Week in Sicily, doing the tourist bit, week in France following the tour by bike, camping in Dorset and a couple of sportives.

I've enjoyed my summer, hardly noticed the rain (really -it only affected me in France and there was plenty of beer and wine to make everything ok)

Was planning on Iceland but re-mortgage means (just) up North to the Highlands again.

Sadbloke, but only in a cyberphysical way. wrote (see)

 Liverpool European city of Culture,

 City of Culture - you're having a laugh ... shelly's, shooting's and scouscers ..... hardly the ingredients for the rebirth of the Renaissance is it ?

hardly the ingredients for the rebirth of the Renaissance is it ?

So how many galleries have you been to in Liverpool?

you can add any amount of art to a place, but at the end of the day, you can't polish a turd.

you can add any amount of art to a place

The point is it wasn't added it's always been there and evolved, I would motion that the more deprived the areas the more creativity will explode from it.. or at least inovative creativity. Anyone who's lived in Liverpool over the last 20 years will know what an vibrant and cultural city it is to live in.

Obviously if you're persuasion is not cultural pursuits then you won't be able to comment as generally the art community is always a little off the beaten track and not a giant blue and orange thing sat on Albert Dock.

It does make me giggle when people who comment on Liverpool Being the City of Culture when asked will be hard pressed to name a single person from the YBA or Abstract Expressionists...but it's ok because 'they know what they like' fucking bunch of proles.

I see where you are coming from Billy, but it's the whole marketing side of things that I find rather ironic, and let's face it equating Liverpool with Culture from a general perspective viewpoint is just asking for trouble.

How do you define cultural anyway - arts/literature/music/number of museums - visits proportionally from the locals to the above? 

I would say that there are probably a lot more cities deserving of that title where the 'culture' extends into the city themselves rather than just a (minute) selection of the local population.

Compare it with Edinburgh for instance, can anyone honestly say that Liverpool is a more 'cultural' place ? 

A city's 'feel' is (to me) defined by it's population and their general outlook/lifestyle - not just having a few exhibitions and Ringo - although to be fair he did indirectly diss the place. 

I also find it Ironic that a cultural Icon in the city the Quiggins centre home for skaters writers goths chavs and rastas general waifs and strays all mingled together to shop in the same shops and sit in the cafe strumming out their next demos etc (I have happy days about that place as a grunge kid moping around smoking weed) is being knocked down for new flats and covent garden style panier market crock of shite.

I too see where you're coming from but I just can't understand why people begrudge liverpool this.

Black Heart Billy* wrote (see)

 but I just can't understand why people begrudge liverpool this.

It's maybe not so much begrudge as, well, consider the following examples:

Glasgow - City of religious Tolerance

Newcastle - City of Rational Football Fans

All cities have a 'cultural' side to them, most just don't go on/brand themselves on it.

I developed a pathological fear of flying last year after two bad flights so it was down to West Cork for me this year.

Great holiday. Started my 7 year old body boarding.

Liverpool, City Of Culture.

Could've been worse folks, it could have been Bratfud, the district I call home.

Well we've got The Alhambra (no, not The Alhambra, that's in Spain, silly; ours is a Theatre), and the National Media Museum, and JB Priestly, and The Brontes (kind of), and David Hockney, and Saltaire, and curry...mustn't forget the curry, best in the world... and a hole in the ground where there used to be a concrete & glass Sixties office block, and where there should by now be a shopping centre...

so remind me again, why did Liverpool win it? The Beatles? Ferry 'cross The Mersey? More Spanish footballers than Barcelona?

Spent the summer (well, from April up to now) moving house from a flat in London to big four bed detached in Derbyshire.  But managed to fit in a month in Zambia as expedition leader for outdoor adventure company.

Never ever done this before and swore we'd never ever do it but over Chrismas and new year we are going on a cruise round Canary Islands mainly because getting away from Christmas bollocks is more important than doing somethingwe're not sure about if that makes sense..