#I am in Basel in six and a half hours and I live in the north of Germany

[masonjarsmoments]

Had an Idea for a hurt/comfort fic but then realised how far apart Vienna and Basel actually are and well

[neighbours-kid]

Maypril

Remember when I said I wanted to try and write a blog post for each month? Well, that terribly failed, as you can probably tell. But hey, better late than never, right?

So this is….Maypril, I guess. Or Apmay? Errrr—

Anyway. April and May were sort of stressful, which resulted in me not having the time to conjure up a blog post about each month, and am only now, already half through June, doing so.

April started out pretty neat, though. I spent a long weekend in Lugano with a dear friend, and we had a grand old time even though the weather could have been better. We went to a museum, explored the city for a while, talked shit about some art pieces that could be found everywhere which we found terribly ugly, and had great food. We also met up with one of my twitter friends and hung out with her, which was rather lovely. We had fantastic food that day, and I still catch myself sometimes thinking about it and just nearly melting into a puddle of goo because I remember how fucking incredibly tasty it all was. We also spent a day in Milano, which was also rather lovely, and had some nice evenings in, watching Doctor Who and drinking wine.

After that, I feel like it got kinda hectic. It suddenly dawned on me that it was already April and that by the end of May this term would already be over, which meant that sooner rather than later, my exams would be coming up. So yeah, hectic. I also spent my entire week of holidays working at my friend’s dad’s workplace instead of reading a book I should be reading (or, well, starting to study for the exams in general), and saw a couple of dope movies (most memorably, Shazam! and Avengers: Endgame, both twice).

Naturally, both movies sent me into some, eh, interesting spiralling places. Shazam! made me gush about my dude Zac to everyone who wanted to hear it (maybe the occasional who didn’t want to hear it), but you can read all about in my post about it. Endgame on the other hand….well, I was devastated. I love the movie, I still do, but I also couldn’t think about anything else and just spent my time thinking about the last eleven years and what Marvel, and especially Tony Stark have meant to me. So, I guess you could say, I was in mourning for the rest of April and maybe some of May too.

May absolute upped the ante on the hectic bit. Exams coming up, less time to study, weekends spent reading and re-reading material, cramming information into my brain, hoping that it’d be enough to pass. Especially my English exams this term were critical, since they were of the “have to pass this or else I can’t continue studying English” variety. But, luckily, I passed all of my exams with pretty okay grades.

In May I also went to Fantasy Basel (which, for those who don’t know, a small convention in Switzerland), where I was able to hear John Howe speak about his work, which was rather lovely. I also bought some Iron Man comics that day, and just generally had a grand old time. May also had some great movies in store — Detective Pikachu, The Hustle, and Rocketman — which I all enjoyed greatly and can only recommend to everyone. I also went to see a performance of some of my friends in the department, my friend’s exhibition of her final project at school, and went to the English department’s wonderful summer party, which was just a blast.

And then, on the very last day of May, came finally what I had been anticipating for months: Good Omens. After a four-hour extra session for one of my classes (because we had missed a bit during the semester), I was finally able to hurry home, get all things ready, and cram the six hour-long episodes into my evening before I had to go to bed so I could get up early the next morning for a wedding.

Needless to say, Good Omens has been absolutely perfect and a dream come true. I don’t think I’ve ever loved an adaptation of a book so much. Michael Sheen and David Tennant have given everything into the roles of Aziraphale and Crowley, and have honestly, as I have said so many times since it came out, given me my fucking rights to live. They—and basically everyone involved in making the show—have poured their hearts into this project and it just shows. I love it with all my heart, and—ask all my friends—I can’t fucking shut up about it. It. Is. Magnificent. But, I won’t gush about it here for too long, I want to make a separate post for it at some point, when I’ve finally been able to get my thoughts in order without my general reaction just being AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH !!!!!!

I don’t want to make this much longer than it already is, since it’s already been a while that these things happened. Gonna try my damnedest to not let myself slip again and actually write every month.

Talk to y’all soon. Be good, be kind!

[houseofvans]

Art School | Q&A w/ Andy Kehoe (PA)

We’ve been following the magical and mystical works of Pittsburgh based artist Andy Kehoe for some time, and we’re excited to have him for our latest Art School Q & A.  Through his own unique visual language, Kehoe creates mesmerizingly imaginative and otherworldly places where his mysterious inhabitants venture into mystical interactions with the “awe and grandeur of nature.”  We chatted with this brush wielding wizard on various topics from his upcoming show at Thinkspace gallery, his process of creating some of these resin layered works to how he recently delved into the world of Magic the Gathering!

Photographs courtesy of the artist

Hey Andy, tell us a little about yourself. 

I’m just your typical run of the mill Korean/German/Irish-American trying to survive the mean streets of Pittsburgh with nothing but luscious head of hair, a foolish dream, and a sharp knife that thirsts for the blood of my enemies. 

In non-wise ass terms, I’m an artist that lives and works in Pittsburgh, PA. I share my house/studio with my lovely, awesome wife, Ash, and our insufferable furry children comprised of one dog, Gizmo, and three cats, Gremmy, Sir, and Mia.  

Last year is finally over, what were some of the highlights?  What were your favorite projects or shows?

I had an absolutely insane year of art making in 2016. It started in June with my most recent solo show, Fantastical Romanticism, at Jonathan LeVine Gallery. That was immediately followed by 3 group shows in the Fall. Then came the holidays, which are always a super hectic time for me with print sales and the usual holiday madness. It’s safe to say that 2016 was the busiest year of my life and, though it was very rewarding, I was glad to see it come to an end.

 My LeVine show was definitely a career high point for me. I put so much work into that show so it was great to see it all come together in the end. I wanted the show to be big and super detailed, so that added up to many sleepless nights. And man, was it down to the wire. I had so much going on in the last month and I remember looking at my notes and my crazy person dry erase board thinking, “My god…What have I done? How the holy hell am I going to pull this off?.” After fighting back the urge to violently vomit and weep, I just had to take it step by step and hope for no unforeseen delays. When working on multiple pieces at once, my goal is to get all of them to a point in which I’m comfortable I can finish them in the last month of work. So when a piece is pretty close to completion, I’ll put the piece aside and focus on those that need more attention. Usually, a large majority of the pieces get finished in the process.

 For this show, I had to keep bouncing between pieces and almost all of them needed to be finished in the last few weeks. It was an intricate and chaotic act of juggling to get them all done in time. I’m still unsure of how I actually pulled it off.

Any new and cool places you haven’t shown that you got to show at?

I also got to show some original work in Australia for the first time which was a real highlight. It was a smaller group show at Outré Gallery in Melbourne. I got to share the gallery with the super talented Femke Hiemstra. How cool is that? It seems like I have a surprisingly strong following in Australia. In fact, almost half my print orders these days get shipped to Australia, which is unbelievable. Thanks Australia! My show there sold out and I’m hoping this leads to another bigger show and an eventual journey to Oz.

What a truly insane year for you, so how is 2017 shaping up? I know you mentioned you have a new show at Thinkspace coming up.  What can you tell us about it?

I started 2017 by taking time, collecting my tattered wits, and beginning the process of catching up on every other aspect of my life that I had neglected during the art making fury of 2016. It’s crazy how much of your life will fall behind when you’re deep into the final stages of a show.

Now I’m working out some of my initial concepts and prepping a bunch of panels for the Thinkspace show in September 2017. My last show with Thinkspace was in Miami for the Art Basel fair madness, so this will be my first show at the actual gallery in five years. I’m excited to come visit the LA area again. The show opens on September 30th, so if you’re in the area, stop by!  (We will!)

What’s your process like for creating concepts for your shows?

The beginning of a show is all about trying to wrangle some strange, loose ideas out of the ether and wrestle them into some form of practicality. I spend most of this time with headphones on, staring at a blank, freshly gessoed panel while mulling over those concepts until something starts to form. Seeing the blank space where the painting will be helps me visualize the idea. It’s pretty amazing how deep and detailed your mind can get when you focus and concentrate hard enough. Maybe this could be considered some weird form of meditation. There was a time where I felt pretty guilty about spending a whole day just staring and thinking and jotting down random ideas. Now I know this is a step in the weird process I have for making my work.

Once the paintings start to take shape, I’ll finally reach a point where I can dedicate hours to straight painting. Then it’s on to listening to a whole lot of audio books and podcasts.

How many audio books / podcasts did you burn through for your last show?

For my last show at Jonathan LeVine, I listened to upwards of 20 books in six months. I listen to a smattering of contemporary fiction and nonfiction, but the largest portion of my reading/listening belongs to the Fantasy & Sci-Fi genre. These stories are world building in written form and listening to them never ceases to stoke and inspire my own imagination.

When you are working on your various pieces - do you work on them start to finish or several paintings at a time?  How do you manage it all?

As for my process, I always work on several pieces at once so there is no down time while pieces are drying. The beginning of a show is the toughest part for me. Trying to flesh out a dozen ideas and then plan out the different layers for each individual painting can be overwhelming.

I have a big dry erase board that looks like something your conspiracy theorist uncle would have hidden away in his tool shed in the woods. I use it to keep track of what layer I am working on with each piece, and for little notes about possible techniques and concepts that can be utilized. I also have a sketch book that has my initial concept sketches along with lot of notes. One thing I know about myself is I need to sketch and write ideas down or it’ll likely be lost in the void for all time. When you make a living off of your ideas, it’s of paramount importance to record them when they come. Inspiration can hit at the strangest times.

