So now everyone knows where they stand - and it appears Liverpool and Merseyside have both winners and, sadly, losers from Arts Council England's announcement of its 2012-15 funding settlement yesterday.
I felt terribly sorry for organisations like Spike Theatre who create inventive work and yet weren't deemed a good enough bet to receive a continuation of their regular funding.

Ah the power of television!
Liverpool audiences will already be au fait with the delights of Brendan O'Carroll's live stage shows featuring his foul-mouthed Dublin mammy Agnes Brown.
After all, he's packed them in at the Empire year after year.

It's a serious subject and it should obviously be treated as such, but that doesn't mean there weren't moments of levity on the set of Ken Loach's new Iraq war thriller Route Irish which opens in cinemas today.
Obviously I wasn't there, but I base my supposition on the banter between Ken Loach and Mark Womack when I intereviewed them about the film last week.

It was press night of Robert Farquhar's new play Dead Heavy Fantastic at the Everyman last night - and you can read my review online or in the paper today.
It gave audiences who might not usually venture down the road to the Royal Court the chance to see the wonderful Alan Stocks (who plays the central character Frank) at work.

Now I know I'm getting old! 25-30 years ago that could have been me out there, sagging off school (actually I'd never have dared) to stand and scream in the street over some pop star.
In fact, friends and workmates have been regaled with my tales of how I used to trail around suburban Birmingham on Saturday mornings with a gaggle of fans, knocking on John Taylor or Nick Rhodes' parents' doors to see if any members of Duran Duran happened to have popped in for a cuppa!

The contribution of radical women to the development and history of Liverpool will be explored in an event at The Bluecoat on Saturday.
Radical Women, Radical City is part of the 2011 City of Radicals festival.

Sometimes I think my job is like living inside a giant variety show - something Count Arthur Strong would appreciate I suspect.
I interviewed the 'Count' a couple of weeks ago about his career and his imminent visit to Liverpool and his long career in showbiz, and you can read more in today's Echo and on the website (I'll paste the link at the end of this entry).
And the last few days have certainly seen variety, with a trip to watch the incredibly rude but incredibly funny Sarah Millican at the Philharmonic Hall on Friday night, then back to the same venue 24 hours later for something completely different - Mahler's sixth symphony.