Tom’s Blog

Yesterday I went to Formby to enjoy the beautiful weather and also have a quick look at the beautiful red squirel. Fromby is about 30mn from Liverpool. YOu can get there by car or by train. There is a lovely beach with dunes and a pine forest.

As it was such a nice day we decided to leave early to enjoy a nice afternoon on the beach. As soon as we got there it started raining… But it take more than a few drop of rain to stop us. So we decided to aim to the pub to have a drink and wait for the sun to come back.

And our effort paid off! The sun came back and we were able to make our way to the lovely beach. The second set back of the day was the squirel pox that is apparently decimating the red squirel.

Formby beach is fantastic and a great place to go anytime of the year. I have seen people swimming so I am sure it’s possible but the sea might be very very cold!

You can get there by car or train there is a station just 5 mn from the entrance of the site and probably 15mn walk from the beach.

It’s National curry week or National eating Out Week (23-29 November)

This is a yearly charity event that aim to raise fund in a fun way. The perfect opportunity to go out for a meal this week-end.

The website explains it all:

“Help raise much-needed funds for the world’s poor and hungry in a fun, positive way with National Curry Week & National Eating-Out Week 2008. Restaurants, pubs, caterers, schools, gatherings – everyone is welcome.

A week of fun, food and fund-raising to help Oxfam tackle poverty and suffering across South Asia.”

So how does it work? If you visit one of the participating restaurant in Merseyside which are

Hoylake Indira 36 Market Street

Liverpool Coriander 92 St Johns Road, Waterloo ; Mahari 552 Aiburth Road L19

Millon 187-189 Allerton Road, Mossley Hill ; Sultans Palace Victoria Street

If you visit a restaurant that is not participating in National Curry Week, pledge to send £1 per person direct to Oxfam after your meal.

I know, it’s mad why? How would you suddenly decide to start a competition like that?

This is the historical facts behind the competition:

“The idea of the Wife Carrying Competition is Sonkajärvi’s very own and, in spite of its humorous aspects, it has deep roots in the local history. In the late 1800’s there was in the area a brigand called Rosvo-Ronkainen, who is said to have accepted in this troops only those men who proved their worth on a challenging track.”

There are rules and regulations you have to follow, otherwise you might be disqualify:

• The wife to be carried may be your own, the neighbour’s or you may have found her farther afield; she must, however, be over 17 years of age.
• The minimum weight of the wife to be carried is 49 kilos. If it is less than 49 kilos, the wife will be burdened with such a heavy rucksack that the total weight to be carried is 49 kilos.
• All the participants must have fun.
  
• If a contestant drops his wife that couple will be fined 15 seconds per drop.
  The only equipment allowed is a belt worn by the carrier.

The website is interesting to read the organiser recommendation are as follow:

Training:

It is possible to train for the wife carrying competition everywhere in the middle of the daily routines: in the bath, in the super market, in the playground or in the body building centre. The wife carrying is good for your relationship.

Track

The traditional track for the wife carrying consists of sand, forested terrain, a water obstacle and two log hurdles. If your style is “the wife dangling upside down”, you have better to remember that in the water pool the wife’s head is likely to go under the water.

Anyway you can read it all here

If anyone want to join the competition is held in Finland sometime around July.  If you win you will get your wife weight in beers. Alternatively we could organise an Edge Hill version, anyone up for it?

My post about Bath’s Pigs left me with one question where does this all come from? I have come across 3 similar projects in the UK in the last 3 months: the elephants in Norwich, the Superlambananas in Liverpool and the Pigs in Bath. So where does this craze of painting animals come from?  According to my research this started in Zurich in 1986. Lions, animal symbol of the town of Zurich, were painted and then put on display round the city.

In 1998 the idea was re-used this time painting cows by famous artists. Contrary to general believe it was called “Land in Sicht” and not Cow parade. This concept was picked up by an American company and imported to Chicago, they decided to name it the Cow parade. This was hugely successful and the cows have been all around the world. (London 2002, Paris 2006, Sydney 2006…) I believe you must have to pay royalties to use the cow parade concept and it’s probably why we now have pigs, elephants and other animals painted and displayed. Funny isn’t it?

Is edge hill ducks parade next? Go Ducks 2009 would be an  interesting idea and get the uni noticed in the Media. 100 ducks to be decorated by students, partner school etc… Who’s up to run the project? If it goes ahead please send me my duck to the usual address!

Below a selection of the different parade, click on the name to access website.

CowParade

Wuppertal, “Pinguinale” (200 penguins), 2006

Kaiserslautern, “Fishing for Fantasy” (250 fishes), 2001

Berlin, “Buddy Bears in the city, 2002

Austin, Texas, “GuitarTown” (2007)

Munich, “Löwenparade” (500 lions), 2004

Sparrow by Ralf Milde, in Ulm

Tel Aviv, “A Gateway to the World”, 2007

To find out more, here are my sources:

A fan of the cowparade blog

http://www.kingbladudspigs.org/inspiration.html

http://www.mattersofart.com/lead51.html

Did you know that Liverpool is not the only European Capital City of Culture? Now you do, Stavanger in Norway is also European Capital City of Culture for 2008.  Since 2000 there are always 2 capital city of culture every year. The first one being a large European City and the other being a smaller city which will benefit of the title as well. One has to say that I didn’t read anywhere any mention of Stavanger.

Stavanger (115,157  inhabitants) is on the South West coast of Norway. The theme for the year is “open Port” which is perfect for this small town of wooden houses which also include a sardine canning museum. The ambition and vision of the project are completely different and not everyone seems to be pleases with this title.

A video of the grand opening which will help you practice your Norwegian before going there.

http://www1.nrk.no/nett-tv/klipp/327285