Leeds

Despite missing our train to leeds by one minuet due to first buses norwich being unreliable and usually shit and being told we couldn't get a refund on our tickets which resulted in me crying and considering going back to bed, Jack and I managed to risk it on the next train an hour later and managed to get all the way on the four haur train journey without our reservations being checked meaning we got away with it. Fuck you national rail. However due to getting an hour train lae, then missing the peterborough connection and having to wait another 40 mins and More than Life pulling out Lonewolves set was earlier than intially planned so we missed them. Toatal bummer! I always get a sense of pride when I see friends bands in my 'home town' plus they are pretty much solid now oh well house show awaits I guess. Seeing as both aformentioned bands were the only ones we wanted to see we didn't even make an apperance at the TDON all dayer. Instead I attempted to give a brief tour of leeds to the defintion of essex that is jack who had never been this north before. We bought Watchmen Tickets for the cinema and waited on tom, apryl, jim and sam. (tom and the rest of the band had decided to pack up after the show and just leave and jim and sam came to hang).

So with us all in tow we headed to Little Toyko: the second part of the leeds tour for jack as I do consider this place as an essential part of living in leeds. This restraunt is beyond amazing and if you ask any vegan where to eat good animal free food they will point you here! If you ask any meat eater for good food they will too point you here. Below is a picture i took last time I was at little t's when me and tom wen before SYG. The decoration is amazing. on the outside it looks like a small dated hole but inside there is bridge of coy carpe with painted muraled walls and bamboo posts and downstairs a massive fish tank where at the night we saw too sting rays mating-whiched caused alot of discussion.

After eating so much food (deep fried sushi buttons AND a tofu steak bento box) and discussing the fact that jack honestly believes Best Wishes is the better Cro mags album (its obviously age of quarell) we headed off to the light to FINALLY see Watchmen which Jack and I were far too giddy about. After about three hours we all came out rather dissapointed which dissapointed me more that I could think that about such a good stroy. To be fair to the film it was very close to the comic which is one of the main critcisms of comic book films and the asethetcis of the film were something to be in awe of. Visually it was perfect with amazing tones and almost creating a comic drawn style within te graphics. However something just wasn't right- some parts were missed which I take into consideration that the comic is very long and three hours is never going to be enough but I think that should of been thought about more. Like alan Moore Says about his comics about making them into movies; "he wouldn't". Even though its quite harsh Mark Kermodes crritque of it says alot of intresting points about the film which is worth taking into consideration especially about the director purely being a fan boy:

After debating about this on the way to car we attempted to head back to my house to see my parents and drink tea. I say attmepted because of leeds' moronic one way system that even confuses a native. Seeing as I don't drive and am usually on a bus or am driven into the city I found it difficult to direct tom in his car around the system-this resulted in me sending him down a one way street! (to my defense we were going in the right direction to my house!)After this we turned around and stuck by a red llight that just NEVER changed. we tried blowing and tricking it by moving back and forth. after what must of been 20 mins feeling more like an hour we finallly left leeds city center and headed to the'historic town' of morley! pronounced moor-li! We spent some time talking to my parents who had waited up to see me, played on the wii to which i beat everone at on boxing inculding jack twice as he attmepted to insert his manilyness, drank tea and ate tiger bread. Carbs are my crack.

The next day we headed back into the city to Hyde park aka LS6 aka the 'party post code' where we met mike for tea/lunch. After getting the cafe wrong and having to walk out after ordering tea we walkeda bit further and went to a cafe i spent alot of days at college in eating cheaps and laying down on the 'hippy' furniture. We ate awesome food and discussed again about best wishes (jack will never live this down). mike, rob and victor left us and we drove back into town againvia the restricting one way system. We parked near the cockpit saw stan's van-said hello to some people then walked around for a bit forgetting on a sunday everything closes at 5 which promited american moans from me and america about how in san francisco we could go to record stores and clothing stores at 10pm and STILL BE OPEN. Dear england get with the times! We went to nandos to be dissapointed again by there lack of vege patties so I decided to take everyone to FRY UPs! again another gem from my past where I use to buy chips after a gig/slam dunk at the cockpit.
We then went at hung at the cockpit seeing as this was the last day we would see the polar bear cubs as on tuesday they flew back to america, as usual alot of amaxing youtube clips were show; meeting these guys I have been introduced to 'wheres the gold at', 'Jones Bigg Ass Truck' and 'I'm on a boat'. All genious in moving image form. We missed the first band on due to eating chocolate and chilling but caught the second band lock and keys who were quite good with a female keyboardist/singer thing. I should mention that the show dint take place in the usual mian two rooms but instead upstairs. Ok so I hadn't been to the cockpit in a long time and I understand things change but the upstrais use to be the place to sit on culb nights and play space invaders with your mate when you didnt want to dance to lost prophets. But it actually makes for quite a good space if not VERY cramped and warm. PBC's set was rad and another cover of ten minuets by the get up kids was played making me very happy and sing along! Its a sucks knowing that I have to wait til may to see them play again as I was so good getting to see them alot. You can see pictures and read a review of the show here. After the set we said or goodbyes and headed off back to mine with intentions of playing more mario kart on the wii, instead all four of us fell asleep on my sofas watching family guy.

The enxt day I packed my stuff- said goodbye to my house again and went to the dentist of all places whilst apryl, jack and tom went to some fry up place in hyde park with stan and everyone. After being late for my apointment and a quick 15 minuet filling- my mouth was very numb and I caught the bus from beeston to meet tom and that so we could drive home. They had picked aaron up after breakfast then me and off we travelled. Cabin fever hit after a while of being in the car and my numb mouth dint help very much as I could feel it but obviously not see it. After an hour or so again discussing the cro mags issue with aaron we played family car games like the celebrity name game. After exhausting all teh Y options of names and with only twenty mins left until home jack decided to make up characters so he could win: 'YACKIE CHAN'. This pretty much ended the game and the trip with us all laughing but defeated.
after getting home me and jack slept ALOT and I attempted to shake my northern accent that I picked up whilst being at home.

Viva the North.
xo