I'm Where I Should Be

'Come friendly bombs and fall on Slough!' John Betjeman famously wrote. Several years later Paul Weller also referenced Slough in the Jam song 'The Eton Rifles'. ‘Sup up your beer and collect your fags, there’s a row going on, down near Slough’.

John Betjeman statue, St Pancras Station, London

Both shared an antipathy of the ruling class, a theme that runs through their work, but my link is  much more tenuous. I’m admiring the incredible Victorian train station of St. Pancras and the bronze statue of Betjeman who was a pivotal figure in saving the building from demolition. A fact recognised by the famous rail enthusiast now proudly surveying all around him from a vantage point on the upper level of the Eurostar station. On the same level is the Lover’s Statue, the meeting point. The pair are certainly missing the tranquillity of solitude on the busy thoroughfare, but are wonderfully oblivious to all in their love for one another.

The Lovers statue, St Pancras Station, London

And it’s on the Eurostar that we are heading across the channel to Lille in France for the first leg of Paul Weller’s European tour 2023. I told you the link was a little stretched.

The Grand Place, Lille, France

So after a relatively stress-free experience at security and French border control in London, we find ourselves hurtling through the Garden of England before disappearing into the channel tunnel. We emerge, coming up for air in the blur of French countryside. Ninety minutes later we are disembarking in the centre of Lille in Northern France, proving travel can still be a civilised experience.  

Chocolate shop, Lille, France

Lille is a charming city and it's proximity to Belgium and it's historical Flemish influences means it takes it's beer very seriously. So if you time is limited (as ours was) then you can't go far wrong in exploring this easily walkable city by virtue of a pub crawl, albeit a sensible one - the beer is strong!

Notre-Dame De La Treille Cathedral, Lille

At the centre of the old town is the unique looking Notre-Dame De La Treille Cathedral. Surrounding the cathedral are a plethora of pubs and micro breweries that each offer their own unique tastes. We started at Bierbuik, a bright pink establishment reflecting it's fruity beer offerings. Meandering across town taking in lots of curios shops and great smelling bakeries we ended our journey at HEIN - Brique House. They offer more traditional lagers along with some good food to soak up the alcohol.

The location of tonight's gig was L'Aeronef, which was in a shopping centre at the top of some strange outdoor metal stairs. It sounds odd but the venue itself was excellent and the first night of Paul Weller's European tour 2023 was a triumph.

The following day, the next leg of the tour took us across the border via Brussels on well organised trains to the port city of Antwerp, Belgium's largest city. Antwerp train station is built across several levels and has a wonderfully ornate entrance hall, it is an amazing introduction to the city. 

Antwerp Central Station

We only had two days to explore Antwerp and fit in another Weller gig so we kept ourselves busy checking out the city's highlights whilst also factoring in some quality beer time. We were staying adjacent to the station which is at the head of the main shopping thoroughfare (and the famous diamond centre) which extends all the way to the old town and the magnificent square of Grote Markt. The modern shopping area does get quite frantic with the shear volume of people but that does quieten down as you get to the more sedate old town. The ambiance of the historic area almost urges you to slow down, grab a small beer and watch the world go by. And the boutique shops in this area are infinitely more interesting. 

Grote Markt, Antwerp

Our first stop in the historic centre was the glorious gothic Cathedral of Our Lady that dominates the skyline of Antwerp. It also satisfied our quota of Reuben's paintings. You can visit the house of the sixteenth century superstar artist, but in the towering cathedral you can view four famous paintings by Pieter Paul Reuben in the actual places they were meant to be originally seen. You don't need a religious background to acknowledge the power and stark humanity that comes through in these paintings. The 'Descent from the Cross' is particularly striking. The broken body of Christ is almost translucent. The pain and suffering of all involved at the end of the crucifixion is laid bare and is shockingly powerful.

Het Steen, Antwerp

Antwerp sits on the River Schedlt and the medieval fortress of Het Steen is a good point to head towards as it has the added bonus of housing an excellent tourist information centre. A short walk from here along the riverbank you'll find the Sint-Annatunnel pedestrian tunnel. The tunnel descends on fabulous old wooden escalators and an enigmatic tiled corridor takes you all the way across the river Schedlt. The tunnel and the great panoramic views of the city from the other side of the river make for a worthwhile stomp.

Sint-Annatunnel pedestrian tunnel, Antwerp

Het Zuid (the South) is a very chic area and home to the Royal Museum of Fine Arts of Antwerp. We didn't have time to peruse the museum but enjoyed a wonderful hipster lunch across the road comprising of hummus, falafels and craft beer.

Cathedral of Our Lady, Antwerp

Grote Market is the place to soak up the sunshine and enjoy a couple of beers people watching in front of the impressive City Hall. The wide open square and all the side streets are host to a multitude of excellent eating options

The Museum aan de Stroom, MAS is a prominent feature on the Antwerps docks. It's free to ascend the many escalators to take in wonderful views of the city as we did on a lazy Sunday in the hazy sunshine. There is a small cost to visit the exhibitions. Be sure to explore the surrounding areas, there are some quite bonkers works of art dotted around that will put a smile on your face.

Museum aan de Stroom, MAS, Antwerp

And then it was time to return home. The weekend gone in a musical flash.

Antwerp has excellent train connections to Brussels airport which was our route home. We will definitely return for more gigs here and to explore further, and sample a little more of that excellent beer.

Paul Weller, De Roma Concert hall, Antwerp