First Day of Spring!

Today is the first day of Spring, so I thought I'd change the colour scheme of my blog to something a bit brighter to celebrate that! Unfortunately the weather isn't very spring-like here to day - we have a storm forecast for later today with snow on higher ground! Hopefully the last parting shot of Winter.

Snow Snow Snow - It's Great Being a Panda Cub!

Found these great photos of panda cubs frolicking in the snow, what fun they are having! Makes you realise just how important it is toprotect these adorable animals.

This is a rare treat for these animals being looked after at the Giant Panda Breeding Centre in Wolong National Park, in China's Sichuan province, where 128 of the world's total 1,600 panda population live.

The 500,000-acre reserve, opened in the early 1980s with funding from the World Wildlife Fund, cares for bears born in captivity and those that have become lost or injured in the wild and are unable to survive unaided.

(Daily Mail)

Slainte! It's the Official St Patrick's Day!

Today is the offical St Patrick's Day! Apparently the Catholic Church realised that the March 17th date coincided with the second day of Holy Week which is a key date in the church calendar. Church rules decress that the sanit's feast day does not rank as highly as the Monday before Easter and therefore it had to be moved.

The celebration should have been moved to the next available day in the Church's calendar, April 1, but senior Irish clerics wanted to keep the date as close to international civic celebrations as possible, as they are planned years in advance. The next date it will have to be moved again is 2160.

So, Slainte to the Irish and Ireland and I'll raise a glass to you tonight!

PS Found the photo below on the Net and couldn't resist putting it here!

Update on New Year's Resolution

You may remember I made the standard New Year's resolution this year that many people make - to lose weight. Well, would you believe I've stuck to it and now have lost 17.5 pounds so far! I can hardly believe it myself, I am really motivated this time. I am losing it slowly which is the best way, and I am staying with it. I still treat myslef every now and then and Max is enjoying all his extra long walks! I already feel better for the weight I've lost and I'll stick with this diet for as long as I need to.

Ring My Bell Bono!

Seems U2 have finished recording in Dublin, for now anyway. Bono was out and about today with his other job meeting politicians and representatives of DATA in Berlin. He's like a mischevious boy with that bell!

Bono on Vertigo Radio from Bubblin' Dublin

This is absolutely classic - Bono at his best!

It's buzzin' at HQ

There have been lots of stories coming from the studios at Hanover Quay in Dublin, U2 are in the studio! They have been there at least two weeks and it's said they will be there until the end of this month. With rumours of an album in October/November it's good to see them at work again.

There seem to be fans there from all over the world and Bono, Edge and Larry have been meeting fans regularly. I think Larry is being elusive as I've not read of any stories of people meeting him!

When I read about fans meeting the band like this it makes me realise how lucky U2 fans are to be able to meet them so easily. No burly security men, if you are willing to wait a while you have a good chance of a meeting, getting an autograph and maybe a photo with one of the band. Not many bands of U2's stature would so open and informal with their fans - and you can't get much bigger than U2 in the music world!

I must admit I've been sorely tempted to go over to Dublin myself as I am on holiday from work the week after next. I checked flights and could get to there and back in one day for £20! Luckily, living in the UK means it's easy to do a day trip to Dublin. I'm someone who much of the time is quite sensible, but I do like a bit of spontaneity and madness sometimes so the thought of nipping over appealed to me. But something I read today helped me decide not to go. A fan's report said there were 20 fans at HQ today and I thought, no I don't want to go when there are a lots of fans there, it sometimes can get a bit chaotic then. So, sensible Sue prevailed over spontaneous Sue this time! I'll content myself with reading other fans' stories (which I always love to hear about) and see their photos through the wonderful medium of the Internet.

Writing of photos this funny photo from Hanover Quay has been doing the rounds on the Net, I'm sure he didn't do it on purpose!!!

Charlie Bit Me

This is SO funny, go have a look at it here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OBlgSz8sSM

Spring is Here!

Just come back from a long walk with my dog Max. It's a gorgeous day and it felt good to be in the fresh air and sunshine. Though we may still get some nippy days I know they won't last long, Spring is definitely here and well ahead of itself, as has been normal for the past few years. The cheery daffodils are well out, the first pink blossom blooming, buds on trees and scrubs are ready to burst open and even the grass is growing!

