Since James stopped working Wednesdays in April, we have usually spent the day catching up with chores in the house or garden and running errands. That was not what was planned and today we finally got back to the original idea of using the time to visit places nearer to home. There are lots of things in Liverpool that I have not seen despite working there for the last seven years. Some will have to wait for another day because I had been intending to see the Jackson Pollock exhibition at the Tate Liverpool since it began and as it ends on Sunday, today was the day for art. The exhibition is entitled ‘Blind Spots’ and concentrates on his lesser known works, some of which are monochrome. No photography is allowed (no doubt because they want you to purchase items in the shop) and I am really missing my camera while it is being repaired. So here is a detail from one of his untitled paintings which I have in my book.

An adjacent exhibition was the work of Glenn Ligon, a postwar American artist. Much of his painting is abstract expressionist and focusses on the civil rights movement. Other works he referenced are included and the black and white photographs of the treatment of demonstrators by the police was as powerful as those of the impact of the Mafia that we saw in Sicily last month. Afterwards, we walked back towards town, found some more Christmas presents (I like to be organised) and in Oxfam, the inevitable music and books. Liverpool Oxfam shop is the only one I know which has a large section just inside the door of unsorted ‘New Arrivals’. It was then time to head back to Lime Street and home. The only unusual thing spotted on the very familiar train journey was a field of blue sheep who had obviously just been dipped. A little more colour to add to a colourful day.