Friday 14th June 2024 will be a day I remember for the rest of my life as it is the day we got to see Taylor Swift The Eras Tour live at Anfield. This day was months in the making for us. For me, it meant lots of rest in the hope that I could enjoy the day with as little pain as possible. My Daughter Becks had been counting down the minutes, she had been thinking about her outfit for a year, and she knew exactly what she wanted down to the makeup look and body glitter.
Luckily we had gone to Anfield a few days early so that she could get all the Merch she wanted as she did not miss out on anything, she spent just under £200 in less than 5 minutes. Seeing the crowds trying to get into the store that night we knew we made the right decision.
Our day started early, I made a silly mistake, I left it to the day of the concert to dye my hair and cover up the millions of grey hairs that made my face look so much older. Luckily I had Becks to dye it for me as it’s not something I can do for myself anymore.
Our amazing Hairdresser was coming early to cut Becks’ hair and blow-dry mine which was one less thing to worry about. I had gone from really long to short as I just couldn’t manage it any more and it made such a difference to my confidence.
While we started the day early I knew I still had time to rest if I needed it. I had prepped my body on the run-up to this night by resting lots and reducing any adrenaline spikes, while I felt a little tired I was adamant that nothing was going to ruin this for us.
What was I going to wear?
While I hadn’t planned my outfit, I had bought a few new pieces as options. All day, I had been experiencing awful cramping pains that I was just going to ignore because nothing could ruin today.
The first outfit I tried was a long tulle skirt in a beautiful light almost a mint shade of green to go with this Merino wool jumper I had splurged on from Abercrombie & Fitch it was just the right shade to coordinate not colour block. While it was an option everything was coming down to the weather.
Becks had been planning her outfit since we confirmed the tickets in 2023. She wanted a denim jacket with lots of sparkles. I went a bit crazy with the sparkle order just to make sure that she had more than enough to do everything she wanted, as the jacket didn’t arrive in time she had to sit up all night the night before glueing sparkles onto her jacket but it looked amazing.
I had ordered a Levis Denim jacket from Depop which became a nightmare. Seller 1 cancelled the order and even after telling the second seller that I wanted this jacket before the 10th of June it wasn’t sent on time, this was stress I didn’t need. This meant Becks had to take a quick trip into Kirkby town centre the day before and luckily she found a black denim jacket in The British Heart Foundation.
On a Facetime call with Becks the week before I got the feeling she didn’t love the outfit she had planned so I sent her lots of dress inspo pictures from House of CB and Abercrombie, nothing was going to ruin this day for her. I was going to make sure she got an outfit that she was excited about, she didn’t need much encouragement to go shopping. While she was in Abercrombie & Fitch she FaceTimed me from the changing room with the biggest smile on her face, she had fallen in love with the green-tiered maxi dress so she simply had to have it.
In the UK you have to dress for the weather and while it had said rain we had very few clouds in the sky so just in case I had a spare jumper and blanket put in my bag.
The outfit for the night ended up being green pants that had a green and white block design from River Island and a black flowy top with a black faux leather biker jacket, I did want to change into a white flowy top but changing the black bra was going to cost me too many spoons. After getting Becks to check we had everything a million times we finally left the house.
Pack everything just in case
Before leaving the house, I make sure to bring everything I might need. The most crucial item is medication; I always carry the next dose with me in case I need it. In addition, I also carry a TENS machine to help manage particularly bad pain. my pain relief
As I was getting ready to attendoud music and flashing lights, I knew I needed to bring dark glasses and ear protection. I always keep a blanket scarf rolled uprticular night, I also packed a cardigan to keep me warm. The cold or chills can quickly worsen any night, especially if it’s a bad pain night. When I get chills, it feels like my bones are made of ice, no matter how warm it is.
I did put a small make-up bag in as I hoped once we got there I could have put a little make-up on but the closest I got to put on make-up was a little lip gloss. With large dark glasses, most of my face was covered anyway.
The Journey to Anfield
I had never ventured this far in my wheelchair before, so I was feeling a bit nervous. Luckily, Kirkby has a new train station with flat pavement all the way, making the journey much easier. This was my first time traveling by train in a wheelchair, and I wasn’t sure if we needed to inform the station in advance to arrange for a ramp. It’s not like they give you a handbook for being a wheelchair user. Fortunately, the new station at Kirkby was fantastic, and the staff were incredibly helpful. Despite my high anxiety, Becks remained cool as a cucumber throughout the journey.