Knowing the first layer will be coated in resin and set for all eternity can make me a bit hesitant to jump right into a piece. Painting the first stroke is always the hardest thing for me. I’m not sure why there is no much trepidation on my part, but I need enough of a resolved concept before I can jump in. To keep my sanity during the first stages, I’ve learned to keep it kind of loose conceptually and to let the painting form in a more organic way. Many times I paint the background and decide to change the placement or scale of a character, or to alter the original composition completely. Sometimes, when the world starts to build up and materialize, I’ll see something else inhabiting that landscape so I’ll readjust and change the piece accordingly. Some of my favorite paintings come from lending fresh eyes to an incomplete piece and being willing to go a different direction with it. Working with the resin kind of lends itself to that way of thinking, since you have so much time in between each layer. But at the same time you have to make a final decision because, once the resin is poured, there is no going back. That finality can be really daunting, but being forced to make a decision and move on is very helpful for me.

Has your technique with working with resin changed or evolved? 

I am continuously experimenting and evolving that technique. For my most recent work, I started working with less layers and moving toward making my resin pieces less deep. The resin itself has become more of a painting tool for me. The paint effects and textures that I can achieve with the epoxy resin are why I love working with it, more so than the depth effect that initially drew me to it. There is certainly still a great deal of depth in the final product, but I don’t want that to be the primary focus of the work. I’ll still be doing some deep pieces to incorporate sculptural elements but, for the most part, I’ll be treating them more like traditional paintings.

How about traditional painting? Do you still find yourself working w/ oil and acrylic?

Speaking of traditional paintings, I’ve also been getting back into straight oil and acrylic paintings which has been very gratifying. I forgot how much I missed the opportunity to go back and work on the background. It’s been interesting to take all the lessons I’ve learned from working in layers of resin and applying them to a more traditional medium.

In your works, your dreamy and magical environments are very much characters themselves.  What aspect do the landscapes / dreamy realms play in your paintings and/or in your imaginary worlds?

The world itself is, in many ways, the most important aspect of my work and what I think about the most on a day to day basis. The awe and grandeur of nature is a prevalent theme for me and one of my greatest inspirations. Because I work in resin layers and work back to front, the vast majority of my pieces naturally start with the background. These nascent steps into the environment are the first thing I have to plan out and are the first elements of the piece to get fleshed out. The development of the initial background layer effects the direction of the entire piece.

There is a symbiotic relationship between the characters and the environment. The characters tend to be products of their environment and many times the environment is physically part of the character. This is sometimes apparent in the patterns of the clothes they are wear or maybe by the surrounding fauna actually growing on them. This harmony is an overarching theme for me, but a lot of that also has to do with the technical process of making the piece. As the world builds, the characters enter and evolve with the painting and the world gets more and more defined.

What’s something you think people might not know about an artist or mostly about what you do as an artist?

Being an artist and working for yourself is, of course, very gratifying. But, it also has much of the mundanity of running a small business. There is rarely a day when I get to wake up and just be creative and paint all day. I feel like there is a romanticized notion of an artist rolling out of bed, smoking a joint in his/her paint-spattered bathrobe, and being manically creative in the studio all day. While that’s true some days, most of my days are filled with emails (which I was bad about and now I’m getting worse), print shop issues, inventory, book keeping, and general life duties. These are truly mundane tasks, but you need to utilize every tool you can to sustain yourself in this crazy line of work.

What would you say to folks who want to walk down the art path?  'Abandon hope all ye who enter?’ or ‘Jump into the Fire’ ?

Be patient and create as much as you can. It takes a lot of time and a lot creating to come into your own in terms of technique and overall artistic purpose. Seriously, just make work. A lot of work. Making piece after piece is the only true way to refine your vision and help you determine what and why you want to create. Never stop challenging yourself, learn from each piece, and try to carry those lessons forward.

Share your work as much as you can. The internet is a powerful tool and your work can reach parts of the world you would never imagine. My following in Australia didn’t come from a huge exhibition or an article in a major arts publication. It came people seeing and sharing my work on the internet.

Getting the opportunity to showcase your work is usually the hardest and most frustrating part for aspiring artists. There is no set way to do it. So if and when you get that opportunity, make it count and take full advantage. 

Also, don’t let “making it in the art world” be your top motivation for creating.

In terms of art, what are things you admire or appreciate when you go to someone else’s show or view another fellow artists’ pieces?

I’m always drawn to work that is imaginative and genuine. I appreciate attention to detail and an overall care for the work. You can tell when someone really cares for their work and wants it to be the best representation of their particular artistic vision.

Technical prowess and craft is something I admire immensely, and something I strive for myself, but it has to be a whole package of vision and mood. I love work with a sense of mystery that can evoke a feeling of wonder and awe. I want to be able to stare at a piece and get lost in it for a time.

How do you stay balanced with art and non-art activities? 

All of my current non-art activities are intertwined and share a mutual need: A need for actual human interaction. (Besides finally getting to indulge in some long desired interests.)

 It’s easy to get wrapped up in adult shit. Work shit, wife’s school shit, house-work shit, all sorts of errands and shit. Lots of shit nonstop all of the time. When you work in a home studio, your personal life and your work life coexist in the same place. Unsurprisingly, it can all start to melt together and become your whole world. When you go to a day-to-day job, even if you despise some of your coworkers, at least you get to see other people in a different space out there in the real world. My coworkers are a dog and 3 cats. Though they do get up to some crazy things and the studio is full of tantalizing gossip, there is a definite void of human contact. It is always crazy to essentially work alone for months and then get thrown into the chaos of an art opening. Suddenly, I am surrounded by an overwhelming amount of people wanting to ask me about my work. Basically, something needed to change before I became an unsociable recluse.

Definitely can see that, so how do you un-wind after a full studio day? 

After working all day, I typically hang out with friends virtually via video games, but I really needed something tangible. So I started a board game day and got a group of friends to join me at my house and it was marvelous and fun. I love board games. My favorites are Betrayal at House on the Hill, Lords of Waterdeep, and most recently, Scythe.

Then I decided to take it up a notch and start a D&D campaign with those friends. I’ve always wanted to get back into D&D and I figured the best way to do it was to learn the new 5e version, become a DM, and start the whole damn thing myself. One thing about me is when I decide to get into something, I get pretty obsessive and go all in. I spent every second of free time researching it and learning all the rules. I learned to make charts and tables in MS Word and Excel so I could produce a whole laminated quick reference guide binder for all my players. Having a large format printer also came in pretty handy as I was able to make huge maps for the all the places I would be taking them. It turns out having a strange imagination and a deep love of trolling your friends is a good recipe for being a successful DM. Making stories is a lot fun for me and having those stories played out by your creative and somewhat twisted friends is super rewarding… and super hilarious. The tales I could tell of these adventurers and their deeds would make an bugbear blush. I still think of them every once in a while and chuckle to myself. 

Dude I love it, you went deep into gaming.  Last time we emailed, you mentioned you were competing in Magic the Gathering. How did that all come about?

Having friends over for those activities was fine and awesome, but I still wasn’t leaving the comfort of my familiar confines. So, a little over a year ago, I started playing Magic the Gathering and I’ve become a bit obsessed. It’s something I’ve always wanted to explore. I love card games and love the art attached to the game. The gameplay itself involves a lot of strategy and improvisation which I find mentally rewarding. I love that there’s so much personalization when it comes to crafting a deck and people can play it so many different ways.

And, very importantly, it gets me out of the studio and I get to meet new people and have some real human contact outside of my familiar studio/cat world. The Magic community has been very gracious and inviting to am aspiring player such as myself, and I really appreciate that.

Any other non-art activities you’re looking forward too?

I hope to start traveling a bit more in the coming years. My wife Ash has been in school for the last 4 years getting her Doctorate and she graduates this year! Hurray! She will be a nurse practitioner with a much better schedule. She’s had to continue working as a critical care nurse while also completing a massive workload for school, so besides being a total badass, her schedule has been far from flexible. We definitely love to travel and I look forward to our many future adventures together.

What’s the best art related advice you’ve ever gotten? What wisdom can you share with folks?

The best advice I ever got in regards to work was from my Illustration Concepts teacher at Parsons, Jordin Isip. Well, he gave me a lot of good advice over those 2 years, but the one that especially resonated was his advice on building a visual language.

In the Illustration department, every one of us was pretty obsessed with what our unique “style” was, and what would set our work apart from all the other illustrators out there. This is obviously a ubiquitous issue with Illustration students, so Jordin addressed this concern right away.

Right, aspiring artists are still concerned with finding their own style.  What did he say?

Essentially, he told us to not concern ourselves so much with where we’d end up in terms of our style, but to take a little bit from each piece we make and start to build a unique visual language. You start small with letters and words and build up to sentences and paragraphs. Eventually you’ll be speaking your own visual language fluidly with more and more elegance. I think that’s a great way to look at it, and it really worked for me. I still continue to follow that lesson to this day since it’s something that will always continue to evolve and grow.

How about the worse given?

I’ve been wracking my brain over some horrible advice I’ve gotten over the years, and I honestly can’t think of any that really stick out. Even if it’s bad advice, it’s usually well intentioned and not something to take personally. 

Okay, completely switching subjects, what are your FAVORITE Vans?

I love the classic look for the laced and slip ons. Plain with no stripe.

