Lozzy Boy's Capital of Culture 2008 Space

So the Open and the Tall Ships have been and gone, together with the host of visitors attracted by their charms. As a fair-weather golfing fan I didn't make it to Royal Birkdale: the attritional conditions meant watching on TV was the only viable/sane option. As suspected, Justin Rose was well and truly hexed once I picked him as a potential winner - almost finishing dead last!

Thankfully the storm lifted on Sunday night and I was able to wander around Wellington Dock taking photos of the impressive Tall Ships berthed there. I even managed to board the Uruguyan boat, the Captain Miranda, but that's the closest I'll get to becoming a salty seadog! The ships went on their merry way this afternoon in the grandly titled Parade of Sail, a spectacular sight, which had the banks of the Mersey creaking with humanity.

It's being hailed as Liverpool's biggest weekend of the year; it's certainly the tallest - boom boom! I'm talking about the Tall Ships extravaganza http://www.liverpool08.com/sport/news/details.asp?id=1113, currently moored in the city's fabled port. On paper this isn't something that floats my boat, but boy, those ships are an impressive addition to the waterfront! I'd love to don my Jack Sparrow attire, ascend the rigging and hit the high seas. But as a dyed-in-the-wool landlubber with the sailing skills of a badger, that's unlikely to happen - I'll leave it to the experts. If this midsummer's wintry weather lifts over the weekend, hopefully I can get some photographs for you to admire...

Just as the nation’s tennis fervour dies down, suddenly golf courses up and down the land will be besieged by budding Tigers. This will certainly be the case in the Liverpool area, especially as the reason for the upsurge in interest, The Open http://www.opengolf.com/, is being played up the road at Royal Birkdale Golf Club. Not only will residents of the Northwest be able to admire the skills of the world’s best players, but also keep their eye on the tittle-tattle columns of the local papers to check which stars have been misbehaving, falling out of nightclubs or, more likely, getting arrested for crimes against fashion!  

The Open will provide a further boost to the region’s booming tourism figures, already at record levels because of the capital of culture celebrations. Golf-tourists are an increasingly common sight on the streets of Liverpool as local courses have become regulars on The Open’s rota, with Royal Liverpool hosting in 2006 and Royal Lytham St Annes a frequently used venue. To most I’m sure that golf seems like an unusual spectator sport and there is a lot to be said for the armchair fan. However, there is a fantastic atmosphere on course with the crowd’s gasps and groans a constant backdrop to the players’ mastery of the golf ball.

This will be remembered as the open Open. In the absence of Woods, the world number one and best player by far, hopefully a British player can take advantage and secure the Claret Jug. My money (so not yours, unless you’re happy to squander your cash) is on Justin Rose, who shot to fame at Birkdale ten years ago before, equally spectacularly, disappearing without trace after turning professional. He’s back now, finally fulfilling his rich potential, and maybe victory is written in the stars…

Form is temporary, class is permanent: a sporting adage that could have been coined to describe Paul Simon. The little man from New York had a capacity audience at the Echo arena in the palm of his hand last night on a tour de force through his musical back catalogue. I often wonder with older performers if they will only hint at former glories, the ravages of time, addiction and multiple divorces reining in their exuberant talent. Not so with Simon. What shone through his whole performance was the amazing quality of his voice - effortlessly flawless, sweet as a nut. His amazing talent, a phenomenal, rhythm-heavy band and tunes to die for allowed me to forget that the most dramatic Wimbledon final ever was being played out at that very moment!

No warm-up act meant that the show started literally from the moment I took my seat - I think Paul was keeping an eye out for me backstage, like friends do! It was then non-stop music for more than two hours, perhaps easier after a four decade stint at the top of your game. The songs had a consistent backdrop of shuffling African rhythms, reminiscent of the Gracelands era, building to an early peak with Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard and the first introduction of the soaring sax, which had an increasing role to play as the tempo picked up and the crowd started to jump around. For a wee man, Paul Simon has real stage presence and a subtle New York take on crowd banter. You feel like he's determined that everyone present is going home humming his songs. Perhaps surprisingly, he didn't play Homeward Bound, with its local connection: penned on a wet, windy Widnes train station (maybe the memory is still too raw...). But there were superb renditions of Mrs Robinson, Sounds of Silence and The Boxer amongst others for the Simon and Garfunkel massive! Mixing up classics with less celebrated tracks, the set climaxed in the encore with You Can Call Me Al and Late in the evening before the rapt throng were pitched out into a strangely balmy Mediterranean evening, humming to their hearts' content.  

So the bird that flew the nest has been sheepishly returned. I refer, of course, to the Tracey Emin sculpture, Roman Standard, half-inched from its home by ne'er-do-wells. Roman Standard is a tiny sculpture of a sparrow, which had lived safely on top of a four metre high bronze pole outside Liverpool Cathedral since 2005. After news of its theft, Emin commented that it was no insult to her, more to the people of Liverpool and I was inclined to agree, as the theft would only confirm the tired stereotypes of Liverpool around the country.

Thankfully there is a silver lining to this tale as the criminal masterminds behind the heist grew a conscience and returned their swag under cover of darkness, together with an apology note – honour among thieves indeed!