more lessons on the pool

i went to this community theatre production last night outdoors in north liverpool with sam and jo. the north pool is notorious for yobos, hooliganism, crime and other assorted creatures and has been targeted by the capital of culture's *regeneration* projects.

this essentially means that hundreds of people have been evicted from their homes because at some point in the next few years they are going to tear them all down and start over. it also means that these poverty stricken peeps are not going to be able to afford these new homes and will be displaced somewhere else. well, someone decided to write a play about it, and apart from the lag in the plot about three quarters of the way through, it was damn good.

but i guess when you're expecting a huge influx of tourists you use the cash to cover up all of your blemishes. kind of like going on a rash diet or getting plastic surgery before a high school reunion, you want to make an impression.

in a city like liverpool that's got such a horrid rap amongst the rest of britain, i'm starting to understand why so many brits ask me "why liverpool? i mean, of *all* the places you could choose!"

i think the answer to that is familiarity, grit, and quite possibly the warmest welcome i've ever experienced in any city.