The title says it all really for this blog post. In fact, you may as well stop reading now, nip down to your local off license and get a bag of chocolates from the bargain bucket for a quid. But, if indeed you have decided to stay, I’ll explain…

After me and Amber hit Manchester for some theatre research last Monday, we ended up back in the city on Friday, all for the most important purpose of watching Pomona at the Royal Exchange. Jess, another friend from work, had visited a few weeks ago and spoke of how eerie it was, and so I was very pleased to be going along.

Our first stop was Lunya, a Catalan restaurant, bar and deli which has recently opened on one of Manchester’s main streets, Deansgate. My mum and sister had visited a while back and brought me back some alioli, so I thought I’d give it a go and see what their tapas was like…

I was not disappointed! With huge portions and delicious fresh deli produce, I thoroughly enjoyed a selection of lomo, patatas bravas, and gambas píl píl – all washed down with some sangía and churros, of course! The service was great too, and I had an excellent time. We also got 10% off the deli next door, and so naturally I had to go and grab some Pan De Cadiz and salsa brava.

After our delicious meal we headed to the Royal Exchange, picking up our tickets and bracing ourselves for Pomona…

The piece did not disappoint, with a very strong cast putting on an amazing dystopian performance, with fate and horrific crimes melding in a non-chronological chaos. The storyline came to a cusp in a dramatic and excellent example of physical theatre, with the cast dashing around and intertwining on the heptagonal stage, all whilst revealing key details which suddenly linked all the disparate elements of the story.

Between the spookily ebony blackouts and the twists and turns of this wonderfully written piece, I was once again taken aback by the ingenuity of the technicians, stage designers and directors at the Royal Exchange. Every time I watch a performance at the Exchange I am left in awe of the clever ways in which they use the space, and how it’s unique shape and design is maximised to enhance each performance. We’ll be sure to be back later in December to see Into The Woods!

Anyway, back to Burnley I headed, only to jump on a train early on Saturday morning headed back to Leeds! My Saturday in Leeds was first spent house hunting for the final year graphics house, and then heading to my friend Em’s house to celebrate her and Kat’s birthday, both of them ex-housemates from last year.

After a catch up with Em and a poke around her new house, we went on a trip down into her creepy cellar, to where I must return one day with my camera! I managed to snap this photo, though, of one of the eerie rooms in the cellar…

Anyway, after some piñata fun and a whole load of pizza, it was time to amble back down to the good ol’Burley Park train station to head back home. With a delayed train, however, it was a race against time to get the last train back over the border into Lancashire – but after some platform panic, some running through Leeds train station, and a whole lot of relief when I managed to sit down, I was back in Burnley.

There, however, things somehow managed to go quite wrong. On the Sunday morning, I somehow managed to get lost in my home turf when I tried to take a shortcut to work, and ended up stuck behind a huge lake. It was rather pretty, however, and I found a bunch of friendly cows, but I soon had to find my way back to civilisation and get back on track to Burnley Youth Theatre, where I paid the Winter Fayre a visit.

Once I was there I was very happy to see a huge vat of hot mulled fruit punch, and after drinking as much as my wallet would permit, I headed outside where Kat was running a circus skills workshop. I tried my hand at spinning some plates and then some poi, however I ended up with a sore face from falling plates and sore legs from whacking myself with the poi, and so decided to stick to munching down on a steak and ale pie instead. Here’s a photo from before I retreated for a spot of gluttony…

Anyway, and in other news, I have recently had another batch of photos developed from my old analogue camera. Containing photos from our family holiday to Portugal, some from various wanders around my village, and many more, I shall soon be sure to get a few of the best scanned in and uploaded here…

Until then, however, it’s time for another busy week of work which will culminate in the get-in for our Christmas show, Cinderella, on Saturday. For those non-theatre buffs amongst you, a get-in is just a day of set installation, lighting rigging, prop making and generally setting the stage for dress rehearsals – but their main purpose is the excessive consumption of pizza in order to fuel the array of preparations. Something tells me I’m sure to have a good day…

Just today me and my Burnley Youth Theatre colleague, Amber, headed off on the trusty old X43 bus to Manchester to do some visual research for the upcoming branding project at work! The trip was to visit numerous arts organisations in quick succession, picking up some of their promo goods and just getting a general feel for the venues.

First up we visited an old favourite, The Royal Exchange in St. Anne’s Square. I will always adore its beautifully lit neoclassical architecture, huge spaceship-esque theatre in the centre of the huge main space, and generally welcoming yet peaceful atmosphere. I did take my camera along, so here’s a quick photo…

Secondly we visited a decidedly non-theatre venue, Manchester Central Library, however it was very much well worth the visit! The new media lounge and café on the first floor, accessed through the very beautiful new entrance, are a lovely communal space for a quick coffee or to discover something new.

After this, it was time to head down towards the University of Manchester campus to visit the Whitworth Art Gallery, a decidedly less-theatrical but equally creative space. In this beautifully renovated building we found a lovely mix of postmodern and textile arts, as well as a lovely café space and a gift shop which proved just too much to resist buying a few bits and bobs from.

From the art gallery we sauntered through the campus some more until we reached Contact, a rather alternatively designed space! It has to be seen to be believed. We stayed here a while, soaking up the atmosphere and exploring the quirky space, before heading off once more…

From here we decided to go check out a venue which we didn’t plan on having a look around, but one which we were glad that we did! Home, a multi-use theatre, film and arts space just off Oxford Road, proved to be an amazing venue (with amazing coffee to match!)

After a browse around their book shop where I picked up a copy of Creative Review and “The Modernist”, me and Amber sat in the window and enjoyed a lovely coffee break in and soaked up the lovely atmosphere. Visually impressive, the space also had a wealth of activities on offer – check out their programme on their website. We shall be sure to visit the venue again very soon!

Just yesterday, after suffering a mild bout of cabin fever due to my recovery from the 24 sleepless hours of Fright Night, I decided that it looked like a nice day, and so I grabbed my camera (and my dad) for a wander through my pretty home village of Worsthorne.

As cities like Manchester and Leeds suffered under a dense blanket of fog, the misty atmosphere and dulled autumn sun made for perfect conditions for a few lovely photos. Our route took us out of the village and to the tiny neighbouring Elizabethan village of Hurstwood, where we stopped for a recovery brew and a chat with the lovely people at Hurstwood Church. Their tea rooms are open from 1:30pm – 4pm every weekend, and their delicious tea and scones are provided on a donation system. I found that I had better mobile signal in this tiny church just outside a forest than I did in my own house, so I might have to keep nipping on down of a weekend to enjoy some afternoon tea and get some work done!

Anyway, without much further ado, here’s a few of my favourite photos from my little wander. I did also take some on my film camera (which still contains some photos from Germany and Portugal I believe), which I shall be getting developed as soon as I can be bothered to nip into town to get them processed…

Before I leave, I also should note that I haven’t forgotten about my website updates – my travel and photography sections are coming very soon! I just have to find time between the relentless Design Council work and the long countryside walks I have to complete to take my mind off the work…