As I walked, I was aware of the birdsong everywhere as they heralded the Spring and started looking for mates. Everything felt so alive and vibrant. I always find this a very optimistic time of year, all about the amazing rebirth of nature and the resultant hope and energy that gives us. We'll get into our gardens again, maybe decorate the house and make plans for our year. So, I think I should go out into the garden and do my first grass mowing of the year!

U23D, Manchester and Vertigo

Friday February 22nd started as usual for me, up early for work, headed to the clinic, saw my patients and did the necessary paperwork. But come lunchtime I left work and moved into another world for a weekend, and boy was I ready for that!

I picked up my friend Dawn from the station and we went for mine for a quick lunch before heading back into the city centre to catch our train to Manchester. Once there we quickly met up with Debbi and that was it, we were all together - let the party begin!

We checked in at the Travelodge in Blackfriars Street, it's seen better days and in need refurbishment, but it was clean, central and cheap so that suited us for our short stay.

Soon afterwards we headed off to Chaophraya, a Thai restaurant I knew which serves fantastic food. It was only 10 minutes walk away and soon we were in our seats. The food was lovely and the service perfect and the bill reasonable, I would recommend the restaurant to anyone visiting Manchester.

I'd checked on the map where the IMAX where we were seeing U23D was and we headed in that direction. We had to travel to Manchester to see the film as the film wasn't playing where we lived. We passed the great Manchester Wheel looking very impressive all lit up in blue and white, it must have been quite a job to erect it as it's not in open ground, there are streets and buildings all around it. Dawn, who is from a small town in Scotland, was marvelling at all the people, shops and lights of the big city, I loved it too, I've always liked the vibe of Manchester.

After a much shorter walk than expected we saw the Printworks ahead, we went in and one of the first things we saw was a stunning photo of Bono in the window of the Hard Rock Cafe, wowee!!! Here's a photo and Debbi and me (doing my Bono impression) beside it, I'm sure female readers especially will appreciate it!

Further into the Printworks there was a U2 tribute band called Rattle and Hum playing. They were ok, but I think that the Scottish tribute band NU2 are much better. Also it was a bit disconcerting to see "Bono" rather overweight and "Larry" looking more Italian than Irish! But their playing added to the U2 atmosphere and our excitement. We couldn't stay long as we had to be a the IMAX so we walked on and in.

The IMAX complex was a confusing place to get around, but we eventually found our way into the right theatre. We sat near the centre two rows from the back. It was quite a large theatre with a huge screen from floor to ceiling, the largest I have ever seen! The seats were very comfortable and there was lots of legroom. The cinema was not that full, maybe a third full I'd say. We had awful goofy 3D glasses to wear, you can see a photo of us wearing them here, not a pretty sight!

By now we were really excited and dead on 9pm the lights went down and U23D started. I'd never been to either an IMAX or a 3D film before so had no idea what to expect. When U2 blasted into Vertigo and on screen it took my breath away. I was on stage with the band, then I was in the audience dodging heads that blocked my view, then I was near enough to Bono to see individual hairs in his stubble..... I've never been that up close and personal to Bono! Being so much part of the concert was a very intense experience I was totally immersed me in the show. I would like to be able to write a balanced, objective review, but it was such an amazing experience that I'm still quite lost for words to describe it, so bear with me!

There was a lot to take in. I loved the aerial shots, especially those above Larry, you got a little glimpse into his hidden world behind the drums, saw his drink, paper hankies and just how hard he works. Watching Edge at work, clearly concentrating deeply. Often dodging Adam's guitar as he swung round and it seemed to loom into your face. I loved seeing the communication between the band , the touches, hugs, even Bono kissing Adam, the bands close friendship is so obvious and I'm sure it plays a big part in their longevity.

Highlights, wow, there were so many, but the top one has to be during Sunday Bloody Sunday when Bono looks into the camera and reaches out with his hand to "wipe your tears away", it was like he was reaching to touch me and I had the urge to reach out and touch his hand. A very personal moment in the film for everyone watching.

Sometimes was lovely, with Bono getting totally lost in it as usual. One of my few complaints about the film was here. This is a very moving and personal song for Bono and there should have been more close ups on his face so the passion and raw emotion he expresses was conveyed to the viewers more strongly.

Love and Peace is very powerful live and this came across perfectly in the film. The thumping drum beats thudding round the theatre, I felt like I was standing beside Bono at times as he beat the drum on the b-stage.