Finally, any last words, shout outs, and/or random words of wisdom?

I just want to thank you guys for reaching out and giving me the chance to spew my nonsense! 

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[ultrasfcb-blog]

Champions League ultimate: Liverpool followers

Champions League ultimate: Liverpool followers

Champions League ultimate: Liverpool followers

Tracy Moore and her 11-year-old son Freddie Elsom are embarking on one other “mum-son journey” following their journey to Basel in 2016

A Champions League ultimate in opposition to Actual Madrid is a reasonably large deal and a few diehard Liverpool followers are keen to do absolutely anything to get there.

From couch-surfing with the locals, to risking your personal honeymoon, and detours by way of Scandinavia – the highway to Kiev is proving to be extra complicated than most anticipated.

BBC Sport spoke to some Reds followers who’re going to extremes to see their workforce play in Ukraine on Saturday.

The Champions League ultimate…through Sweden?

Rameez Tahir is travelling throughout 4 international locations in 4 days with the intention to see Jurgen Klopp’s aspect

Flight costs soared when the ultimate was confirmed. Some followers opted to take direct chartered flights from Liverpool to Kiev. Others, nevertheless, shall be dealing with a a lot lengthier journey…

Rameez Tahir, 22, from Chesham, Buckinghamshire: I’m travelling throughout 4 international locations over 4 days: Sweden, Latvia, Ukraine and Lithuania after which again to London on Monday. Every journey a technique labored out cheaper than the opposite flights to roughly a complete value of £610. Lodging has been free because of the variety individuals of Ukraine opening up their residences as a part of the “Free sofa for Kiev” Fb marketing campaign. I’m additionally fasting for 19 hours a day because of the spiritual month of Ramadan over that interval – like Mo Salah and Sadio Mane.

John Dixon, 39, from Bebington, Wirral: I am leaving on Thursday at 12pm. I am getting the practice to Glasgow from Liverpool Lime St, flying from Glasgow to Palanga in Lithuania, then hiring a automobile to drive to Vilnius airport – about three hours throughout Lithuania. Then we fly from Vilnius to Kiev, touchdown at 9am on Friday. We booked earlier than the Roma second leg so paid £100. We do not return till the Tuesday after the sport as the rest was too pricey. The return is flying through Romania which was fairly easy and was £200 for 3 of us the travelling this route. All of us obtained fortunate within the poll and we’re all 40 within the week earlier than and after the sport. Hopefully we shall be celebrating with title quantity six!

Ricky O’Brien (far left), Danny McLaughlin (left), Luke Montgomery (centre), Neal Thomas (proper) and John Dixon (far proper) are travelling to Kiev in two teams – and are celebrating birthdays alongside the way in which

Tom Whitehead, 22, from Heysham, Lancashire: I am taking eight trains to get from Lancaster to Kiev – through Paris, Frankfurt, Dresden, Wroclaw, Krakow and Lviv. I purchased all of the tickets individually and it got here to round £400 and it is taking 4 days. I am setting off on Tuesday.

Jake Norris, 30, initially from Australia: I am travelling from Hanoi, Vietnam, through two stops in Moscow and Minsk to get to Kiev. It is costing me upwards of £1,500 at this stage. I am residing in Hanoi at current, instructing English. I could not miss the chance to hopefully see Liverpool win quantity six! I’d have flown from wherever on the earth to see this recreation.

‘I’d miss my very own honeymoon’

Steven Thompson will get married to fiancée Rachel Harris the day earlier than the ultimate

Steven Thompson, 33, from Chorley, Lancashire: I get married the day earlier than the ultimate. I paid £1,050 for a return flight that will get again at about 5.30am on Sunday (hopefully), then we go on honeymoon at 9am. The ticket value £140… and doubtlessly one marriage. My fiancée Rachel has recognized about it for months. She’s most likely secretly been hoping we would get knocked out. She says she’s not too bothered however I believe she’d be fairly irritated if I miss my flight on the Sunday morning. The honeymoon is in Australia, so my contingency plan is to get a later flight and meet her there. There is a flight an hour later, or failing that one within the night or subsequent morning that may get me to Brisbane a day after her. Hopefully she does not buy groceries with all of the spends whereas I am not there.

Ryan Stuart, 23, from Wirral: I am in Greece for my sister’s marriage ceremony. I am travelling from Rhodes at 6.40am on Friday 25th to Athens, then I’ve a six-hour wait in Athens. I am then flying to Kiev the place I arrive at 8pm. I am staying over that night time, watching the sport, then I should be at Kiev airport at 8am to fly again to Athens. I’ve obtained to attend one other six hours within the airport, then I’ve to fly to Rhodes and I get again there for 10pm. I am going to then journey the hour and a bit again to Lindos and the marriage is on Wednesday 30th. My sister shouldn’t be glad. We had been joking and singing about going to Kiev for months, not realizing it could really occur. I wished to take the groom and he was all in… she was not. Hopefully the flights aren’t delayed and I get to see the precise marriage ceremony!

‘Solely three out of 5 of us obtained tickets within the poll’

Jake Chesworth and his dad are a part of a gaggle of 5 relations travelling to Kiev – however solely three of them have tickets

With the demand tremendously outweighing the 16,000 tickets Liverpool have been allotted for the ultimate, 1000’s of Reds followers have been left disenchanted. However, ticket or not, many are nonetheless making the journey to Kiev.

Mark Dalton, 51, from Chester: I am leaving Widnes by coach at 9am on Thursday 24th. It is a 1,750-mile journey and features a stop-off in Poznan for 2 and a half hours to vary drivers. I haven’t got a ticket but as I gave mine to my 15-year-old son Matthew. I am nonetheless praying I am going to get one!

Jake Chesworth, 23, from Aberdyfi, Wales: Me, my two youthful brothers, my dad and my uncle are all making the journey over to Kiev. All of it started after we beat Manchester Metropolis. We might been to Basel a few years prior and discovered how tough it was to get low cost flights and lodging to the ultimate. So I took an opportunity and booked flights, trains and lodging for all of us. No free cancellation. We go away on the Wednesday, fly from London Stansted to Warsaw, have a six-hour wait in Warsaw till we catch the in a single day sleeper practice to Kiev. We’re then spending 4 nights in a hostel in Kiev. We go away Kiev on the Monday night time on the in a single day practice to Warsaw and fly to London on the Tuesday. We every paid £120 for the flight, £100 for the practice, and £50 for the hostel, so not unhealthy. The one problem is that solely three out of 5 of us obtained tickets within the poll, so I have been practising my coin toss and rock-paper-scissors abilities ever since!

Luke (far left), Michael (left), Sam (proper) and Anthony (far proper) are travelling with Jake Chesworth to Kiev – however two of the group will, because it stands, miss out on the match

Ivan Mulla, 46, from Liverpool: It has been a nightmare. I am flying from Leeds to Rome then from Rome to Kiev. The return is from Kiev to Ankara after which Ankara to Antalya then Antalya to Leeds. I am assembly my son in Kiev who’s flying from Adelaide. We do not have match tickets as of but however we’re nonetheless hopeful! This behaviour could seem unusual however while you’re born a Pink it is fairly regular.

Louis Lovett, 15, from Crosby, Liverpool: I am travelling from Manchester to Dusseldorf with my dad, earlier than staying the night time in Cologne after which going from Cologne to Kiev. We’re staying in Kiev for 3 days – one and not using a lodge – and haven’t any tickets but! It value £1,400 for us each, which is not the ideally suited state of affairs however the Reds are in one other European Cup ultimate.

‘We’re staying with some Ukrainian lad’

This condominium, the place pupil Victor Kylymar lives, is simply one of many choices for the travelling Reds

With most inns booked up and others charging extortionate charges, some followers have resorted to totally immersing themselves in Ukrainian tradition as a less expensive various…

Neil O’Flynn, 44, from Lincoln: I reside in Lincoln, however I am travelling to London Stansted on Thursday to catch the aircraft to Katowice, then I am getting bus to Krakow the place I’ll keep on Thursday night time. On Friday morning, I am getting the practice to Lviv the place I’ll keep the night time, and on Saturday morning, I am getting the practice to Kiev and can keep the night time with a Ukrainian lad who’s put us up on the night time of the ultimate, which we discovered about by way of a Fb web page arrange for followers struggling to seek out inns. On Sunday morning, I am getting an 11-hour practice again to Krakow and I am staying there in a single day earlier than flying dwelling on Monday to Stansted after which doing the automobile journey again to Lincoln. It value £350 every and there are 4 of us going.

Luis Guillen, 26, from Backyard Grove, California: I am flying from California to Germany then from Germany to Kiev. I spent $1,200 for the flight and $2,600 for a match ticket from Stub Hub. I am renting a room in a flat positioned in Kiev for 5 nights for $200, so it is the costliest journey ever however hopefully it is price it!

Mum and son on tour

One mum is embarking on a “mum and son journey” along with her 11-year-old. The pair have pushed 1000’s of miles to comply with Liverpool, and beforehand travelled to Basel for the 2016 Europa League final between Liverpool and Sevilla.

