About 3pm, we struck really lucky. We spotted a pub that looked half decent, and
stopped for a rather late lunch.
My
partner had his reservations, as it did look expensive, but a quick check on
the Google reviews decided it for me –
it was worth taking a chance on. (What did we do before Google? And the pub is called the Spring Brook)
We had a drink, and looked at the lunchtime menu – it ran from 12:00 to 17:00, so we were in luck. I’d already decided that I was going to have the bacon cheese burger.
My partner did the same, only he decided that he wanted his as a double, on the grounds that it was late, and he didn’t really want to try and find somewhere to eat in Warrington before the gig. That struck me as a good idea, so I opted for the same thing.
So, for £13, we had two burgers that needed planning permission, with beer battered onion rings and chips. It was well worth it – the burgers were juicy, the bacon was back bacon and crispy on the edges the way I like it, and mature cheddar.
As luck would have it, we were only a few miles away from our overnight stop in Stretton. I’d taken a chance and booked a B&B –
The School House.
It was only a small B & B – 4 rooms, but boy, did I strike lucky on this one. The rooms are named for different subjects – English, Science, Maths and History – logical I suppose as it was an old school.
We arrived, and were warmly greeted by Garry, who showed us to our room, and advised on the best taxi company to use to take us into Warrington.
He suggested breakfast, and as I hadn’t booked on the grounds that I wasn’t sure if my partner would be interested, we took him up on the offer.
Whilst my partner got the flight bags out of the car, I sorted out the breakfast with Helen, and then made my way to the room.
We’d been given the History room – which was a real surprise. It was really spacious, with plenty of space for the pair of us to hang the t-shirts that we had bought with us.
The towels weren’t the usual mean, thin little scraps that I’ve experienced in UK hotels before – these were big and fluffy – and just right to dry my hair with. And, as an added surprise, there were little bars of soap – perfect if you hadn’t got your own toiletries with you.
We decided to have drink in the local pub before we got ready for the gig, and walked across to the Cat & Lion. From the outside, it looked rather attractive, but looks as they say, can be deceiving…
Given that this pub had a Premier Inn attached to it, I would have expected it to look better. In fact, if I was staying at the Premier Inn, I would be looking for somewhere else to eat. It looked… Tired for want of a politer description.
Thankfully, we’d already eaten, and I had spotted a pool table…. We (or rather I) decided that we could have a couple of games whilst we had a drink (or two)… That didn’t really go to plan, as the “real ale” according to my partner was as gassy as a pint of lager, and the Kraken black rum?
That tasted off as well – it was too sweet, almost as if it had a sweeter spirit added to it. I tried the Lambs Navy rum, thinking that would be better, but that definitely tasted “wrong” to me. Again, it was like someone had put a cheaper spirit in the Lambs bottle.
Needless to say, neither of us were too keen, and we quickly headed back to the B & B to get ready for the gig…
The shower was really good, and made me feel brighter – just ready for the gig. We booked the taxi for 18:00 from the Cat & Lion, as it would be easier for the driver to collect us from there.
Amazingly the driver was early, and we quickly finished our drinks (I was daft and tried another rum – not good) and headed into Warrington.
The driver was really helpful, and told us that the best option to get a cab back to Stretton was to walk to the office – which was a two minute walk away from the Parr Hall.
We got to the Parr Hall, and they weren’t letting anyone in until 19:30 when the doors opened. That meant we had nearly two hours to kill before we could go in.
As we had already eaten, the Italian place that we had been told about was San Lorenzo. The same restaurant chain that is in London, and favoured by the super rich in Kensington….
So, we opted for a bar near by –
Las Ramblas wine and tapas bar. Not the sort of place that I would have normally chosen, but there were quite a few Magnum fans in there, so it made for a reasonable atmosphere.
You could almost see the regulars having a hissy fit at the influx of rock fans, and I heard several snarky comments made about the number of us being in there – as if we lowering the tone of the place. I muttered something about it being a case of “all lace curtains and no knickers” .
It was expensive - £12 for four bottles of beer. Ok – it was Estrella Galicia, but no way was it worth that. But there were some good laughs though with other Magnum fans, and when we saw the queue for the Parr Hall starting to move, we joined it.
I think the Parr Hall missed a good chance to make some serious money – the bars were heaving as we got in, and my partner was a real sweetie – he went and got me a drink, whilst I went to get myself the obligatory (for me) tour t-shirt.
Now I had been somewhat devious, and bought a limited edition vinyl copy of Chase the Dragon – the first Magnum album that my partner bought – and it was the one that got me into the group.
It was an anniversary present – we’ve been together for three years, and I hoped to get it signed by the two original members of the band, when they came down after the gig.. Only to be told that they weren’t planning on doing an appearance after the gig.
Well, I was determined to get Bob Cately and Tony Clarkin to sign it, so kept my plans quiet when I joined my partner in the bar. As luck would have it, my partner went to watch the support act, and I said I was off to the ladies… And off I slipped.
I asked for a favour from one of the band’s support team (who shall remain nameless), but they have my gratitude for the help in getting Bob and Tony’s autograph on the album cover.
So, having had Bob and Tony sign my album, I went back to the bar. My partner was relieved to see me, as he had been worried about me – he didn’t think to look for me in the foyer. Good thing he didn’t otherwise he would have spoilt the surprise….
The look on his face was priceless when he realised what I had managed to do. He was so happy, and decided that he was going to frame the album, as he hadn’t realised that my plan was to get the two original members of the band to sign it for me.
So once I had secured the album back into my bag, it was time to wriggle my way to the front. My partner didn’t expect to get anywhere near the front, but me being small, I decided to see how close I could get…
And the answer? Right at the front – second row to be exact. Being small certainly helps at times, as people were quite happy – I was told by one fan that he didn’t mind me being in front, as he could see over me, and could also take photos over me.
The set list was pretty good as well – again, some songs that I still am not familiar with:
1. Wild Swan
2. Sacred Blood “Divine” Lies
3. Lost On The Road to Eternity
4. Crazy Old Mothers
5. Your Dreams Won’t Die
6. How Far Jerusalem
7. Les Morts Dansant
8. Show Me Your Hands
9. All England’s Eyes
10. Vigilante
11. Don’t Wake The Lion (Too Old To Die Young)
12. The Spirit
You could see that the band were enjoying themselves – the
massive smiles on Al and Tony’s faces were something of a giveaway…
And again, during the guitar solo on Don’t Wake The Lion
(Too Old To Die Young), you could see that Tony was enjoying being the centre
of attention for once…
I think one of my favourite photos is this one:
But this one comes a very close second:
Some of the photos I didn’t realise I’d managed to get such
a clear shot…
But the shots I am most proud of were of the band at the end
of the gig:
And at the end, there’s always something sad about the empty stage….
Such a contrast to the start of the gig – even before the
support band made their appearance:
But it was a good gig. Would I see Magnum again? Yes. The fans are a good bunch, and whilst Magnum might not be fashionable, they put on a good show for those of us who do go, and are willing to sign things – even before they go on stage.
And that, to me is the real difference. They care about their fans, and don’t make you feel like pond scum for asking for something as simple as an autograph. The album won’t be sold – it was a gift to my partner, and it means an awful lot to the pair of us.
Ah well - guess I'd better call this quits - I'm falling asleep.
Back when I get chance.
Karen
You know we're lost on the road to eternity
Nobody's looking and nobody cares
You know we're lost on the road to eternity
Well there's no mercy, no magical prayer
Finally at the End Of the Road to Eternity.
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