The MOFAD

Money’s too tight to mention… This is a post about the "new" Co-Op Live arena in Manchester. I say new, although it opened in May 2024, after some teething issues. As you might expect from my other posts, it's from a food and drink perspective, and none of it is going to be really shocking, but there are still a few surprises. I've been going to arena gigs since June 1991, when I went to my very first one (the first of 4 that year) at the "old" Wembley Arena.

Co-Op Live - how much?

Wareham – a MOFAD kind of town We went on holiday to Wareham in October 2024. I had researched all of the pubs, restaurants and takeaways in the town, as we were staying just a short walk from the town centre. We were looking forward to eating out and enjoying a nice holiday. Just after we got on to the M27 (about an hour away from Wareham), Mrs MOFAD was starting to feel a little unwell.

A week in Wareham - a lovely little town with nice places to eat and drink...

Swanage bay - cliffs and sea

Large stone globe with a map of the world

Limestone cliffs

Cliffs and a white lighthouse

Durlston Country Park - 10th October 2025. A short stroll along the cliffs.

Peacocks

Island views

Red squirrel in leaf litter

Avocet in shallow water

Brownsea Island - 9th October 2025. A beautiful day on the island.

Heathland views

Heathland views

Heathland views

RSPB Arne - 8th October 2025. Another 5 miles and now up to 100 birds for the year. Today’s highlights - Goldcrest, meadow pipit and black tailed godwit.

Black pigs nuzzling my legs

Coombe Heath - gorse and heather

Coombe Heath - gorse and heather

Four spotted chaser dragonfly

RSPB Arne - 6th October 2025. Five miles and 31 different birds including Dartford warbler, marsh harrier, redshank and whimbrel. Total for the year is now 96…

A thatched brick built bus stop

Village bazaar in a phone box

A leaf pierced by a seed…

Today’s route - 6.6 miles

Bloxham and Red Post bimble - 5th October 2025. A mostly sunny stroll in the Dorset countryside, 6.6 miles and 26 caches.

Plate of burger and chips

Pint of copper coloured bitter

A year ago I spent a week in Wareham but was unable to visit any pubs. Making up for lost time.

Run down farm building with trees growing out of it

Yellow sunflowers and blue chicory flowers

Ever get the feeling you’re being followed? Three sheep in a line

Today’s route - 5.5 miles

Bishop’s Itchington and Gaydon Loop - 13th September 2025. A shorter walk today, 5.5 miles, mostly sunny, a brief shower after lunch, and not so many muddy fields.

By pure coincidence I’m staying about 5 miles away from them. They weren’t available in the local pub last night though just the usual Heineken owned Inch’s…

Wild hops in a hedge

Small red apples on a tree

An inquisitive sheep

Today’s route - 9.5 miles

Bishop’s Itchington and Ladbroke Loop - 12th September 2025. A long walk today, 9.5 miles, mostly sunny, a couple of showers, and some muddy fields.

Small tabby cat on a blue blanket

House guest for the week is settling in…

Brightly lit stage with a singer and a keyboard player

Brightly lit stage with a singer and a keyboard player

Brightly lit stage with a singer and a keyboard player

Brightly lit stage with a singer and a keyboard player

Pet Shop Boys at Warwick Castle, August 30th 2025. All time top 10 gig.

What has happened to this month’s #TheSession - haven’t seen anything about it?

Yet another classic flint covered East Anglian church.

Sunflowers in a field

A brown goat

Today’s route - 5 miles

Guilden Morden and Steeple Morden - 25th August 2025. Yes, it’s one more sunny stroll through some lovely countryside.

Another classic flint covered East Anglian church.

A footpath with varied hedgerows

Crop field, harvested

Today’s route - 5.6 miles

Kelshall and Therfield trundle - 23rd August 2025. Yes, it’s another sunny stroll through some lovely countryside.

A classic flint covered East Anglian church.

Which way now? A footpath post with 9 different arrows

Deer in a field

Today’s route - 7.5 miles

Kelshall and Sandon stroll - 23rd August 2025. Another sunny stroll through some lovely countryside.

A brown llama

A sunflower in a field

A footpath through a wood

Today’s route - 6.5 miles

Roe Green ramble - 22nd August 2025. A sunny stroll through some lovely countryside.

Fingerpost

A live edition of #FingerpostFriday

Small tabby cat…

Weekend friend who is coming to stay in 2 weeks…

Can and glass of beer. The can draws on the design of the totally tropical soft drink Lilt.

Where do they get their crazy ideas from?

Wetton Mill bridge - an old stone bridge

Gunnera - large broad leaved plant of the rhubarb family

A Staffordshire wallaby decorated in blue and gold

Today’s route - 14 miles

Manifold trail - 10th August 2025. Another old railway that has given itself over to cyclists.

Minninglow Quarry, which once produced limestone. The quarry area is approximately 120 metres long, 40 metres wide and the quarry face is approximately 10 metres high. Quarrying has created a flat shelf stretching for approximately 70 metres along the length of the quarry adjacent to a siding.

Old railway track

Minninglow Lime Kiln is of special interest because it is believed to have produced lime for the construction of the Cromford and High Peak railway and embankment, which now forms part of the High Peak Trail

Today’s route

High Peak and Tissington trails - 9th August 2025. Joining up the two trails with a bit of green laning. First proper ride since October 2023.

Plum jam all the way!

No worries, I thought they’d finally fixed the “not all post appearing under a hashtag” issue, but it still persists!

Forgot to tag you, only added the hashtag to the post. bsky.app/profile/mofa...

Large festival venue

Five comedians on a stage

Rubik’s cube as a laser display

Large stage at a festival

Almost 24 hours of comedy over 3 days, my favourite band on top form, Irvine Welsh, a never ending sea of Lucy+Yak, Basildon’s finest (Alf), a live recording of one of my favourite comedy podcasts, an entire festival erupting when the Lionesses defended their European title. Latitude has been fun.

A large tent with a stage at one end, purple and pink fabric draped from the ceiling

All set up again, today at Latitude will be split between the comedy tent, the podcast tent, and then the main stage this evening. If yesterday was anything to go by, many young children will be learning new words again today…

The Session #149 – pub food Well, here we are again with The Session, this time writing about pub food. Handily this is another topic that I've written a lot about over the last 10 years. I used to regularly write about a pub of the month, and it's fairly certain that many of those pubs will feature here when I am highlighting some of the best ones, as well as some of those that could be so much more.

My latest entry for #TheSession - pub food

Bridestones Neolithic chambered long cairn, includes a chambered tomb measuring 6m x 2.7m made of large stone slabs set on edge and divided into two by a now broken cross slab. The long cairn covering the chamber was recorded in 1764 as being c.110m long x 11m wide. Sadly it was largely carted away for road making that year.

Who goes there! A giant wooden statue sitting in a giant chair.

Top of the cloud - a white trig point, blue skies and gritstone rock

Today’s route - 4.5 miles

Bosley Cloud bimble - 13th July 2025. A sunny Sunday stroll in Cheshire…