What’s happening this weekend? Nothing? No Coronation, no Eurovision…
What shall we talk or blog about?
So who won Eurovision? Liverpool! I have never been to Liverpool, but I know someone who has; they had a ticket to the final rehearsal on Saturday afternoon and apparently it was awesome. Our television news had been following the lead up to the contest, from the special Eurovision train full of excited seasoned fans, to the full week of action in the city. Even if you couldn’t get tickets to the contest you could still enjoy the revelries and celebrate the first time in 25 years that we were holding the contest. It sounds like Liverpool did us proud.
So who actually won? The lighting and stage technicians… and all the other people back stage you don’t see. The turn around on the stage was sixty seconds apparently. The contest is not just about the song, it’s about the performance. Flashing lights, strange outfits, dancing of all sorts and scenes that couldn’t be described as dancing; all very different from the early years in black and white when singers came on in suits and nice dresses.
But which song won? Points come from judges in each competing country, then the viewers’ votes come in. Sweden’s Loreen won with her song Tattoo. It looked as though Finland would win at one stage, though I fell asleep during all the scoring and missed that bit. Finland came second and Israel third. Ukraine, last year’s winners, whose show it was, came a creditable sixth. And where did the United Kingdome come? Second last with Mae Muller’s I Wrote A Song, which I thought was quite good. Germany were last.
But everyone had fun at this unique party.
https://eurovision.tv/event/liverpool-2023/grand-final/results/sweden
Times and Tides of a Beachwriter 
I enjoyed Eurovision as much as I always do – I didn’t watch it 😂
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So you won’t be going to Sweden next year Clive!
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Definitely not! 🤣
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I last went to Liverpool in the early 1970s. (For work, not pleasure) It was not a place (then) to have a London accent. Small, (and large) aggressive people wanted to argue with me about football everyhere I went, and I didn’t even support a team! Many of those I encountered would have needed an official translator for me to understand what they were saying, although scowls and bunched fists are a universal language.
I have never been back since, and have no intention of ever doing so. The closest comparison I can give is a business trip to Glasgow around the same time, also a city I have never been back to.
Best wishes, Pete.
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When we went to Australia in 1964 the children at school had two questions for me all the time. Had I seen the Beatles and had I been to the Cavern? As I had never been further north than Regent’s Park they may as well have asked if I had been to the north pole! hopefully you would get a warmer welcome now if you ever did venture to Liverpool Pete!
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Luckily I do not have to go to Sweden next year as I can get excellent reporting on your Blog!
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I’ll have to go to Sweden now then!
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Yes, please do!
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We lived and worked in Liverpool in 1981 for a couple of years while we saved a deposit for our first house and moved up the coast to Southport. Actually a great city and have fond memories. As we don’t have television by choice we download from the various streaming sites, I didn’t watch live but have caught up with snippet… I think the UK should have done better personally.. Thanks for the recap Janet.. xx
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You’re welcome Sally. My daughter had a ticket for the Saturday rehearsal and it turns out Liverpool is only 40 minutes on the train from my younger son’s new house. She had a great day, loved what she saw of Liverpool and enjoyed the show.
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Hi Janet, this is the first year I’ve heard about Eurovision. Strangely, I did here Ukraine’s winning song last year but didn’t know what they ‘d one. Yours is the third post I’ve read about it this year so it must have become more popular.
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Yes Robbie, still lots of people not interested, but because of our success last year and Ukraine winning and this year held in England for the first time in 25 years, more people have been drawn in.
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