Tracy Moore, 46, from Dorchester, Dorset: I am selecting my son Freddie up from his college residential journey a bit of early at 1pm, earlier than driving from Poole, in Dorset, to Bristol Airport for a flight to Rzeszow in Poland. From there, we’re taking a bus throughout the border to Lviv in Ukraine. At 6am on Saturday we take a practice to Kiev. The reverse journey on Sunday leads us to Warsaw in Poland and we land again at Bristol on financial institution vacation Monday. We went to all dwelling video games this season, driving 1000’s of miles from our dwelling in Dorset, and ended up with two ultimate tickets which have been given up by a superb fellow Pink who could not organise journey. I shall be without end grateful. It is a correct mum-son journey.

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The Daily Thistle

The Daily Thistle

Monday 8th January 2017

"Madainn Mhath” …Fellow Scot, I hope the day brings joy to you… The start of another week, work for some of us, turning over in bed for the rest.. Me? I treat every week as if it’s work, over the years I built a routine and have just stuck with it, rise at about 3.45am, walk Bella, but not before putting the coffee on.. back and write The Daily Thistle and the Tulip, Shower, prepare food for the family.. and the rest you can imagine, I always thought retirement was different, but it’s not, I’m still at work…

A SEARCH has been launched to find a partner for Scotland’s last elephant after she lost her only companion last year. Mondula, a 45-year-old female, has been left crestfallen by the loss of her enclosure mate Toto. And now her keepers at Blair Drummond Safari Park, near Stirling, are looking all over Europe to find her a new friend. Elephants are like humans in the sense that they need company to thrive in life. Ailsa McCormick, head keeper of the park’s large animals, wants to create something like a retirement home for older elephants. And while Mondula and Toto did not form powerful bonds as they were not related, Ailsa said they were like old women who tolerated - but needed - each other. She said: “When we lost Toto it was a very difficult time for Mondy and all of the staff. “The pair were never what you would exactly call friends because both came from different family groups, but they were together for around 20 years. “It’s not that they did not like each other, just that they did not have the family bonds that elephants form in their herds in the wild.” Toto arrived at the park from Basel Zoo in Switzerland in 1997, while Mondula arrived from Erfurt Zoo in Germany the same year. The third elephant at Blair Drummond, 49-year-old female Estrella, died in 2013. After collapsing in March last year, Toto was put down by keepers to prevent her suffering further. Visitors at the time saw keepers in tears as the decision was made to euthanise the elephant. Ailsa is looking forward to welcoming a new female to Mondula’s enclosure as soon as possible. She said: “It’s something that we’re looking to do and we have had a lot of questions about Mondula being on her own, but it’s something that’s going to take time. “Getting a companion is not going to happen as we, or she, would like - but it is going to happen. “It has to be the right elephant with a temperament that’s compatible with Mondula’s.” In the months since Toto’s death, keepers have put in an extra effort to make sure Mondula did not grow lonely. This included a more stimulating environment for her, and more interaction with the keepers. Ailsa added: “She is doing really well. It has been a big change for her, but she has been really happy with the effort we have put in to helping her adjust.”

TWO YOUNG mountaineers who carried a hypothermic walker to safety have been praised as “heroes” for helping to save his life. The man had climbed Ben Macdui in the Cairngorms - Scotland’s second highest peak - but got into difficulty on his return trip. Rescuers said the two mountaineers passing by, a young man and woman who are a couple, found the walker “in a bad way”. They then “half-carried” him for two to three kilometres, supporting him to walk until he could no longer bear his own weight. After carrying the walker far enough to get a phone signal, they called mountain rescuers. Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team (CMRT) said: “CMRT and Glenmore Lodge instructors were flown to the area close to the casualty, thanks to SAR Helicopter R951 flying in poor weather. “After immediate treatment, the casualty was assisted to the waiting helicopter and evacuated.” The man was initially warmed on the hill and then further warmed up and fed at the mountain rescue team’s base. CMRT team leader Willie Anderson said the incident was a great example of mountaineers helping each other.

AN ABERDEEN FAN has been jailed for six months after displaying aggressive and violent behaviour towards a rival supporter ahead of the Scottish League Cup final. Kevin Goffin, 35, was arrested at Glasgow Central station on Sunday 27 November ahead of the match between Aberdeen and Celtic at Hampden Park. British Transport Police (BTP) said officers were made aware of a man acting aggressively on the station concourse just before 2pm. Goffin then “acted inappropriately” towards a Celtic fan at the station’s Marks & Spencer store and became “increasingly hostile” when approached by BTP officers. He launched a “torrent of homophobic, intimidating and violent abuse” towards officers which continued all the way to police custody. Goffin, whose address was listed as Kincorth Circle, Aberdeen, pleaded guilty at Glasgow Sheriff Court on Wednesday to one count contrary to the Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications Acts. As well as being jailed, Goffin was given a three-year football banning order. Sergeant Michael McEwan said: “Threatening or abusive behaviour will simply not be tolerated and I am pleased that this man has been handed a prison sentence.

A NEW ROAD BRIDGE across the river Tay has the potential to ease traffic congestion in Perth and boost employment, councillors were told yesterday. The £113 million Cross Tay Link Road will direct vehicles away from the city centre by linking the A93 and the A94 north of Scone to the A9 between Inveralmond and Luncarty. The route of the crossing has been approved by councillors. Picture: Contributed The preferred route for the project was approved unanimously by members of Perth and Kinross Council. A report prepared by the local authority suggested the new bridge would lead to increased productivity and a wave of new homes. Council depute chief executive Jim Valentine noted in the paper “increasing concern” about traffic congestion and air quality issues around Perth over the past 20 years, which are linked to the rising number of vehicles passing through the city. The route has two-thirds of its funding in place, with the remainder tied to the approval of the proposed Tay Cities Deal. The report estimated that for every £1 of capital invested in the new bridge and link road, the completed project would generate an estimated £4.30 of revenue. It added the project could lead to a total of £966m of private sector investment.

AND FINALLY…. A CITY can’t flourish unless built on solid foundations. That’s the guiding belief of a £100 million infrastructure development taking place beneath the streets of Glasgow, a massive undertaking largely unseen by anyone except for a few dozen contractors. The drilling machine has been named Daisy by a school pupil The Shieldhall tunnel is the biggest upgrade to the city’s waste water infrastructure since Victorian times, and the largest project of its kind attempted north of the Border. A state-of-the-art tunnel boring machine is building the tunnel at depths of to 32 metres, or 105 feet, as it travels at speeds of about 30m per day, excavating earth and stone and installing the lining of the tunnel in the form of massive concrete rings. When complete in late 2017, the tunnel will be more than five times as long as the Clyde Tunnel and 4.65m in diameter – big enough to fit a double-decker bus inside. It will be the biggest waste water tunnel in Scotland, with a storage capacity equivalent to 36 Olympic-sized swimming pools. The completed project will allow future housing and office developments to proceed across the Greater Glasgow area by greatly expanding the capacity of the Scottish Water system. Construction of the tunnel in the south-west of the city involves excavating some 250,000 tonnes of material and installing more than 18,000 pre-cast concrete segments, each weighing 2.5 tonnes. Engineers on the project work 12-hour shifts, starting at 7am or 7pm, with the tunnel boring machine working non-stop. The centre of operations for staff is at the Craigton industrial estate, five miles south-west of the city centre. Engineers climb down four flights of metal stairs to the tunnel shaft, a vast industrial cavern which houses a small-gauge railway. The railway transports workers to the tunnel boring machine. On their way, workers pass a small encased wooden carving of Saint Barbara - the patron saint of tunnelers, mounted on a shaft wall to keep silent watch over them in accordance with tunneling tradition.

Well Fellow Scot I hope you enjoyed our look at the news from Scotland this morning…

Our look at Scotland today is a fantastic sunset over the River Lochy at Lochybridge. taken by Colin MacKinnon, from Fort William.

A Sincere Thank You for your company and Thank You for your likes and comments I love them and always try to reply, so please keep them coming, it's always good fun, As is my custom, I will go and get myself another mug of "Colombian" Coffee and wish you a safe Monday 9th January 2017 from my home on the southern coast of Spain, where the blue waters of the Alboran Sea washes the coast of Africa and Europe and the smell of the night blooming jasmine and Honeysuckle fills the air…and a crazy old guy and his dog Bella go out for a walk at 4:00am���on the streets of Estepona…

All good stuff....But remember it’s a dangerous world we live in ….. Be safe out there…

Robert McAngus

[ultrasfcb-blog]

Champions League ultimate: Liverpool followers

Champions League ultimate: Liverpool followers

Champions League ultimate: Liverpool followers

Tracy Moore and her 11-year-old son Freddie Elsom are embarking on one other “mum-son journey” following their journey to Basel in 2016

A Champions League ultimate in opposition to Actual Madrid is a reasonably large deal and a few diehard Liverpool followers are keen to do absolutely anything to get there.

From couch-surfing with the locals, to risking your personal honeymoon, and detours by way of Scandinavia – the highway to Kiev is proving to be extra complicated than most anticipated.

BBC Sport spoke to some Reds followers who’re going to extremes to see their workforce play in Ukraine on Saturday.

The Champions League ultimate…through Sweden?

Rameez Tahir is travelling throughout 4 international locations in 4 days with the intention to see Jurgen Klopp’s aspect

Flight costs soared when the ultimate was confirmed. Some followers opted to take direct chartered flights from Liverpool to Kiev. Others, nevertheless, shall be dealing with a a lot lengthier journey…

Rameez Tahir, 22, from Chesham, Buckinghamshire: I’m travelling throughout 4 international locations over 4 days: Sweden, Latvia, Ukraine and Lithuania after which again to London on Monday. Every journey a technique labored out cheaper than the opposite flights to roughly a complete value of £610. Lodging has been free because of the variety individuals of Ukraine opening up their residences as a part of the “Free sofa for Kiev” Fb marketing campaign. I’m additionally fasting for 19 hours a day because of the spiritual month of Ramadan over that interval – like Mo Salah and Sadio Mane.

