h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I love being an uncle, I'm very fond of my RL name but when my nephew (or anyone else) calls me Uncle Tom, I wince. Might have to resort to getting him to call me Thomas which almost no-one uses these days.

Went across to Liverpool to see my aunt, sister and nephew today for the first time in about 2 years and my word the city has changed a lot: the area outside Lime Street station has been completely redone and, oddly, reminds me of Venice quite a bit. The museum has been done up spectacularly and the Pier Head looks rather spiffing too. The only issue I have is that I cannot forgive the Liverpool One development as it's destroyed two of my favourite teenage haunts and replaced them with crass commercialism. Oh well, such is progress.

Living in Yorkshire, I miss seaside light: as soon as you step out of the station you can tell you've arrived in a coastal city even if you knew nothing about the place beforehand. We had lovely sunshine for most of the day and the sunset over the river/sea was spectacular. Shortly after sunset a squally shower hit and the quality of the light was out of this world, got a picture of it and it might well be the best photo I've ever taken. There was a green Death Star-type laser coming from the eastern edge of the city centre (possibly LIPA) and it seemed to make the sky angry as the squall hit shortly after.

I don't go back to Liverpool often because there's too many emotional landmines there and I'm not sure what the city means to me anymore - it certainly doesn't feel like home and hasn't for several years, but I had one of my best days for months today which reminds me that, whatever it might bring up, I need to get back there more often.

uncle tom cobley and all

I was thinking Uncle Tom's Cabin - having an American Lit expert as a foster parent can means you get sensitive about quite obscure references.

you just want to start quoteing from cool hand luke

I's a walking boss!!!

Yes Iago, I opened this thread fully expecting it to be something entirely other than the thoughts of someone called Tom who is an uncle. I see righteous causes everywhere, apparently.

Do you have somewhere that feels like home? I ask because I'm wondering if your situation is at all like mine. For me, Adelaide is said to be 'home' but it doesn't feel like it these days and probably never will again, but Canberra sure as hell doesn't feel like home either despite having bought a house in it. It's an oddly disconnected sort of existence.

I used to think home was Manchester, but I haven't lived there for nearly four years now and on recent visits back there it hasn't felt the same - more of an echo/nostalgia feeling than anything else: it'll be interesting to see how I feel if I move back there in September.

Since I moved to Leeds last summer I've felt settled here in a way I never felt in Bradford, despite living there for nearly 3 years and, even if I go back to Manchester for my Masters, I think I'll probably move back here afterwards because I've got good friends, a great professional network and I'm happy here. Doesn't feel like home though.

I'm probably over-analysing - there's a whole host of places where I'm as welcome as glad news and I've got a bunch of places I'd be happy living in.

Same here - which makes me wonder why I'm not living in any of them.

But I shouldn't scatter my incipient mid-life crisis all over your Journal.