Manchester!

Well, on Wednesday after college I tootled off to Manchester along with the rest of the back row of my class in maths--four of us in total. We went on the train (eventually!), and we were supposed to be looking round the German market. However, we seort of ended up looking round about a million other shops first... And then we went for tea. Found a really nice Chinese and had duck and chicken in okay sauce--really yummy :D. However, when we went down to the Christmas Market, it was closing :(. It appears that it closes at nine, rather than at ten as we assumed. So we only managed to get a quick look round, although it was rather magical. Everything was lit up, and there was a huge Santa on the roof of the town hall. I did really enjoy it, although I have to admit I was a bit disappointed we'd missed most of the Market. However, I'm probably going again with my family, so that's okay. And it was quite fun looking in posh shops, because my dad would never go in places like that. So it was a good time, and I enjoyed getting to spend time with my friends in maths, because I don't normally see them outside of lessons.

Southport

Was supposed to be going into Preston today with friends from High School, only they couldn't come. Ill and busy revising. So I went to Southport with my parents instead. Had a great time. Spent some of my Christmas money buying books... Well, what do you expect? Three of them are nonfiction though. One on the RAF's history, one on merceneries, and a sociology text book to revise from. Plus the new Young Bond book, By Royal Command. Will let you know what they're like after I read them. Oh, and tell me if this is ridiculous or not: £13 for a paperback book. I wouldn't mind paying that for a hardback, I have done in the past. But for a paperback? That's just a wee bit ridiculous. Mind you, I reckon £8 for a paperback is getting pretty expensive, especially when I'd normally get them from the market or Oxfam books and pay £1-3 for them. Still. I suppose the author has to make a living, and if the shops start taking bigger and bigger cuts for themselves, same with publishers, it's not exactly their fault the prices go up. Anyway, that's me done wittering for now. Going to go do some more work on Nutmeg Angel, since I've kind of decided to add in an extra scene...

Blackburn, and why I hate it...

I hate Blackburn. It's got hardly any good shops, apart from Mercers, which is a really good shop where I can get models and paints and stuff like that, but the mall is really hard to find your way around and I hate it because I always get lost and disorientated. I went on Monday, to get James a new blazer because that's where the only shops you can get uniform for his school (it's not really my school any more) from are. I got stuck there, and managed to get a manky pasty for lunch that I really regretted eating, and I felt ill when I got home.

Southport. One of my favourite places.

We went to Southport on Tuesday, which was pretty good, only mum was feeling a bit tired so she and dad went and sat in a cafe and left me and James to go round the shops together. Kind of fun, but it's better when you're parents are with you. We went to the nice Chinese place for lunch, which was good, and really filling, and then mum was really tired, so we went in the bookshop and dad went to pick up the car and bring it round. Got a book, and now I've found another author I really like, Clive Cussler. It's insane, I keep finding new authors all the time, and my dad reckons my room'll end up sinking part of the house because of all the books in it. Turns out Clive Cussler has written a heck of a lot, which means two things. One, I'll have plenty to read for the next few weeks, and two, I'll probably be needing another new bookcase soon. Trouble is, I have absolutely no idea where it can go. Actually, I can see a spot for a small one, by my desk, and then it'll be on to stack them up over the other books on the shelves, and maybe piles on the floor too.

Preston--How to get lost in your home town!

Yeh. I went into Preston on monday. Walked in, and on the side of the road I was on, there were hardly any pedestrian lights at the traffic lights, and the junction by Holiday Inn is pretty complex, and it was a little interesting, trying to get across without any idea of whether or not cars would be coming my way. I had an experience with a double decker bus, which thankfully didn't come too close, but it was interesting. Preston Council needs to do some proper pedestrian lights, just red and green men, nothing too hard, if they want people to walk rather than drive. I did the stuff I wanted to do in town, and then I was meeting my dad at his workplace and he was going to drive me home. Trouble is, I've never walked to his office before, and I took a wrong turning at the roundabout in front of the university, walked past BT, this was after looking down the other road because I wasn't sure which it was but I thought you could see the sign from the roundabout, but it turns out you can only really see it if you're in a car. Anyway, I texted him to ask if I was supposed to walk past BT. He said no and came and picked me up.
There's a heck of a lot of big 4x4s in Preston, which is what my dad drives now. You only realise that when you're looking for one in particular and you really have absolutely no idea where you are. If I'd gone a bit further along there, I'd have wound up at church, and then I might have been able to find Goss, but it's doubtful.

Trafford Centre

Went to the Trafford Centre today after getting rid of my brother. He went to a friends house and to see a movie. It was ok, but mum got really tired, so we only went in about six or seven shops, and I didn't get what I went for. I did, however, get a 209 piece helicopter model. Feel like finishing off my other model now. Shall finish this first though. Also got the new Cherub book, which I hadn't realised was out, Sleepwalker. It's amazing so far, but then, all the Cherub books are.

Biggles, yay!

Just been to Southport, and I got two Biggles books in the little book store by the Chinese which is really cool. It's the only place in the area I know of where you can get Biggles books, and most of my collection has come from there. I've already read one of the books... The curse of being a fast reader.