Abuse of power (and, unrelated, Hang Massive!)

I'd promised Hannah a lift down to Salford, this morning, thinking I'd be going down for college, but it turned out that today's lesson was cancelled. I wanted to honour my promise, though, and Hannah did need to get down for a session at F45, which is a gym in Salford that runs a fairly intense programme that she has signed up to.

Still, a day with the Minx was more than adequate compensation for there being no college, and we decided to make use of the bonus day together by visiting the People's History Museum: 'The National Museum Of Democracy'.

It is a great museum - I'd definitely recommend it - although it does provide a sobering insight into the working conditions of the larger part of the British public over recent centuries. It's also hard to come away without reaching the conclusion that nothing good for democracy or the working man (and woman) ever happened under a Tory government.

If you look at the text in my photo, it's easy to see that not enough has changed over the last two centuries. And whilst we might technically all be enfranchised, this is not going to be a true democracy until we get proportional representation.

Anyway.

And then, out of the blue, a karmic bonus! Months ago, we bought tickets to see Hang Massive at Brudenell Social Club and even booked a hotel, too. We realised, though, that my commitment to Abi to stay at home during her exams meant we couldn't go and we'd resigned ourselves to that. But then Abi texted me to say that she was going to her mum's for tea, and then to the pub with her mates, so she didn't mind if I stayed in Salford.

She might have been a little surprised by how heartily I thanked her - she knew nothing about the gig - and the Minx and I happily set off for Leeds, dropped the car at Headingley Cricket Club (our 'hotel), and walked across to the Social Club, where we enjoyed drinks and pies before the concert.

Hang Massive consists of two chaps playing hang drums, backed by some minimal electronica, mostly percussion. The music is beautiful and quite mesmerising. It takes a couple of tracks to ease into it but then time just drifts by. Given the percussive nature of the instruments, there are no sustained notes, so the music feels imbued with space.

It was a great gig and I'm so glad we got to see them on this tour.