Goodbye Yellow Brick Road....

Tonight, 17th August 2019, marks a milestone in our family lives. My husband Neil, is taking a giant leap for him, and for us as a family, in ending his association with what has been the District Venue since 2004 in Liverpool. For the last thirty years, he has worked at the Picket, which more recently, evolved into the District. Thirty years is a long time - and this decision has been a long time coming, and cannot come soon enough for us all as a family. My husband, Neil, worked at the Picket when it was at it's inception along with his colleague Phil. They were only in their early twenties and finding their way. Phil was the front man, Neil preferred to work behind the scenes, booking the bands, learning the back line, and managing the venue. https://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2004/04/290081.html?c=on https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/stars-kit-out-the-picket-3558564 The Picket building was finally sold by the trade union in 2004, and Neil and Phil found a venue which was in the Baltic Triangle to continue a venue for bands as the Picket had been. Unfortunately, one night, during a drunken social night, Phil was abusive to a Jewish MP who was with them. In that one moment, everything changed for the Picket/District and for Phil and Neil. As Phil had courted the limelight for so many years, the newspapers had no mercy and he was plastered all over the Liverpool Echo. https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/picket-founder-phil-hayes-fined-3324390 Liverpool Council immediately rescinded their funding for the venue, and Neil, who had worked full time since the venue's inception, was no longer employed. Colleagues all over Liverpool knew of the situation... it was an extremely trying time for all concerned... Phil was unwell. Neil was in the middle of a relationship breaking down and losing his employment was the icing on the cake. He continued to work at the District, but as a self employed sound musician as Jayne and her partner, Eric had now taken over the bar from the Phil and Neil, and were booking club nights to bring in a younger crowd with more available money. There was much angst, but Phil was not well enough to properly challenge this, and Neil was caring for his young daughter with a limited income and did not want to be involved in going against the hand that feeds. Neil was pushed further and further into a corner, but jobs as sound engineers are few and far between, he could no longer travel to festivals or tour Europe as he had family commitments... Moving the clock forward two years, i popped up on the horizon, we have not looked back, were married in 2017, and do everything together The future is positive..... I retired three years ago, and have been waiting for this night ever since. This is the happy ever after :D