I love Liverpool = Loverpool

I've been meaning to tell you guys about my trip to Liverpool for a couple of weeks! I rather stupidly decided to make my journey on Good Friday, got to the train station to find the platform full of people with big suitcases and groups of drunk men. I got the train at 11am. 

Now I don't know if we have talked about a little thing I like to call 

Train Panic 

but here is what happened next: 
I got on the train along with half the population of Stockton and whilst looking around in panic to find a seat that wasn't reserved I spotted one at a table that was reserved from York to Leeds, facing the right way (I detest going backwards on a train) and it wasn't too close to the loos. Perfect. I threw my bag and coat above the chair and settled down for the first hour of my journey. 

Source: tgnp.me

So the plan in my head was that when the train pulled into York I would get up along with all the people getting off and sit in one of the seats across the aisle and a few rows behind. That way the people getting on at York wouldn't have nabbed these unreserved seats. 

..............

You can probably realise this didn't quite go as planned. I got up and threw my bag and coat into the free seat, Turned back to get my bag from the overhead shelf and a queue had formed behind me. At this point my brain went into meltdown. I would like to point out the logical thing to do at this point would have been to sit down, let the people get off the train and then calmly get up and get my bag. But no, no no. 

Source: Allthetragefaces.com

The bag was only slightly out of my reach so I stepped forward and said to the man blocking my way, 'sorry I just need to get my bag' but then he didn't move, I moved. I tripped on my own foot and fell forwards because there was nowhere for me to put my feet. I then half crushed the man... My face touched his face guys.

I can't even find a picture fitting to this situation so i'm just going to sat it again in a bigger font size. 

My face touched his face. 

At this point you would think i'd just give it up and sit down. But no I still reached over him and about three other people to drag my bag off the shelf almost giving said three people concussion whilst doing so. I honestly think I got drunk off all the alcohol fumes on the train and just lost all real ability to think. 

No one else got on the train at York and I had the entire table to myself all the way to Manchester. 

Source: en.wikipedia.org

So lets move past that, I had such an awesome time in Liverpool. Stayed with one of my bezzie mates Caz... 

Girl makes a mean omelette

Drank copious amounts of wine with the lovely Linda on Friday night and got all caught up in a couple of a years worth of gossip, and ate some lovely deep fried food. We also were drawn into conversation with some VERY drunk Glaswegian men who did not understand a word we were saying.

Stolen from facebook... :P

I let Linda go home eventually and met Caz, who then pulled out the old card tricks, which I must say I found very impressive! AND she gave me her bed which I was very grateful for!!

On the Saturday I met up with Becky a friend of mine (that I love loads) from when we worked together at Waterstones many moons ago. She has the two most beautiful boys I have ever seen in my whole life and we went for Brunch at Brink. I chased her child around for about an hour, cutest ever.

Pre mum Becky

With Permssion, gorgeous children!

Ok I had to put an old photo of you here dude because you're such an awesome mum that ALL your recent photos have children in and I didn't want to put one of those on without permission. It just felt a bit creepy. 

I then dashed from Brink to Leaf to meet my other beauuuuitful friend Angelica for a quick coffee as she was in serious prep mode for going to Prague the following day. We ate cake. It was wonderful (and I don't just mean the cake). 

Angie and Cow. 

Then came Caz and her birthday celebrations! 

Drunk eyes Caz!

Keyring shaped evidence that at the end of the
night we did not look as drunk as we were! 

So there it is. My weekend in Liverpool was amazing. I love the city, I love my friends and Liverpool will always be one of the places I grew up. I love that visiting there is just as much like going home as where I live now. 

The train journey home almost killed me due to the severe need for junk food and no way to get any. Just wanted to end on a realistic note. 

Love, me. 

Have an awesome weekend guys! 

@nataliefurlong

natfurlong.tumblr.com

Blackbeard's Tea Party

Hey guys, I have three blogs up my sleeve for you this week! Sadly they will not be in the order I wanted them to be because technically this one should be last but I just can't wait to tell you about my adventure in York! 

Source: Stolen from Rosie's Facebooook. 

We went to York for my AWESOME friend Laura and her birthday celebrations. 

My friends and I went to see a band called Blackbeard's Tea Party, I genuinely didn't know what to expect. I pretty much had quite a chilled out folk band vibe in my head. I was sooooooo wrong!! If you go onto their website www.blackbeardsteaparty.com. They are described as...

"Funky folk tunes, saucy songs and an infectious stage energy, Blackbeard's Tea Party mix fiddles & squeezeboxes, guitar noise & synth bass, and a feast of international hand percussion to bring you an unforgettable folk-rock extravaganza."

The only thing missing from this description is the word pirate, pirateish or perhaps pirate adjacent but then perhaps this is implied in the bands extremely apt name. Guys watching these perform was like nothing I have seen for a very long time! You can absolutely tell that the entire band love to play and they do a fantastic job of drawing the crowd in and getting everyone involved, it is impossible not to at least bob your head or tap your toes along with everyone else in the crowd, by the end the entire group I was with was joining in and punching the air at every opportunity, infectious stage energy couldn't be a more accurate description.

Source: blackbeardsteaparty.com

At this moment i'd just like to take a second to remind everyone how much I like pirates... and also to say i'm singing the song Chicken on a raft in my head. 

Ay-O Chicken on a raft!

Chicken On a Raft

We saw them at a venue called 'The Duchess' in York, excellently intimate and it completely lends itself to the bands sound, at one point I honestly felt like I was in some sort of secret cave, then out came the sword dancers which very nearly made me lose all sense of reality. It's bands like this and gigs like these that remind me why I love live music so much. Sometimes it's easy to forget what it feels like to be stood with people who are all there for the same reason and all getting caught up in the same moment as you. 

Source: weheartit.com

This band know their stuff, with a sound that I haven't heard before yet seems strangely familiar. They have more instruments than I would even attempt to list and a violinist that could rival any lead guitarist Blackbeard's Tea Party are a must see! If these guys are at a venue near you I implore neigh insist that you go and see them and then message me on here and tell me how excellent my taste is, i'd like that. 

Also buy their new album here! 

http://www.blackbeardsteaparty.com/shop.php

So moving on from the gig portion of the evening, Laura, Ellie, Rosie and I along with a host of Laura's lovely friends danced the night away drinking extremely cheap vodka and free shots. Here's what happened next... 

Rosie and Ellie woop!

...

sexxxxxxxy

Ellie was born to be in the spotlight.

I'm not going to lie to you guys, I respect you too much. We danced to the Spice Girls and David Guetta, we drank too much and ate pizza and then when we finally got into bed we all sat watching videos of goats that scream like humans for about half an hour. 

Fast Forward to 0:24 for the real giggles. 

That's just who we are, a group of bloody fantastic weirdos. Wouldn't change them for the woooorld. 

Love yah don't ah! 

Have an excellent Sunday Evening, I'm going to go now because i'm still hungover and this is making my eyes hurt. 

Love, 

Me. 

@Nataliefurlong

natfurlong.tumblr.com