It was good to see the band left in the mistake at the beginning of The Fly, though I'm pretty sure Bono's "What the....." had been somewhat edited!

All during the film the audience was amazing, I can see why they filmed this in South America you couldn't have wished for a more enthusiastic crowd and this added something very special to the film. As I watched it struck me that U2 are another generation to most of the audience (they were a young crowd), they come from a country thousands of miles away and speak another language. But none of that was a barrier, it really shows how U2's music can speak to everyone.

Set List

Vertigo

Beautiful Day

New Year's Day

Sometimes You can't Make it on Your Own

Love and Peace or Else

Sunday Bloody Sunday

Miss Sarajevo

Pride

Where the Streets Have No Name

One

The Fly

With or Without You

Finally, as the titles rolled and hundreds of names drifted past at the end of the film I noticed the dedication from U2 was really nice - and much appreciated! Good to know they value us longtime fans.

"U2 would like to thank the fans, touring personnel and staff, whose long term loyalty, Commitment and support have helped shape who we are today. This film is for you."

It had been very hard not to sing or get up and dance or even just clap during the film and the silence as the lights came up was weird! All in all, it was a fantastic film and will keep us going until we can see U2 live on stage again - hopefully next year.

We were all a bit gobsmacked when we left, but by time we got to our hotel we'd found our voices and chatted, laughed and drank champagne for hours.

February 23rd 2008

Unfortunately Dawn was only staying the one night so Debbi and I saw her off home in the morning. We decided to do a little shopping before going on the Manchester wheel. I wasn't sure about it as I'm not very good with heights if I don't feel safe, but not one to not try something i decided to give it a go. I'm afraid once the wheel got higher than the rooftops of the surrounding buildings my stomach churned and I was hit with vertigo and I spent the rest of the ride with my eyes closed, I was ok then! Deb took photos so i could see what I missed !!

Once safely back on terra firma where did we go? Back to see U23D in the Printworks! Second time round I had the chance to notice other things that I'd missed before and this time and didn't find it as frustrating not to be able to dance and sing! The main thing I noticed this time was that at the very end when the audience were singing and Bono, clearly overcome by their response, he stopped singing and turned the microphone towards the crowd and let them finish the show, it was the perfect thing to do and very fitting. Bono has an inate instinct for things like that.

Later that evening Debbi and I had a meal and seat booked at the Comedy Store. We started on the wine as soon as we got there and were quite merry by time we were taken downstairs for our meal. We were very impressed with the meal, it was excellent, starters and then we both had delicious tender lamb for our main. Afterwards we got a plate of petit fours which rounded it all off very nicely as we waited for the show to start.

Later we were taken into the auditorium and had seats comfortably away from the front. The compare Richard Monkhouse was funny but the first two comedians (can't remember their names)were mediocre to tell the truth. At the interval we went for a wine and decided to leave slightly early and go see U2 3D again! That turned into not going back into the comedy show, finishing our wine and relaxing in the bar, then getting a taxi up to the Printworks. Madness I know, but we were both of the same mind and our preference at that time was to see U23D again rather than go back into the Comedy Store. A bit of spontaneity does you good so off we went into the lively Manchester Saturday night!

We could find our way easily round the IMAX now seeing we'd visited it quite a lot in the past couple of days! We settled into our seats and were blown away for the third time and again picked up new things, it really is a film you need to see more than once. At the end I felt kind of sad, at bit like I do at the end of the last gig I'll see on a tour. This was it for me, not more U23D, but I'm lucky to have been able to see it in an IMAX - three times, so I'm very happy with that. And it was certainly worth the journey and expense, and I'm glad I could share it all with my dear friends Debbi and Dawn, who I know were as impressed as me.

Red Auction at Sotherbys in New York

You can say what you like about Damien Hirst's often controversial art, but you have to commend him and Bono for putting together this auction. It raised an amazing $42 million for the Product RED charity, (all proceeds go to the charity), surpassing estimates by a long way. A combination of Bono's relentless drive and Damien's art contacts (he sent over 100 handwritten letters to other artists asking if they would contribute, 90% did) helped make this auction a massive success.

A short interview, filmed just before the auction, with Bono and Hirst was shown on Good Morning America. Watch the "Dynamic Duo" here:

http://www.u2exit.com/2008/02/bono_on_good_morning_america_-_video.php

18 Days to U23D!

I've been avidly reading the reviews of U23D from America, heard first -hand reports from friends, and they have been, without exception, excellent. This has whetted my appetite even more for the film, but why or why does Europe have to wait an extra month to see it??? Very frustrating and I've heard no explanation as to why either. Ahh well, they say good things are worth waiting for - 18 more days and we'll see if that's true!