John Dixon, 39, from Bebington, Wirral: I am leaving on Thursday at 12pm. I am getting the practice to Glasgow from Liverpool Lime St, flying from Glasgow to Palanga in Lithuania, then hiring a automobile to drive to Vilnius airport – about three hours throughout Lithuania. Then we fly from Vilnius to Kiev, touchdown at 9am on Friday. We booked earlier than the Roma second leg so paid £100. We do not return till the Tuesday after the sport as the rest was too pricey. The return is flying through Romania which was fairly easy and was £200 for 3 of us the travelling this route. All of us obtained fortunate within the poll and we’re all 40 within the week earlier than and after the sport. Hopefully we shall be celebrating with title quantity six!

Ricky O’Brien (far left), Danny McLaughlin (left), Luke Montgomery (centre), Neal Thomas (proper) and John Dixon (far proper) are travelling to Kiev in two teams – and are celebrating birthdays alongside the way in which

Tom Whitehead, 22, from Heysham, Lancashire: I am taking eight trains to get from Lancaster to Kiev – through Paris, Frankfurt, Dresden, Wroclaw, Krakow and Lviv. I purchased all of the tickets individually and it got here to round £400 and it is taking 4 days. I am setting off on Tuesday.

Jake Norris, 30, initially from Australia: I am travelling from Hanoi, Vietnam, through two stops in Moscow and Minsk to get to Kiev. It is costing me upwards of £1,500 at this stage. I am residing in Hanoi at current, instructing English. I could not miss the chance to hopefully see Liverpool win quantity six! I’d have flown from wherever on the earth to see this recreation.

‘I’d miss my very own honeymoon’

Steven Thompson will get married to fiancée Rachel Harris the day earlier than the ultimate

Steven Thompson, 33, from Chorley, Lancashire: I get married the day earlier than the ultimate. I paid £1,050 for a return flight that will get again at about 5.30am on Sunday (hopefully), then we go on honeymoon at 9am. The ticket value £140… and doubtlessly one marriage. My fiancée Rachel has recognized about it for months. She’s most likely secretly been hoping we would get knocked out. She says she’s not too bothered however I believe she’d be fairly irritated if I miss my flight on the Sunday morning. The honeymoon is in Australia, so my contingency plan is to get a later flight and meet her there. There is a flight an hour later, or failing that one within the night or subsequent morning that may get me to Brisbane a day after her. Hopefully she does not buy groceries with all of the spends whereas I am not there.

Ryan Stuart, 23, from Wirral: I am in Greece for my sister’s marriage ceremony. I am travelling from Rhodes at 6.40am on Friday 25th to Athens, then I’ve a six-hour wait in Athens. I am then flying to Kiev the place I arrive at 8pm. I am staying over that night time, watching the sport, then I should be at Kiev airport at 8am to fly again to Athens. I’ve obtained to attend one other six hours within the airport, then I’ve to fly to Rhodes and I get again there for 10pm. I am going to then journey the hour and a bit again to Lindos and the marriage is on Wednesday 30th. My sister shouldn’t be glad. We had been joking and singing about going to Kiev for months, not realizing it could really occur. I wished to take the groom and he was all in… she was not. Hopefully the flights aren’t delayed and I get to see the precise marriage ceremony!

‘Solely three out of 5 of us obtained tickets within the poll’

Jake Chesworth and his dad are a part of a gaggle of 5 relations travelling to Kiev – however solely three of them have tickets

With the demand tremendously outweighing the 16,000 tickets Liverpool have been allotted for the ultimate, 1000’s of Reds followers have been left disenchanted. However, ticket or not, many are nonetheless making the journey to Kiev.

Mark Dalton, 51, from Chester: I am leaving Widnes by coach at 9am on Thursday 24th. It is a 1,750-mile journey and features a stop-off in Poznan for 2 and a half hours to vary drivers. I haven’t got a ticket but as I gave mine to my 15-year-old son Matthew. I am nonetheless praying I am going to get one!

Jake Chesworth, 23, from Aberdyfi, Wales: Me, my two youthful brothers, my dad and my uncle are all making the journey over to Kiev. All of it started after we beat Manchester Metropolis. We might been to Basel a few years prior and discovered how tough it was to get low cost flights and lodging to the ultimate. So I took an opportunity and booked flights, trains and lodging for all of us. No free cancellation. We go away on the Wednesday, fly from London Stansted to Warsaw, have a six-hour wait in Warsaw till we catch the in a single day sleeper practice to Kiev. We’re then spending 4 nights in a hostel in Kiev. We go away Kiev on the Monday night time on the in a single day practice to Warsaw and fly to London on the Tuesday. We every paid £120 for the flight, £100 for the practice, and £50 for the hostel, so not unhealthy. The one problem is that solely three out of 5 of us obtained tickets within the poll, so I have been practising my coin toss and rock-paper-scissors abilities ever since!

Luke (far left), Michael (left), Sam (proper) and Anthony (far proper) are travelling with Jake Chesworth to Kiev – however two of the group will, because it stands, miss out on the match

Ivan Mulla, 46, from Liverpool: It has been a nightmare. I am flying from Leeds to Rome then from Rome to Kiev. The return is from Kiev to Ankara after which Ankara to Antalya then Antalya to Leeds. I am assembly my son in Kiev who’s flying from Adelaide. We do not have match tickets as of but however we’re nonetheless hopeful! This behaviour could seem unusual however while you’re born a Pink it is fairly regular.

Louis Lovett, 15, from Crosby, Liverpool: I am travelling from Manchester to Dusseldorf with my dad, earlier than staying the night time in Cologne after which going from Cologne to Kiev. We’re staying in Kiev for 3 days – one and not using a lodge – and haven’t any tickets but! It value £1,400 for us each, which is not the ideally suited state of affairs however the Reds are in one other European Cup ultimate.

‘We’re staying with some Ukrainian lad’

This condominium, the place pupil Victor Kylymar lives, is simply one of many choices for the travelling Reds

With most inns booked up and others charging extortionate charges, some followers have resorted to totally immersing themselves in Ukrainian tradition as a less expensive various…

Neil O’Flynn, 44, from Lincoln: I reside in Lincoln, however I am travelling to London Stansted on Thursday to catch the aircraft to Katowice, then I am getting bus to Krakow the place I’ll keep on Thursday night time. On Friday morning, I am getting the practice to Lviv the place I’ll keep the night time, and on Saturday morning, I am getting the practice to Kiev and can keep the night time with a Ukrainian lad who’s put us up on the night time of the ultimate, which we discovered about by way of a Fb web page arrange for followers struggling to seek out inns. On Sunday morning, I am getting an 11-hour practice again to Krakow and I am staying there in a single day earlier than flying dwelling on Monday to Stansted after which doing the automobile journey again to Lincoln. It value £350 every and there are 4 of us going.

Luis Guillen, 26, from Backyard Grove, California: I am flying from California to Germany then from Germany to Kiev. I spent $1,200 for the flight and $2,600 for a match ticket from Stub Hub. I am renting a room in a flat positioned in Kiev for 5 nights for $200, so it is the costliest journey ever however hopefully it is price it!

Mum and son on tour

One mum is embarking on a “mum and son journey” along with her 11-year-old. The pair have pushed 1000’s of miles to comply with Liverpool, and beforehand travelled to Basel for the 2016 Europa League final between Liverpool and Sevilla.

Tracy Moore, 46, from Dorchester, Dorset: I am selecting my son Freddie up from his college residential journey a bit of early at 1pm, earlier than driving from Poole, in Dorset, to Bristol Airport for a flight to Rzeszow in Poland. From there, we’re taking a bus throughout the border to Lviv in Ukraine. At 6am on Saturday we take a practice to Kiev. The reverse journey on Sunday leads us to Warsaw in Poland and we land again at Bristol on financial institution vacation Monday. We went to all dwelling video games this season, driving 1000’s of miles from our dwelling in Dorset, and ended up with two ultimate tickets which have been given up by a superb fellow Pink who could not organise journey. I shall be without end grateful. It is a correct mum-son journey.

BBC Sport – Football ultras_FC_Barcelona

ultras FC Barcelona - https://ultrasfcb.com/football/4610/

#Barcelona

[ultrasfcb-blog]

Champions League ultimate: Liverpool followers

Champions League ultimate: Liverpool followers

Champions League ultimate: Liverpool followers

Tracy Moore and her 11-year-old son Freddie Elsom are embarking on one other “mum-son journey” following their journey to Basel in 2016

A Champions League ultimate in opposition to Actual Madrid is a reasonably large deal and a few diehard Liverpool followers are keen to do absolutely anything to get there.

From couch-surfing with the locals, to risking your personal honeymoon, and detours by way of Scandinavia – the highway to Kiev is proving to be extra complicated than most anticipated.

BBC Sport spoke to some Reds followers who’re going to extremes to see their workforce play in Ukraine on Saturday.

The Champions League ultimate…through Sweden?

