Liverpool

An eventful day starting with Hazel feeling ill and then to compound her stress a stupid woman parked her car on out white line so that we couldnt get out. Our train was due at 9:12am and it was now 8:35 and Hazel was seething and wandering the street wringing her hands. Eventually the dozy woman emerged and got an earful from Hazel who by this time was at boiling point. I've never seen her so angry. What made it worse is the fact the woman was totally un-repentent and laughed it off, which made Hazel even more angry. Archie and I hid indoors at this point.
Anyway, eventually we got to the station and got our train. Archie had to walk to college as no time to give him a lift.
The journey was pretty uneventful and didn't take too long. Seemed quite fast infact - the new train probably helped. Hazel was very envious of the comfortable carriages and accoutrements , so unlike the cattle wagons she has to travel in on the Manchester to Chester line.
Thankfully she had calmed down by this time. We had a late breakfast ( slice of toast and tea ) in the Bluecoat cafe. The gallery has been re-furbished but seemed strangley empty and lifeless - the once comfortable and human sized spaces replaced by large,cold and austere spaces that made you want to leave straight away! The nicest rooms were given up to the shop and studios at the back beyond the peaceful courtyard. The latest exhibition didn't help either- some rather depressing paintings and prints by local artists like Adrian Henri etc. based on the novel "Under The Volcano" by the troubled writer Malcolm Lowry.
Time to be cheered up by some Jean Tinguely sculpture at the Tate!

Slightly underwhelming - the show curated by Michael Landy was very thin and contained hardly any large works and very few that were working. Indeed many looked so fragile that they would probably self destruct if plugged into the mains!
Even so it was light relief after the Bluecoat and I enjoyed very much seeing the short film of the "Homage To New York" and the documentary of Michael Landy talking to people who knew Tinguely and witnessed the "Homage To New York" event some 49 years ago.
Hazel was pleased that so many of her students had turned up despite the weather.
Hada nice lunch of soup and roll in the Tate cafe with Nick who teaches on the Interactive Arts course. Expensive but we were hungry and need to rest our weary feet.
Considered walking further to other galleries but we decided two was enough for one day and Hazel was still feeling under the weather.