With or Without You on a Grey January Morning

I was driving to work in my car earlier this week, the weather was wet and grey and I was still half asleep and weary (I'm not at my best early mornings). Sitting at the traffic lights, watching the windscreen wipers sweep the rain away, we'd just passed what they say is the most depressing day of the year, January 21st, and I thought how much I hated January.

I sighed, reached over and put on the radio. A familiar sound rang out, the opening chords of With or Without You. I put the volume up and the song enveloped me, Bono's oh so familiar soaring voice, Edge's magical guitar that was as versatile as the voice, both melding together perfectly, and Larry and Edge holding it all together.

With or Without You has always been in my U2 top 5. It's over twenty years old yet is as fresh as the day it was first heard. And when it was released it was totally different from anything else at the time. Live it is always stunning and at some concerts it's made me cry, sometimes the song is sung to the audience, sometimes the rest of the band, sometimes Ali, sometimes to Bono sings it for himself. It has so many levels, so many meanings and each of us can take away something different from it.

Though U2 have been a part of my life for twenty four years, sometimes I go for quite a while not listening to their music. Then I'll hear one of their songs on the radio, TV or in a shop and I'll feel that warm familiarity and once again realise just what fantastic songs U2 have written and why I've been a fan for so long. I'll feel moved and inspired by the music once more. That's just what happened that grey morning, the clouds had lifted and by time I got to work the world felt a better place than it had when I pulled up at those traffic lights!

Watch the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEfSnjL0pd8&feature=related

"Craggy Islands Row Over Father Ted"

The headline caught my eye on the BBC news webpage "Craggy islands row over Father Ted". It was about the Father Ted Festival, I'd never heard of it, so was intrigued. The warring islands, Inis Moor and Inis Oirr could have come straight out of one of the Father Ted storylines. I loved Father Ted and the Festival sounds great fun, full of the hilarious, irreverant humour that typified the series - brilliant! My only reservation would be going to the Aran Islands in February ....... brrrrr!


Read about it here http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/6285923.stm

U2 Lineup!

U2 at the premiere of U23D at the Sundance Festival 19th January - I just burst out laughing when I saw this photo, Edge and Larry look a bit shifty! Neat shades though .

U23D A Review

Well, after many emails and phone calls the hotel's booked, travel sorted and tickets bought and now it's just a case of waiting for the 22nd February - that's when my friends Debbi, Dawn and I go to Manchester to see U23D. So far all the reviews I've read have been very positive and they just go to whet the appetite even more! One review especially impressed me and you can read it here.


TheFeed Review:
"U2 3D"
G4-The Feed
January 15, 2008

This morning, The Feed had the opportunity to screen the new concert film U23D, a 3-D movie featuring Irish megastars U2, which comes out in a limited run in theaters on January 23rd. So, we strapped on the glasses and took a look, and here's what we saw. First off, the 3-D was amazing. The technology, developed by 3ality Digital, really took3-D in a whole new direction, giving live action with steadicam, robotic cameras, aerial footage, and visual effects all in three gorgeous dimensions, which is something that filmmakers have yet to be able to accomplish. Until now.

The footage was crisp and clear, well shot and edited, and, under the direction of Catherine Owens, who designed the groundbreaking "ZooTV"tour for U2, and Mark Pellington (Arlington Road, The Mothman Prophecies), was compelling and never dragged for the 85-minute running time of the film. Of the shows, seven of which were filmed to make the movie, all from the How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb Tour, the concept is amazing, with gigantic LCD screens behind the band, allowing for live-action stuff, as well as any number of text and video effects.

Now, about U2 and the music itself. It would be easy to dismiss Bono as a silly, larger-than-life, way-too-occupied-with-himself rock star, such as the recent portrayal of him on South Park. However, if Bono didn't exist, we would have to invent him. That is to say, what is music, or art in general for that matter, without a bleeding, messy heart at its center? Bono is the heart of rock and roll these days, and he knows his part as a showman, a shaman, and a spokesman as well as anyone in the business. That he is able to gather the cojones to be Bono at his most earnest each and every night is an accomplishment in itself.