Rameez Tahir is travelling throughout 4 international locations in 4 days with the intention to see Jurgen Klopp’s aspect

Flight costs soared when the ultimate was confirmed. Some followers opted to take direct chartered flights from Liverpool to Kiev. Others, nevertheless, shall be dealing with a a lot lengthier journey…

Rameez Tahir, 22, from Chesham, Buckinghamshire: I’m travelling throughout 4 international locations over 4 days: Sweden, Latvia, Ukraine and Lithuania after which again to London on Monday. Every journey a technique labored out cheaper than the opposite flights to roughly a complete value of £610. Lodging has been free because of the variety individuals of Ukraine opening up their residences as a part of the “Free sofa for Kiev” Fb marketing campaign. I’m additionally fasting for 19 hours a day because of the spiritual month of Ramadan over that interval – like Mo Salah and Sadio Mane.

John Dixon, 39, from Bebington, Wirral: I am leaving on Thursday at 12pm. I am getting the practice to Glasgow from Liverpool Lime St, flying from Glasgow to Palanga in Lithuania, then hiring a automobile to drive to Vilnius airport – about three hours throughout Lithuania. Then we fly from Vilnius to Kiev, touchdown at 9am on Friday. We booked earlier than the Roma second leg so paid £100. We do not return till the Tuesday after the sport as the rest was too pricey. The return is flying through Romania which was fairly easy and was £200 for 3 of us the travelling this route. All of us obtained fortunate within the poll and we’re all 40 within the week earlier than and after the sport. Hopefully we shall be celebrating with title quantity six!

Ricky O’Brien (far left), Danny McLaughlin (left), Luke Montgomery (centre), Neal Thomas (proper) and John Dixon (far proper) are travelling to Kiev in two teams – and are celebrating birthdays alongside the way in which

Tom Whitehead, 22, from Heysham, Lancashire: I am taking eight trains to get from Lancaster to Kiev – through Paris, Frankfurt, Dresden, Wroclaw, Krakow and Lviv. I purchased all of the tickets individually and it got here to round £400 and it is taking 4 days. I am setting off on Tuesday.

Jake Norris, 30, initially from Australia: I am travelling from Hanoi, Vietnam, through two stops in Moscow and Minsk to get to Kiev. It is costing me upwards of £1,500 at this stage. I am residing in Hanoi at current, instructing English. I could not miss the chance to hopefully see Liverpool win quantity six! I’d have flown from wherever on the earth to see this recreation.

‘I’d miss my very own honeymoon’

Steven Thompson will get married to fiancée Rachel Harris the day earlier than the ultimate

Steven Thompson, 33, from Chorley, Lancashire: I get married the day earlier than the ultimate. I paid £1,050 for a return flight that will get again at about 5.30am on Sunday (hopefully), then we go on honeymoon at 9am. The ticket value £140… and doubtlessly one marriage. My fiancée Rachel has recognized about it for months. She’s most likely secretly been hoping we would get knocked out. She says she’s not too bothered however I believe she’d be fairly irritated if I miss my flight on the Sunday morning. The honeymoon is in Australia, so my contingency plan is to get a later flight and meet her there. There is a flight an hour later, or failing that one within the night or subsequent morning that may get me to Brisbane a day after her. Hopefully she does not buy groceries with all of the spends whereas I am not there.

Ryan Stuart, 23, from Wirral: I am in Greece for my sister’s marriage ceremony. I am travelling from Rhodes at 6.40am on Friday 25th to Athens, then I’ve a six-hour wait in Athens. I am then flying to Kiev the place I arrive at 8pm. I am staying over that night time, watching the sport, then I should be at Kiev airport at 8am to fly again to Athens. I’ve obtained to attend one other six hours within the airport, then I’ve to fly to Rhodes and I get again there for 10pm. I am going to then journey the hour and a bit again to Lindos and the marriage is on Wednesday 30th. My sister shouldn’t be glad. We had been joking and singing about going to Kiev for months, not realizing it could really occur. I wished to take the groom and he was all in… she was not. Hopefully the flights aren’t delayed and I get to see the precise marriage ceremony!

‘Solely three out of 5 of us obtained tickets within the poll’

Jake Chesworth and his dad are a part of a gaggle of 5 relations travelling to Kiev – however solely three of them have tickets

With the demand tremendously outweighing the 16,000 tickets Liverpool have been allotted for the ultimate, 1000’s of Reds followers have been left disenchanted. However, ticket or not, many are nonetheless making the journey to Kiev.

Mark Dalton, 51, from Chester: I am leaving Widnes by coach at 9am on Thursday 24th. It is a 1,750-mile journey and features a stop-off in Poznan for 2 and a half hours to vary drivers. I haven’t got a ticket but as I gave mine to my 15-year-old son Matthew. I am nonetheless praying I am going to get one!

Jake Chesworth, 23, from Aberdyfi, Wales: Me, my two youthful brothers, my dad and my uncle are all making the journey over to Kiev. All of it started after we beat Manchester Metropolis. We might been to Basel a few years prior and discovered how tough it was to get low cost flights and lodging to the ultimate. So I took an opportunity and booked flights, trains and lodging for all of us. No free cancellation. We go away on the Wednesday, fly from London Stansted to Warsaw, have a six-hour wait in Warsaw till we catch the in a single day sleeper practice to Kiev. We’re then spending 4 nights in a hostel in Kiev. We go away Kiev on the Monday night time on the in a single day practice to Warsaw and fly to London on the Tuesday. We every paid £120 for the flight, £100 for the practice, and £50 for the hostel, so not unhealthy. The one problem is that solely three out of 5 of us obtained tickets within the poll, so I have been practising my coin toss and rock-paper-scissors abilities ever since!

Luke (far left), Michael (left), Sam (proper) and Anthony (far proper) are travelling with Jake Chesworth to Kiev – however two of the group will, because it stands, miss out on the match

Ivan Mulla, 46, from Liverpool: It has been a nightmare. I am flying from Leeds to Rome then from Rome to Kiev. The return is from Kiev to Ankara after which Ankara to Antalya then Antalya to Leeds. I am assembly my son in Kiev who’s flying from Adelaide. We do not have match tickets as of but however we’re nonetheless hopeful! This behaviour could seem unusual however while you’re born a Pink it is fairly regular.

Louis Lovett, 15, from Crosby, Liverpool: I am travelling from Manchester to Dusseldorf with my dad, earlier than staying the night time in Cologne after which going from Cologne to Kiev. We’re staying in Kiev for 3 days – one and not using a lodge – and haven’t any tickets but! It value £1,400 for us each, which is not the ideally suited state of affairs however the Reds are in one other European Cup ultimate.

‘We’re staying with some Ukrainian lad’

This condominium, the place pupil Victor Kylymar lives, is simply one of many choices for the travelling Reds

With most inns booked up and others charging extortionate charges, some followers have resorted to totally immersing themselves in Ukrainian tradition as a less expensive various…

Neil O’Flynn, 44, from Lincoln: I reside in Lincoln, however I am travelling to London Stansted on Thursday to catch the aircraft to Katowice, then I am getting bus to Krakow the place I’ll keep on Thursday night time. On Friday morning, I am getting the practice to Lviv the place I’ll keep the night time, and on Saturday morning, I am getting the practice to Kiev and can keep the night time with a Ukrainian lad who’s put us up on the night time of the ultimate, which we discovered about by way of a Fb web page arrange for followers struggling to seek out inns. On Sunday morning, I am getting an 11-hour practice again to Krakow and I am staying there in a single day earlier than flying dwelling on Monday to Stansted after which doing the automobile journey again to Lincoln. It value £350 every and there are 4 of us going.

Luis Guillen, 26, from Backyard Grove, California: I am flying from California to Germany then from Germany to Kiev. I spent $1,200 for the flight and $2,600 for a match ticket from Stub Hub. I am renting a room in a flat positioned in Kiev for 5 nights for $200, so it is the costliest journey ever however hopefully it is price it!

Mum and son on tour

One mum is embarking on a “mum and son journey” along with her 11-year-old. The pair have pushed 1000’s of miles to comply with Liverpool, and beforehand travelled to Basel for the 2016 Europa League final between Liverpool and Sevilla.

Tracy Moore, 46, from Dorchester, Dorset: I am selecting my son Freddie up from his college residential journey a bit of early at 1pm, earlier than driving from Poole, in Dorset, to Bristol Airport for a flight to Rzeszow in Poland. From there, we’re taking a bus throughout the border to Lviv in Ukraine. At 6am on Saturday we take a practice to Kiev. The reverse journey on Sunday leads us to Warsaw in Poland and we land again at Bristol on financial institution vacation Monday. We went to all dwelling video games this season, driving 1000’s of miles from our dwelling in Dorset, and ended up with two ultimate tickets which have been given up by a superb fellow Pink who could not organise journey. I shall be without end grateful. It is a correct mum-son journey.

BBC Sport – Football ultras_FC_Barcelona

ultras FC Barcelona - https://ultrasfcb.com/football/4610/

#Barcelona

[ultrasfcb-blog]

Champions League ultimate: Liverpool followers

Champions League ultimate: Liverpool followers

Champions League ultimate: Liverpool followers

Tracy Moore and her 11-year-old son Freddie Elsom are embarking on one other “mum-son journey” following their journey to Basel in 2016

A Champions League ultimate in opposition to Actual Madrid is a reasonably large deal and a few diehard Liverpool followers are keen to do absolutely anything to get there.

