I think my first memory of Leeds is as a boy trainspotter. Oh, I was fearless then. Expeditions to the far flung reaches of West Yorkshire and Merseyside. Apart from the thrill of seeing Inter City 125s in their natural environment (it was all electric in Manchester - although cabbing thyristor controlled loco 87 101 STEPHENSON (and yes, all capitals is important cos all the other 87s had lower case nameplates) at Piccadilly is not to be sniffed at) what I remember most of all is that I'd taken a Pot Noodle (plus ça change) and a flask of hot water but had to ask for a plastic fork from the buffet as I'd forgotten to bring one. It was curry flavour, since you ask.
York is the nearest city to Scarborough and is just under an hour away. Ideal for a post work pop to the comic shop or to see an indie film that won't be on in Scarborough for a bit. But for a proper three shop comic mooch it has to be Leeds.
I've been doing an online British Sign Language course - very handy for someone who works shifts. The tutorials and assessments have taken place over Skype. But the body responsible for the examinations changed the rules so that now you have to meet the tutor in person to be assessed. Since the tutor is based in Bognor Regis this is a bit tricky.
Nevertheless, a grand tour of England was arranged and the nearest the came to Scarborough was - you've guessed it - Leeds. The stage was set for a very pleasant day out.
I didn't want to take any time off work do I asked if I could go in the afternoon. No problem, but this did mean that I was up at 5 and pretty much going on nonstop until the evening. A positive side effect of this was that sleep deprivation, my old friend, worked its magic once again. My mind experienced a near-drunk state of consciousness that eliminated any of the nerves I had been feeling in the run-up.
It all went well - not sure when I get my results but the mood while chatting gave the necessary reassuring signals. In fact, it was pleasing to hold a conversation in (very basic!) sign for a few minutes. I learned the signs for 'Forbidden Planet' and let them know I was off on a hunt through the bargain boxes for 50p comics.
Comics are expensive. There's a huge debate going on right now about their future with the rise of digital throwing the role of bricks and mortar comic shops into question. There aren't that many shops in the UK and the USA has a few clusters in places like New York and Chicago but its size means they're spread pretty thin throughout the rest of the country. As a rule people - and, more importantly, kids - don't buy comics from newsagents any more - these specialist shops are the only outlets. That's why in Scarborough I enjoy buying the reprints you get in the Marvel Collectors' Editions and Clint from WHSmith - it's a bit of a flashback to the days when American style comics were readily available on the high street (that's pretty much the joy of rooting through the bargain boxes - reliving the searches for odd issues from my earliest comic shop visits).
So that's a typical day out in Leeds for me. I love the journey back - music in, reading comics and tucking into my own modest version of Orient Express dining. On this occasion it was a meal deal from Boots - sweet potato flatbread, snack-a-jacks and cream soda. I live like a king!
One last observation about Leeds. It takes about 2.5 hours by bus to reach Scarborough from there by the fabled Yorkshire Coastliner. This leads to queasy passengers, having travelled on their free passes but not realising how long it would take, coming into the railway station and asking how much it would be to go back on the train. Invariably, what little colour they have left in their cheeks drains away when they are told it's £24.90 - 20p more than they would have paid for a day return in Leeds (don't ask...). In fact, the last people I explained this to were deaf, testing my signing and neatly tying up this blog entry.
More soonliest.
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