Well we’ve just waved good bye to my sis and fella. We’ve just had a week of learning and playing at being good skiers at the Chill Factore, Manchester. Well Bex (my wife) and Andy (my sister Lisa’s fella) are pretty good, having been skiing for a number of years. My and Lisa however have just started. We had a 50 minute lesson last week, and then the day after went on the main slope. Suprisingly we didn’t fall, and controlled our speed pretty well. Andy did wipe out spectacularly, but we won’t go into details.

Please see below evidence of Bex and Andy flying down, and Lisa’s more sedate run.

Anyway, we went again yesterday (Monday 3rd March) and I decided to progress into parallel skiing. This increased the frequency of wipeouts 100%, but also I think I was progressing fairly well, going to the top of the slope at the end and not falling. Whilst Lisa continued to steadily gain confidence, without falling still, she’s definately due a big wipeout. The evening before Bex and Andy had been on YouTube watching Carving Tips by Bode Miller, and others and were trying to put that into action.

They even hired better ski’s, which we found out later that Andy had been using competition spec skis worth almost £700. He didn’t think he could feel £400 worth of difference but you never know really.

Anyway Lisa and Andy travelled back to the Isle of Wight today, not before I got a phone call at work off Lisa, explaining that they’d returned to the Chill Factore once more, Andy, desperate for one final fix before the drive home…

Well I had to post something about our trip to the IMAX in Manchester to see U23D. This is a U2 show from the Vertigo Tour filmed completely in 3D using special cameras. 3Ality are the company responsible for making the technology work and National Geographic helped bring it to the Cinema.

Well in a word, AbsoBloodyBrilliant. Just amazing really, me and Bex went to see U2 in Nice, France in 2005, and this was defimately the next best thing. Except better in some respects. Floating above Larry Mullens drum kit as he’s playing Sunday Bloody Sunday. Or being directly in front of Bono as he sings One.

At the beginining when Vertigo kicks in you are placed about 5 rows back in the crowd, and you can see the expressions on peoples faces, the images on mobile phones being taken, and drinks beiong thrown around, which is weird because it seems like the fluid is going to hit you.

Bex was rather taken by the fact that sometimes Bono focusses his attention on the camera, and almost comes right up to you with his arms out. Also you can really see the emotion in his face on ‘Can’t make it on your own’ and ‘Miss Sarejevo’ when he’s singing Pavarotti’s section.

The other amazing thing is the sound, when you are hovering around the drum kit and Mullen is performing some of the more complex sections, you can pick out every beat, beats you didn’t know existed before.

Another highlight is the beginning of ‘Where the Streets’, the whole crowd start bouncing, its a massive stadium there must be 100,000 people, and when they all bounce you get the sense that you going to bounce right out of your seat.

When it came to the section towards the end that starts with ‘The Fly’ they left in a mega balls up, the guitar effects seem to have forgotten to do ‘The Fly’ sound and you can here Bono saying ‘Wheres the Fly?’ its just cool, and I’m glad they left it in.

Well I’m not going to carry on, only to say, I’m looking for excuses to go and see it again.

Well next Monday will be my second visit to Chill Factore. This is the new Ski slope in Manchester just off the M60. The first time I went was virtually the first time I’ve ski’d. So I had a taster lesson which was just to basic and slow, and I didn’t get much chance to get on the slopes. So Monday I’m going to give the main slope a try, I can control my speed and turn etc so I should be alright.

Anyway I hope I don’t end up like this poor individual…

It looks like she hit it pretty hard! I imagine I won’t be going that fast, although Bex will be racing down. Also in a few weeks my sister is coming up from the Isle of Wight for a trip and she’s having a private lesson there, so we will all be prepared for our Ski holiday next year, probably going to be in Les Saises, France. And judging by the below webcam view, its looking pretty good.