We stayed at a pretty shady feeling backpackers (with no blinds on the dorm windows), and headed up to Sherwood Forest the next day.
Lady Luck had granted us a Robin Hood Festival during the time we were there. Unfortunately there wasn't any jousting that day, but we had medieval music and faerie dancing, and then Peterkin the Fool: a street performer who decided to get Tom up to help him, and shoved his codpiece into Tom's neck.
There was then a skirmish in the park with actors playing the parts of the Merry Men and the Sheriff's bunch. I was cheering loudly in favour of taxes, law and order, as imposed by the King's appointed representative, but for some reason all the kids wanted the outlaws to win, and such they did.
Afterwards we wandered down to the fairground, past a small cricket club, and back to the road.
Small windy A-roads took us through lots of little towns on the way to Sheffield. Most English cities seem to have ring roads around them (you know, like Hamilton is going to have in 10 years time?), but some have two ring roads and don't make it clear which one you're on. Once we learnt this we found out where to go...
The pictureque Snake Pass links Sheffield and Manchester, a windy and picturesque route over the hills. We drove through the humourous-sounding Glossop to Manchester, and took a big motorway around the outside of the city.
Manchester to Liverpool is very simple on the M62; we missed an important turn upon arriving in Liverpool and got lost, but a couple of stops for snacks and some directions later, we found our hostel.
We didn't hold out a lot of hope for the "Beatles Brian Epstein Ho
stel" as it was the only thing with rooms left when we had booked, but it was fantastic. It's just been taken over by a Kiwi couple from Balcultha, who are overseeing a new garden going in the back. Aside from the fact it's in the shadow of Anfield, the Liverpool FC stadium, it was a really great place to stay.
Tags: travel
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