From couch-surfing with the locals, to risking your personal honeymoon, and detours by way of Scandinavia – the highway to Kiev is proving to be extra complicated than most anticipated.

BBC Sport spoke to some Reds followers who’re going to extremes to see their workforce play in Ukraine on Saturday.

The Champions League ultimate…through Sweden?

Rameez Tahir is travelling throughout 4 international locations in 4 days with the intention to see Jurgen Klopp’s aspect

Flight costs soared when the ultimate was confirmed. Some followers opted to take direct chartered flights from Liverpool to Kiev. Others, nevertheless, shall be dealing with a a lot lengthier journey…

Rameez Tahir, 22, from Chesham, Buckinghamshire: I’m travelling throughout 4 international locations over 4 days: Sweden, Latvia, Ukraine and Lithuania after which again to London on Monday. Every journey a technique labored out cheaper than the opposite flights to roughly a complete value of £610. Lodging has been free because of the variety individuals of Ukraine opening up their residences as a part of the “Free sofa for Kiev” Fb marketing campaign. I’m additionally fasting for 19 hours a day because of the spiritual month of Ramadan over that interval – like Mo Salah and Sadio Mane.

John Dixon, 39, from Bebington, Wirral: I am leaving on Thursday at 12pm. I am getting the practice to Glasgow from Liverpool Lime St, flying from Glasgow to Palanga in Lithuania, then hiring a automobile to drive to Vilnius airport – about three hours throughout Lithuania. Then we fly from Vilnius to Kiev, touchdown at 9am on Friday. We booked earlier than the Roma second leg so paid £100. We do not return till the Tuesday after the sport as the rest was too pricey. The return is flying through Romania which was fairly easy and was £200 for 3 of us the travelling this route. All of us obtained fortunate within the poll and we’re all 40 within the week earlier than and after the sport. Hopefully we shall be celebrating with title quantity six!

Ricky O’Brien (far left), Danny McLaughlin (left), Luke Montgomery (centre), Neal Thomas (proper) and John Dixon (far proper) are travelling to Kiev in two teams – and are celebrating birthdays alongside the way in which

Tom Whitehead, 22, from Heysham, Lancashire: I am taking eight trains to get from Lancaster to Kiev – through Paris, Frankfurt, Dresden, Wroclaw, Krakow and Lviv. I purchased all of the tickets individually and it got here to round £400 and it is taking 4 days. I am setting off on Tuesday.

Jake Norris, 30, initially from Australia: I am travelling from Hanoi, Vietnam, through two stops in Moscow and Minsk to get to Kiev. It is costing me upwards of £1,500 at this stage. I am residing in Hanoi at current, instructing English. I could not miss the chance to hopefully see Liverpool win quantity six! I’d have flown from wherever on the earth to see this recreation.

‘I’d miss my very own honeymoon’

Steven Thompson will get married to fiancée Rachel Harris the day earlier than the ultimate

Steven Thompson, 33, from Chorley, Lancashire: I get married the day earlier than the ultimate. I paid £1,050 for a return flight that will get again at about 5.30am on Sunday (hopefully), then we go on honeymoon at 9am. The ticket value £140… and doubtlessly one marriage. My fiancée Rachel has recognized about it for months. She’s most likely secretly been hoping we would get knocked out. She says she’s not too bothered however I believe she’d be fairly irritated if I miss my flight on the Sunday morning. The honeymoon is in Australia, so my contingency plan is to get a later flight and meet her there. There is a flight an hour later, or failing that one within the night or subsequent morning that may get me to Brisbane a day after her. Hopefully she does not buy groceries with all of the spends whereas I am not there.

Ryan Stuart, 23, from Wirral: I am in Greece for my sister’s marriage ceremony. I am travelling from Rhodes at 6.40am on Friday 25th to Athens, then I’ve a six-hour wait in Athens. I am then flying to Kiev the place I arrive at 8pm. I am staying over that night time, watching the sport, then I should be at Kiev airport at 8am to fly again to Athens. I’ve obtained to attend one other six hours within the airport, then I’ve to fly to Rhodes and I get again there for 10pm. I am going to then journey the hour and a bit again to Lindos and the marriage is on Wednesday 30th. My sister shouldn’t be glad. We had been joking and singing about going to Kiev for months, not realizing it could really occur. I wished to take the groom and he was all in… she was not. Hopefully the flights aren’t delayed and I get to see the precise marriage ceremony!

‘Solely three out of 5 of us obtained tickets within the poll’

Jake Chesworth and his dad are a part of a gaggle of 5 relations travelling to Kiev – however solely three of them have tickets

With the demand tremendously outweighing the 16,000 tickets Liverpool have been allotted for the ultimate, 1000’s of Reds followers have been left disenchanted. However, ticket or not, many are nonetheless making the journey to Kiev.

Mark Dalton, 51, from Chester: I am leaving Widnes by coach at 9am on Thursday 24th. It is a 1,750-mile journey and features a stop-off in Poznan for 2 and a half hours to vary drivers. I haven’t got a ticket but as I gave mine to my 15-year-old son Matthew. I am nonetheless praying I am going to get one!

Jake Chesworth, 23, from Aberdyfi, Wales: Me, my two youthful brothers, my dad and my uncle are all making the journey over to Kiev. All of it started after we beat Manchester Metropolis. We might been to Basel a few years prior and discovered how tough it was to get low cost flights and lodging to the ultimate. So I took an opportunity and booked flights, trains and lodging for all of us. No free cancellation. We go away on the Wednesday, fly from London Stansted to Warsaw, have a six-hour wait in Warsaw till we catch the in a single day sleeper practice to Kiev. We’re then spending 4 nights in a hostel in Kiev. We go away Kiev on the Monday night time on the in a single day practice to Warsaw and fly to London on the Tuesday. We every paid £120 for the flight, £100 for the practice, and £50 for the hostel, so not unhealthy. The one problem is that solely three out of 5 of us obtained tickets within the poll, so I have been practising my coin toss and rock-paper-scissors abilities ever since!

Luke (far left), Michael (left), Sam (proper) and Anthony (far proper) are travelling with Jake Chesworth to Kiev – however two of the group will, because it stands, miss out on the match

Ivan Mulla, 46, from Liverpool: It has been a nightmare. I am flying from Leeds to Rome then from Rome to Kiev. The return is from Kiev to Ankara after which Ankara to Antalya then Antalya to Leeds. I am assembly my son in Kiev who’s flying from Adelaide. We do not have match tickets as of but however we’re nonetheless hopeful! This behaviour could seem unusual however while you’re born a Pink it is fairly regular.

Louis Lovett, 15, from Crosby, Liverpool: I am travelling from Manchester to Dusseldorf with my dad, earlier than staying the night time in Cologne after which going from Cologne to Kiev. We’re staying in Kiev for 3 days – one and not using a lodge – and haven’t any tickets but! It value £1,400 for us each, which is not the ideally suited state of affairs however the Reds are in one other European Cup ultimate.

‘We’re staying with some Ukrainian lad’

This condominium, the place pupil Victor Kylymar lives, is simply one of many choices for the travelling Reds

With most inns booked up and others charging extortionate charges, some followers have resorted to totally immersing themselves in Ukrainian tradition as a less expensive various…

Neil O’Flynn, 44, from Lincoln: I reside in Lincoln, however I am travelling to London Stansted on Thursday to catch the aircraft to Katowice, then I am getting bus to Krakow the place I’ll keep on Thursday night time. On Friday morning, I am getting the practice to Lviv the place I’ll keep the night time, and on Saturday morning, I am getting the practice to Kiev and can keep the night time with a Ukrainian lad who’s put us up on the night time of the ultimate, which we discovered about by way of a Fb web page arrange for followers struggling to seek out inns. On Sunday morning, I am getting an 11-hour practice again to Krakow and I am staying there in a single day earlier than flying dwelling on Monday to Stansted after which doing the automobile journey again to Lincoln. It value £350 every and there are 4 of us going.

Luis Guillen, 26, from Backyard Grove, California: I am flying from California to Germany then from Germany to Kiev. I spent $1,200 for the flight and $2,600 for a match ticket from Stub Hub. I am renting a room in a flat positioned in Kiev for 5 nights for $200, so it is the costliest journey ever however hopefully it is price it!

Mum and son on tour

One mum is embarking on a “mum and son journey” along with her 11-year-old. The pair have pushed 1000’s of miles to comply with Liverpool, and beforehand travelled to Basel for the 2016 Europa League final between Liverpool and Sevilla.

Tracy Moore, 46, from Dorchester, Dorset: I am selecting my son Freddie up from his college residential journey a bit of early at 1pm, earlier than driving from Poole, in Dorset, to Bristol Airport for a flight to Rzeszow in Poland. From there, we’re taking a bus throughout the border to Lviv in Ukraine. At 6am on Saturday we take a practice to Kiev. The reverse journey on Sunday leads us to Warsaw in Poland and we land again at Bristol on financial institution vacation Monday. We went to all dwelling video games this season, driving 1000’s of miles from our dwelling in Dorset, and ended up with two ultimate tickets which have been given up by a superb fellow Pink who could not organise journey. I shall be without end grateful. It is a correct mum-son journey.

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Champions League ultimate: Liverpool followers

Champions League ultimate: Liverpool followers

Champions League ultimate: Liverpool followers

Tracy Moore and her 11-year-old son Freddie Elsom are embarking on one other “mum-son journey” following their journey to Basel in 2016

A Champions League ultimate in opposition to Actual Madrid is a reasonably large deal and a few diehard Liverpool followers are keen to do absolutely anything to get there.