Becks suggested getting off at Kirkdale instead of Sandhills, where there are large pavement drops. Getting off at Kirkdale was easy, but getting to Anfield was difficult. There were few lowered kerb stones and many of them were blocked by parked cars, making the 30-minute journey quite challenging. I had to backtrack multiple times and even navigate busy roads in order to find a lowered kerb stone to get back onto the pavement safely.
Goosebumps every time
The sight of the bustling crowds heading towards that beautiful fortress of a football stadium fills me with immense pride as a Scouser. The Scouse girls, as always, looked absolutely stunning, but their allure seemed to reach ethereal levels for the Taylor Swift concert. As we neared the stadium, it was the men who drew our attention, men dressed impeccably some donning Travis Kelce jerseys and others adorned in shimmering attire with the most exquisite makeup. However, it was the ladies who truly left us in awe with their breathtaking appearance.
Becks had been dreaming of seeing Taylor Swift for years and I wanted her to have the night of her life. With my Princess in love with her new outfit, her make-up look planned out and having had her hair done in the morning by Our Amazing Hairdresser it all came together perfectly, she looked amazing. Getting to record her walking up to Anfield with the jacket she had worked so hard on sparkly in the sun it was a real proud Mum moment.
First Class
From the first person we encountered outside the ground, we were blown away by the whole team at Anfield, I can’t sing their praises high enough. The first young gentleman did not know the answer to our question so he went away and asked a colleague. I can’t stress this enough but there were people everywhere and yet he came back to us and then took us to the gate we needed to go through, amazing.
Once we got to the door one member of staff asked for our tickets. Before I left for the stadium I had sent a message to @LFCHelp on X (or Twitter) as I needed a larger bag than was allowed. I disclosed to them what would be in the bag to ask if it was ok. I explained this to them and they asked if they could check it which is what the gentleman on X had said would happen. They then put bag searched tags on my bag and Becks’ bag they scanned our tickets and called the lift for us.
I can not sing the praises of Liverpool Football Club high enough. This was my first time at Anfield since I got ill, for me this was a huge thing as every other time I had been to Anfield I was able-bodied and I never had to think about a toilet stall large enough to fit my wheelchair in or the best place to go to order at the concessions stand. As someone with a disability, I have had people look at the chair not me, I even had a lady tell me that I was too young to be in a wheelchair. Anfield held so many amazing memories for me and I didn’t want to feel any different being there.
One gentleman from the team came to escort us to our seats, when we got there he told us where everything was. He was so warm, and welcoming he even came over once the show had ended. We had stayed back a little so I could put a cardigan on before we left and he was asking how our night was, he even told us how amazing Pink was the last time she performed. It was so nice to talk to someone who truly loves their job Our Club and that amazing stadium as much as we do.
Friday 14th June
The moment she sang that first note and I saw my baby girl cry tears of joy I was a mess. So I grabbed her hand and we sang along with every word, OK Becks sang every word to every song, towards the end I hit the wall and I couldn’t keep my eyes open that is nothing against Taylor Swift she was incredible, my illness just cut me off and I couldn’t fight it anymore. I still haven’t admitted that to Becks. I had to take another dose of Oramorph towards the end of the concert as this pain was getting a lot more severe, adding that to already doing so much more than my body can handle and I was clocked out. I’m still incredibly proud that I managed to leave the house.
Seeing Becks so happy, singing and dancing along to every word, and me giving my all singing along with a bit of wheelchair dancing (the top half moved a bit), I will remember that night for the rest of my life.
If you get a chance to see The Eras Tour grab hold of the tickets with both hands, take your dancing shoes and sing along to every single song with wild abandon. Seeing Rebecca so happy made the night even more magical, I don’t think she sat down all night, she danced her little legs off. Taylor’s songs have played a cathartic role in her life, we have an amazing relationship but sometimes you have to play Taylor Swift on repeat after a bad day or a shitty situation. After a few bad weeks in my own life trust me it helps.
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Love Always
Alisha 🫶
My name is Alisha -Professional nap-taker, dog lover, and connoisseur of all things Netflix. Living with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, Endometriosis, and De Quervains syndrome has taught me to appreciate the little things in life (like a good heating pad and a comfortable pair of stretchy pants). Join me as I navigate the ups and downs of chronic illness with humour, sarcasm, and a healthy dose of self-deprecation. Let’s laugh, cry, and occasionally snort in solidarity together 🫶
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