing a MSc in hydrology and we talked about conserving water, droughts, floods, peat bogs and green roofs until Leeds where he got off. I was soon in York, soon home by bike (with a pallet in tow!) and after tea I had an hour in bed before getting up to do my blog and sort emails. Up til 2am.
Saturday, 1 May 2010
Saturday 1st May 10
Woke feeling a bit excited as later today I'm heading off to Manchester to (hopefully) take part in an art installation by Spencer Tunick.
I had a busy morning outside once I prized myself out of the house, and then went to Country Fresh, and back to light the stove to get bathwater and tidy myself up.
Enjoyed my bath lots.
Just after 5 I cycled a child back to his parents and then came home, had tea and escaped from Dr Who, by listening to Tracey Smith on Internet Radio.
At 8.30, started getting ready to go to the station......
I got to the station in good time and got an open return for £22, and once on the train I had a really interesting chat with a young man whom I'd overtaken on the bike earlier in town, who was heading back to Huddersfield. He was Paul who works for the Tyndall Centre, and was therefore a great person to converse with. We chatted about how to assign carbon allocations to shipping and aviation, which currently doesn't show in any individual country's carbon emissions. What luck to sit with such a knowledgeable guy!
Tony got on the train at Leeds and he immediately inspected Paul's bike as Tony love bikes, as well as being a naturist and keen on participating with the Tunick installation. Paul got off at Huddersfield and Tony and I chatted about organising the York World Naked Bike Ride and several other subjects.
We got into Manchester soon after 11pm, and took the tram to Harbour City which is the nearest Metro stop to The Lowry. There was another guy who got off the tram who looked like he knew where he was going, so I asked him if he was going to the Lowry, and we walked together across a Dutch-looking metal bridge and to The Lowry, which was still open and people were beginning to accumulate inside as it was very cold and windy outside.
I chatted with some of the people in the group we joined, and as we had over 3 hours to kill, did some balloon modelling which went down very well. I worked with a woman called Jane who had previously done some balloon sculpture and she made a couple of animals. She loved the teddy bear I made.
Sometime after midnight we all went outside as the queue had started to develop, and people were getting chairs down from a terrace so they could sit and wait in the queue... as registration wasn't til 3.30am.
I had a busy morning outside once I prized myself out of the house, and then went to Country Fresh, and back to light the stove to get bathwater and tidy myself up.
Enjoyed my bath lots.
Just after 5 I cycled a child back to his parents and then came home, had tea and escaped from Dr Who, by listening to Tracey Smith on Internet Radio.
At 8.30, started getting ready to go to the station......
I got to the station in good time and got an open return for £22, and once on the train I had a really interesting chat with a young man whom I'd overtaken on the bike earlier in town, who was heading back to Huddersfield. He was Paul who works for the Tyndall Centre, and was therefore a great person to converse with. We chatted about how to assign carbon allocations to shipping and aviation, which currently doesn't show in any individual country's carbon emissions. What luck to sit with such a knowledgeable guy!
Tony got on the train at Leeds and he immediately inspected Paul's bike as Tony love bikes, as well as being a naturist and keen on participating with the Tunick installation. Paul got off at Huddersfield and Tony and I chatted about organising the York World Naked Bike Ride and several other subjects.
We got into Manchester soon after 11pm, and took the tram to Harbour City which is the nearest Metro stop to The Lowry. There was another guy who got off the tram who looked like he knew where he was going, so I asked him if he was going to the Lowry, and we walked together across a Dutch-looking metal bridge and to The Lowry, which was still open and people were beginning to accumulate inside as it was very cold and windy outside.
I chatted with some of the people in the group we joined, and as we had over 3 hours to kill, did some balloon modelling which went down very well. I worked with a woman called Jane who had previously done some balloon sculpture and she made a couple of animals. She loved the teddy bear I made.
Sometime after midnight we all went outside as the queue had started to develop, and people were getting chairs down from a terrace so they could sit and wait in the queue... as registration wasn't til 3.30am.
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