From couch-surfing with the locals, to risking your personal honeymoon, and detours by way of Scandinavia – the highway to Kiev is proving to be extra complicated than most anticipated.

BBC Sport spoke to some Reds followers who’re going to extremes to see their workforce play in Ukraine on Saturday.

The Champions League ultimate…through Sweden?

Rameez Tahir is travelling throughout 4 international locations in 4 days with the intention to see Jurgen Klopp’s aspect

Flight costs soared when the ultimate was confirmed. Some followers opted to take direct chartered flights from Liverpool to Kiev. Others, nevertheless, shall be dealing with a a lot lengthier journey…

Rameez Tahir, 22, from Chesham, Buckinghamshire: I’m travelling throughout 4 international locations over 4 days: Sweden, Latvia, Ukraine and Lithuania after which again to London on Monday. Every journey a technique labored out cheaper than the opposite flights to roughly a complete value of £610. Lodging has been free because of the variety individuals of Ukraine opening up their residences as a part of the “Free sofa for Kiev” Fb marketing campaign. I’m additionally fasting for 19 hours a day because of the spiritual month of Ramadan over that interval – like Mo Salah and Sadio Mane.

John Dixon, 39, from Bebington, Wirral: I am leaving on Thursday at 12pm. I am getting the practice to Glasgow from Liverpool Lime St, flying from Glasgow to Palanga in Lithuania, then hiring a automobile to drive to Vilnius airport – about three hours throughout Lithuania. Then we fly from Vilnius to Kiev, touchdown at 9am on Friday. We booked earlier than the Roma second leg so paid £100. We do not return till the Tuesday after the sport as the rest was too pricey. The return is flying through Romania which was fairly easy and was £200 for 3 of us the travelling this route. All of us obtained fortunate within the poll and we’re all 40 within the week earlier than and after the sport. Hopefully we shall be celebrating with title quantity six!

Ricky O’Brien (far left), Danny McLaughlin (left), Luke Montgomery (centre), Neal Thomas (proper) and John Dixon (far proper) are travelling to Kiev in two teams – and are celebrating birthdays alongside the way in which

Tom Whitehead, 22, from Heysham, Lancashire: I am taking eight trains to get from Lancaster to Kiev – through Paris, Frankfurt, Dresden, Wroclaw, Krakow and Lviv. I purchased all of the tickets individually and it got here to round £400 and it is taking 4 days. I am setting off on Tuesday.

Jake Norris, 30, initially from Australia: I am travelling from Hanoi, Vietnam, through two stops in Moscow and Minsk to get to Kiev. It is costing me upwards of £1,500 at this stage. I am residing in Hanoi at current, instructing English. I could not miss the chance to hopefully see Liverpool win quantity six! I’d have flown from wherever on the earth to see this recreation.

‘I’d miss my very own honeymoon’

Steven Thompson will get married to fiancée Rachel Harris the day earlier than the ultimate

Steven Thompson, 33, from Chorley, Lancashire: I get married the day earlier than the ultimate. I paid £1,050 for a return flight that will get again at about 5.30am on Sunday (hopefully), then we go on honeymoon at 9am. The ticket value £140… and doubtlessly one marriage. My fiancée Rachel has recognized about it for months. She’s most likely secretly been hoping we would get knocked out. She says she’s not too bothered however I believe she’d be fairly irritated if I miss my flight on the Sunday morning. The honeymoon is in Australia, so my contingency plan is to get a later flight and meet her there. There is a flight an hour later, or failing that one within the night or subsequent morning that may get me to Brisbane a day after her. Hopefully she does not buy groceries with all of the spends whereas I am not there.

Ryan Stuart, 23, from Wirral: I am in Greece for my sister’s marriage ceremony. I am travelling from Rhodes at 6.40am on Friday 25th to Athens, then I’ve a six-hour wait in Athens. I am then flying to Kiev the place I arrive at 8pm. I am staying over that night time, watching the sport, then I should be at Kiev airport at 8am to fly again to Athens. I’ve obtained to attend one other six hours within the airport, then I’ve to fly to Rhodes and I get again there for 10pm. I am going to then journey the hour and a bit again to Lindos and the marriage is on Wednesday 30th. My sister shouldn’t be glad. We had been joking and singing about going to Kiev for months, not realizing it could really occur. I wished to take the groom and he was all in… she was not. Hopefully the flights aren’t delayed and I get to see the precise marriage ceremony!

‘Solely three out of 5 of us obtained tickets within the poll’

Jake Chesworth and his dad are a part of a gaggle of 5 relations travelling to Kiev – however solely three of them have tickets

With the demand tremendously outweighing the 16,000 tickets Liverpool have been allotted for the ultimate, 1000’s of Reds followers have been left disenchanted. However, ticket or not, many are nonetheless making the journey to Kiev.

Mark Dalton, 51, from Chester: I am leaving Widnes by coach at 9am on Thursday 24th. It is a 1,750-mile journey and features a stop-off in Poznan for 2 and a half hours to vary drivers. I haven’t got a ticket but as I gave mine to my 15-year-old son Matthew. I am nonetheless praying I am going to get one!

Jake Chesworth, 23, from Aberdyfi, Wales: Me, my two youthful brothers, my dad and my uncle are all making the journey over to Kiev. All of it started after we beat Manchester Metropolis. We might been to Basel a few years prior and discovered how tough it was to get low cost flights and lodging to the ultimate. So I took an opportunity and booked flights, trains and lodging for all of us. No free cancellation. We go away on the Wednesday, fly from London Stansted to Warsaw, have a six-hour wait in Warsaw till we catch the in a single day sleeper practice to Kiev. We’re then spending 4 nights in a hostel in Kiev. We go away Kiev on the Monday night time on the in a single day practice to Warsaw and fly to London on the Tuesday. We every paid £120 for the flight, £100 for the practice, and £50 for the hostel, so not unhealthy. The one problem is that solely three out of 5 of us obtained tickets within the poll, so I have been practising my coin toss and rock-paper-scissors abilities ever since!

Luke (far left), Michael (left), Sam (proper) and Anthony (far proper) are travelling with Jake Chesworth to Kiev – however two of the group will, because it stands, miss out on the match

Ivan Mulla, 46, from Liverpool: It has been a nightmare. I am flying from Leeds to Rome then from Rome to Kiev. The return is from Kiev to Ankara after which Ankara to Antalya then Antalya to Leeds. I am assembly my son in Kiev who’s flying from Adelaide. We do not have match tickets as of but however we’re nonetheless hopeful! This behaviour could seem unusual however while you’re born a Pink it is fairly regular.

Louis Lovett, 15, from Crosby, Liverpool: I am travelling from Manchester to Dusseldorf with my dad, earlier than staying the night time in Cologne after which going from Cologne to Kiev. We’re staying in Kiev for 3 days – one and not using a lodge – and haven’t any tickets but! It value £1,400 for us each, which is not the ideally suited state of affairs however the Reds are in one other European Cup ultimate.

‘We’re staying with some Ukrainian lad’

This condominium, the place pupil Victor Kylymar lives, is simply one of many choices for the travelling Reds

With most inns booked up and others charging extortionate charges, some followers have resorted to totally immersing themselves in Ukrainian tradition as a less expensive various…

Neil O’Flynn, 44, from Lincoln: I reside in Lincoln, however I am travelling to London Stansted on Thursday to catch the aircraft to Katowice, then I am getting bus to Krakow the place I’ll keep on Thursday night time. On Friday morning, I am getting the practice to Lviv the place I’ll keep the night time, and on Saturday morning, I am getting the practice to Kiev and can keep the night time with a Ukrainian lad who’s put us up on the night time of the ultimate, which we discovered about by way of a Fb web page arrange for followers struggling to seek out inns. On Sunday morning, I am getting an 11-hour practice again to Krakow and I am staying there in a single day earlier than flying dwelling on Monday to Stansted after which doing the automobile journey again to Lincoln. It value £350 every and there are 4 of us going.

Luis Guillen, 26, from Backyard Grove, California: I am flying from California to Germany then from Germany to Kiev. I spent $1,200 for the flight and $2,600 for a match ticket from Stub Hub. I am renting a room in a flat positioned in Kiev for 5 nights for $200, so it is the costliest journey ever however hopefully it is price it!

Mum and son on tour

One mum is embarking on a “mum and son journey” along with her 11-year-old. The pair have pushed 1000’s of miles to comply with Liverpool, and beforehand travelled to Basel for the 2016 Europa League final between Liverpool and Sevilla.

Tracy Moore, 46, from Dorchester, Dorset: I am selecting my son Freddie up from his college residential journey a bit of early at 1pm, earlier than driving from Poole, in Dorset, to Bristol Airport for a flight to Rzeszow in Poland. From there, we’re taking a bus throughout the border to Lviv in Ukraine. At 6am on Saturday we take a practice to Kiev. The reverse journey on Sunday leads us to Warsaw in Poland and we land again at Bristol on financial institution vacation Monday. We went to all dwelling video games this season, driving 1000’s of miles from our dwelling in Dorset, and ended up with two ultimate tickets which have been given up by a superb fellow Pink who could not organise journey. I shall be without end grateful. It is a correct mum-son journey.

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