Lucking out on weather (AGAIN!), Southport was absolutely beautiful. Used in the summer as one of Britain's many resort towns it was full of shops, miles and miles of beach, carnival/amusement parks, water sport facilities, lots of candy and ice cream etc. etc. etc. There was an AMAZING botanic garden park - full of flowers, PEACOCKS, and happiness, haha. I could've spent a whole day there alone! Southport is also know for its golf. There's six courses including the Royal Birkdale. I can only imagine what the place is like in the middle of the summer. Apparently it is also "the Florida of Great Britrain" as the average age is 65 or something along those lines. I tell you, I would live there too if I was retired...or even if I wasn't!
Audrey and Bill
While the majority of my friends came on the homestay, we were all split into houses. Audrey and I DEFINITELY got the best host family though!!! Bill and Pat Bamber were some of the nicest, most welcoming people I have ever met. The majority of the weekend was just spent talking to them...for HOURS. It was a little unnerving at first, but as we learned that they have had over 50 students stay with them, from all over the world so it quickly became comfortable! Both 75, and married for 48 years (originally pen pals, then married ten days after they met! awwwww), with two grown kids, and two grand kids, they had a lot to say! I loved every second of it. While they are both Southport natives, Bill was in the Navy for many years so they had lived all over the world - and therefore had a lot of stories to tell.
Audrey and I so quickly meshed into their everyday life, even though it was only for two days. We watched TV with them (the first time since being home that I have watched a real TV), listened to their favorite country western singer Daniel O'Donnell (and saw Bill dance to it...hilarious), but moreover ATE AMAZING FOOD. Pat grew up in her father's hotel and later opened a restaurant, so she was an AMAZING cook. With three courses for each meal, I knew this was the best I was going to eat for a VERY long time. I could list out everything that we ate but that would be way too depressing now that I'm back sitting in my flat with apples and Special K (although I did write it all down in my journal), so I'll just name a few...and remember...all FROM SCRATCH: Apple pie crumble with vanilla custard, fruit meringues, chocolate rum truffles, mashed potatoes, cabbage, carrots, corn, sage stuffing, roast beef, yorkshire pudding, croissants, CRUMPETS (my new favorite), etc etc etc etc...even that depressed me! I am hungry already...
I would like to point out that I had tea and crumpets for breakfast one morning in an English home. I HAD TEA AND CRUMPETS IN ENGLAND. I loved every second of it. They were SO SO SO good.
The homestay also sponsored a day trip to Liverpool (about 30 mins away) for all of the Arcadia students. With it being the birthplace of the Beatles, as one can imagine, we saw a LOT of Beatles stuff: their story exhibition, Mathew Street, and Cavern Club.
the yellowduckmarine, haha
Liverpool is also the birthplace of the TITANIC, and with it being the 100 year anniversary they had a huge exhibit in the Maritime Museum. It was really interesting since a lot of my previous knowledge of the Titanic was the result of Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. Clearly not the best source. The museum also had so much other info about the sister ships of the time, and the Lusitania tragedy. Upstairs from all of this was the International Slavery Museum. AWFUL. So depressing. Up there with the Anne Frank House and Holocaust Museum. So so so awful. In the limited time we had, we ventured over to the two main cathedrals as well. The Liverpool Cathedral was absolutely MASSIVE, and very classic. The Metropolitan Cathedral, on the other hand, while massive as well, was ROUND. and modern. So weird.
The weekend turned out to be so much better than I initially anticipated! Moving into someone's home, even if only for a few days, is pretty scary - but Bill and Pat were more than amazing. I really wish there was some way to repay them for all they gave Audrey and I, and I just don't mean the material things they gave us, either. I will never forget this weekend!
The Beatles - Something
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