But let's not discount the fact that the man can still sing, even at his age, almost as well as he did when he was a kid. Whether it's the howling anger of songs like "Sunday, Bloody Sunday," or "Bullet The Blue Sky," or the heartfelt balladry required to muster up "One" or "With Or Without You," it doesn't sound like he's lost a step, musically. In fact, he even pulled off a decent Pavarotti, singing the late tenor's part from the overlooked "Miss Sarajevo," from the critically overlooked Passengers: Original Soundtracks 1 album the band did as an escape from being U2 for a while, back in 1995.

Maybe the best thing about this entire experience is that it brings you close enough to the band for you to realize that being in perhaps the biggest band in the world is actually fun. You get so caught up in the fact that U2 are into heavy subjects that you forget that it's just four guys that enjoy rocking out together, and who really love toplay music. This is easily the best thing about the movie, and it makes you like the band all the more.

As always, The Edge is a searing guitarist, who works one groove, but works it really well, and Larry Mullen, Jr. can pound some skins, and is especially compelling with just a cymbal and a floor tom, out at the most remote outpost of the stage during "Love and Peace." But, also as always, it's Adam Clayton who's the secret weapon in this band, assuming a Clash-like stance and pounding out crushing basslines that make these songs run.

Would we have liked a bit of a different setlist? Yeah. The show was a little heavy on greatest hits and songs you felt like they had to play. However, the movie was only 85 minutes, and we're pretty sure there was at least another hour's worth of material the production team decided to leave out. Still, it's a small gripe.

In the end, you will be impressed with the 3-D, and, if you're inclined at all, with U2 in general. This is a fine, groundbreaking snapshot of a band that's been on top for a long, long time, and still know how to deliver the goods.

© G4 Media, Inc., 2008.

Photos, Memories and De-Cluttering

I have always been an avid photographer and over the years my collection has become massive and crept into more albums, boxes, drawers..... With the New Year I decided to de-clutter and get rid of at least half of them. I started that mammoth task over the weekend and it is on-going.

As I looked through them they brought back all kinds of memories. Some of the first ones were of a school trip we had to Stratford on Avon. Until then I'd thought Shakespeare was boring and went on the trip just to get away with my friends - I'd never been on holiday without my parents. But much to my surprise I sat transfixed in the theatre, as I watched those words come to life so eloquently. All life was there on the stage, laughter, tears, love, treachery, jealousy, magic, poetry, music. That trip gave me more than I would ever have guessed - it opened up the world of great writing and theatre for me, a love I have to this day.

Schoolfriends, and two of them are still close and dear friends, that's special.

Photos, photos, photos. Pictures from my adventurous times when I worked abroad in France and Canada. Looking back I was really brave to go overseas like that alone to work, at the time though it was just something I felt I had to do. Ahh the courage of youth! I'm glad I did do it, now I can look back and say I did do something different with my life in my younger days and not have the "if only" regrets.

More photos. People who have passed away, my mother looking young and very beautiful, dear friends Joan and Ann, taken before their time.

Boyfriends, wonder where they are now?

Lots of photos of U2 on stage and off stage, part of the backdrop to my life for 24 years. And through my interest in them I've travelled far and wide, had many adventures and met people from all over the world. Some have become real friends, people I would never have met if it hadn't been for our mutual love of U2.

Holidays, day trips, pets, friends, family, the backdrop to my life in photos. But one photo stuck out for me. I can't even remember it being taken. It's photo of me and my fellow student nurses taken in 1980 just before we qualified as Staff Nurses. I'm the small one in the front with the tinted glasses and Purdy haircut!

It was quite a poignant photo for me as it marks the beginning of my career as a nurse. And now here I am in 2008 in the year of my (early!) retirement from nursing. The beginning and the end. I was quite surprised that it struck me like that as I am looking forward to retiring. Maybe it's moreso the realisation that a whole generation has passed since the photo was taken, and how quickly life passes by.

Hello 2008 - Here's My Resolution!

Happy New Year to you!

I know it's a bit of a cliche but I'm going to lose weight! I've signed on with Weightwatchers, Thursday is weigh-in day and I am really motivated. I feel stodgy and clothes are tight, and also, being of "middle years" I know it's not good for my health to be overweight. I'll never be slim, never have been, and don't need to be, but I just want to lose a couple of stones and feel better physically. I'll be blogging some updates every now and then.