I used to go there for student conferences, sometimes three times a year. Highlights include a group of men chasing me and some others down the street one evening, threatening to bash our heads in with the metal bars they were brandishing. We managed to hide under a table in a busy bar where nobody batted an eyelid at the screaming (us) and the shouting and swearing (them). On another occasion, a group of us were accused by the staff at one of the hotels of stealing a six foot high fibre optic Santa figure (in March!) and were subjected to room searches and being woken up throughout the night in an attempt to get a confession. It wasn't us, it wasn't found, the hotel later appeared on the ITV show "Britain's worst...". There was also the time when a staff member at The Winter Gardens, where we used to hold the conferences, told two delegates to stop holding hands because they were both men. Unfortunately, that particular conference was the LGB conference and we organised a sit-in until the venue's duty manager formally apologised to the young men. Good times. Not!
Yeah, but apart from that it was
great!
We were in Blackpool over the weekend for the airshow. Who knew my 10 year old would have a complete meltdown over the noise and have to be taken back to the b&b to hide under the bed?!
Oh dear!
That brings back memories ... Hebden Bridge had a huge fireworks display every year until marauding crowds of young drunks started to spoil it. After one particularly bad year, the organisers decided to stop. Anyway ... way back, when my stepdaughter was about 4, her mum and I decided to take her to the bonfire celebrations. We stood around in a crowd of about 10,000 eager spectators waiting for the firework display to start. Suddenly there was a
'WHOOSH' and a big firework shot up into the air. Even before it exploded above our heads, the screaming started! We could not console the nervous toddler - it freaked her out completely! I had to pick her up and run home with her, close all the windows and curtains, and turn music up loud so she could not hear what was going on across the valley.
The following year, brainbox here had a fantastic idea. Instead of going to the park down in the valley to the bonfire night do, we would walk up to Old Town, way up one of the hillsides overlooking the park and watch the display from a safe distance.
Brilliant!
So ... We stood around up there in a crowd of about 10 eager spectators waiting for the firework display to start. Suddenly there was a
'WHOOSH' and a big firework shot up into the air,
DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF US! Even before it exploded, the screaming started! We could not console the nervous toddler - it freaked her out even more than the year before! I had to pick her up and run with her to safety but there was no chance of getting her back down the hill, so I ran to the nearest pub instead. We had to stay there for 40 minutes until it was safe to venture out again. Even then, there were tense moments as we walked home when household fireworks went off.
The following year ... We got her gran to babysit and went to the display without her!
