eight legged groove machine

By Catherine Jones on Sep 7, 08 02:58 PM

Never mind a spider, I felt like a Beatle yesterday.
As the thousands thronged Castle Street to wait for the giant arachnid, I had a coveted vantage point on the balcony at Liverpool Town Hall.
And the scenes from the balcony were simply incredible - something I will remember for a very, very long time.

In fact, the Lord Mayor who was sitting straddling the parapet in excited small boy fashion, said: "It's like the Beatles' homecoming in 1964."
I've seen the black and white footage of a heaving Castle Street and I can see what he meant.
To add to the slightly surreal nature of it all, who should pop up on the balcony behind me a few minutes later but Mike McCartney, camera in hand.
I told him what Steve had said and he answered: "Yes, I was on the balcony that day and so was our dad."
And here he was, just 44 years later!!
We watched as La Princess came crawling up Water Street, and when she got to the Town Hall, the top of the spider was level with the balcony - one of its legs tried to almost prod us! It certainly came within arm's length.
I couldn't really see how it could possibly get down Castle Street because the crowds were packed in so tightly, and apparently it was a bit chaotic down there with some kids separated from their parents and people shoved backwards.
But generally, everyone seemed to have the time of their lives. I managed to inch my way down to Lord Street and Church Street where the shoppers must have wondered what they'd got themselves in to.
There were people standing on the top of phone booths, people crowding every window and vantage point, and thousands of us shuffling backwards as the spider advanded on us.
Zut alors!
It was a triumph.....