Professor Chucklebutty says..“ Some years ago when I lived in a small flat, there was a yard area that I cleared of rubbish and turned into a little garden where I would often sit and read during the summer months. I was quite proud of what I had done out there, using old bricks to make sections that I filled with flowering shrubs and various blooming plants giving splashes of colour and sweet fragrances against what had cold crumbling brick.

I built a little bench and table and even a wooden lounge bed that could be raised or moved round to make the most of the sunshine if I felt in the mood for just sunbathing.

There was a grid in the far corner of the yard, surrounded by some wild grass and a few trails from one of the blackberry shrubs. One day I got some company in my garden when a very old looking rat popped out to have a wander round and pick up odd scraps. He started to pop up regularly and we would look at each other from a distance.

As the days went on, he started to come closer and gave me a little nod as if to say “alright mate” There wasn't a rat problem in the block, I had never seen any others. It seemed we had just this one rather shaggy looking old fellow. He didn’t seem like your average despised “vermin” specimen and as the summer went on a little friendship developed between us.

He would pop out when he heard me out the back and come up close mooching around me, and I would give him little treats to eat. Sometimes when I’d be stretched out in the sun he would sit along side enjoying his snack and I swear he often seemed to give me a smile with an extra little glint in his black pearl eyes.

The conversation was a bit one-sided and I don’t think he was always genuinely interested in what I was reading, particularly when I tried to tell him about the Philosophical Manuscripts of 1844 and the Hegelian Dialectic, which although a small volume, I found tough going myself in some places but he was polite enough to look interested and nod.

His ears pricked up a few weeks later when I showed him a marvellous and very funny book I was now reading about the life and times of Frank Harris, who, as many will know, was a friend and contemporary of Oscar Wilde. It was one of those books that you don’t want to end but inevitably it did end and so, it seemed that day did the summer sunshine as grey clouds seemed to thicken overhead like they were here to stay. On the day I got to the last page, the few tit-bits I had brought down for Mr Rat remained untouched. He had not come out to say hello. I wondered if he, like the sun, would pop out one last time.

It seemed not and as I turned the last page with a satisfied sadness, a chill began to descend upon my little enclave.

Time to go in I thought. I gathered the scraps I had brought down for Mr Rat and decided to leave them in the grass surrounding the grid, which served as his entrance into my world. As I bent down to carefully place them where he could sniff them out straight away, I noticed two strange long yellowish objects in the grass almost shining with a jewel like quality.

As I reached to pick them up for a closer look, I recoiled in horror. It was Mr Rat's front top and bottom incisor teeth and even more shocking, with his little nose and whiskers still attached. That bastard cat from across the road had got him! It must have eaten the lot apart from his teeth.

I was speechless, horrified and felt a real sense of despair. I know, “It was a bleeding sewer rat” I am sure many would say, but the sight of the little whiskered nose lying there with the skeletal teeth still attached like four pieces of antique ivory almost broke my heart.

My eyes actually filled with tears as I gasped in that breath you take to try and stop yourself from crying. It seemed so cruel and sad. That cat was well fed and he didn’t need to take the life of this poor old fellow, he was my little friend that for a couple of months had shared with me those sunny afternoons when I could forget about other concerns or worries and escape into books sunshine and daydreams. It may seem odd, but at the time I was quite disturbed by the fate of this poor unloved creature.

And I did in the event have a little cry about it, not an official period of mourning or a burial but some tears did escape and have to be wiped from my cheek.

I was probably a bit fragile at the time anyway but it took quite a few weeks to get the disturbing image of those yellowing brownish long rat teeth out of my mind.

Well that picture of whatever the hell it is at the top of this review looks just like those teeth. So thanks a lot Neil, mate! I thought I had gotten over it but now you have brought it all back to me!

I hope you are satisfied. Well more than you were with your dinner anyway. ”

Oor Wullie says..“ Well done Professor, worthy of inclusion in 'Seven Days Hard with Francis Gay'!
The first time I ventured into 'Blue' it was to sample the latest taste sensation that was absinthe and in the mid-nineties this was the first place you could buy it over a bar.
The celebrities present comprised the one and only John 'Motty' Motson (without his sheepie) his voice was unmistakeable.”

Prof Chucklebutty says..“ Thank you Wullie, always nice to see you pop up. And thank you to Mr McQuillian for what was otherwise an excellent review. You weren't to know. I'm alright now.”

Albert Dock says..“ With tacky high street scally rubbish from the 1980s now being touted as "vintage" surely the nineties revival can't be far away?”

Blue supporter says..“ There's a suprise. A business that doesn't advertise with Liverpool Confidential receives a dubious review! Who says money can't but you love! Can someone explain the relation between Liverpool's white Armani suits of 1996 and a black uniform? Talking vintage - love the Liverpool Confidential website! ”

Una Form says..“ I dunno but there you have it in black and white....and blue.”

Suspicious says..“ Hmm, I smell someone with an interest who finds it hard dealing with criticism. I'm afraid Blue is very much as described. It need not remain that way, but I suspect to change would require owners willing to listen.”

Suspicious says..“ Hmm, I smell someone with an interest who finds it hard dealing with criticism. I'm afraid Blue is very much as described. It need not remain that way, but I suspect to change would require owners willing to listen.”

Albert Dock says..“ I went to Blue on only two or three occasions to see what all the fuss was about, but being made to stand outside in a stagnant queue on a cold wet night as if being punished whilst the brusque, enormous bouncers let scallies go straight in was quite enough for me.
And I remember that it was expensive, uncomfortable, not that clean and the scallies had been scratching their marks into the wooden tables.

There was an atmosphere there that paying customers were considered very much second-class to the knuckle-dragging “VIPs”.
I haven't been back since.
That place is SO last-century! ”

Chris says..“ Myself and friends have been frequenting Blue for the last couple of years and have always found the service and food to be of a consistantly high standard. Great surroundings - overlooking the dock, a relaxed atmosphere and a nice clientele.”

taken on board says..“ as someone who has worked in that kitchen before i find it quite hard to read as i know the effort that gets put into the food, yes consistency is essential but in these current difficult times of trading these one sided comments can damage the said business beyond repair, an before its noted yes i do have an interest as many of my friends still work there, in my times there i've always had good food and service to boot and its always worth a visit when the suns out, yes the decor may be gettin tired but to compare it to the blue of the ninetees is grossly unfair as the business has totally changed all over the city with places like hope street and the carriage works lookin after the high end diners, blue is and will always remain the trend setter and not the blown up corporate chaser, however as i said consistency is the key and your comments will be passed on and taken on board. ”

Jon says..“ Who are the PR people for Blue? if I was them, I would be writing comments here implying that the review was motivated by lack of advertising spend on Liverpool Confidential. And then I would get some ex-staff members to speak up for Blue. In a lame way, obviously. #justsaying”

Dig says..“ I reckon the murdering feline was Ken. He was rather jealous of you befriending that rat you know? He felt ignored, unloved and ultimately hungry. So rather than go to the Blue Bar he ate that rat. ”

Dubious to say the least!!! says..“ What a sad, sad time this is for your previously once informative and accurate website!!! As a regular reader of your reviews I am disappointed to read quite a clearly 'biased' review. I have visited Blue on numerous occasions and whilst some observations are true, to word it in such a manner is damaging to say the least... to both yourself and the bar. Blue has changed greatly over the last 10 years and to include a snippet regarding previous ownership is both irrelevant and almost childlike!!! Your reviewer sounds like a young boy retaliating after having his legs slapped by a displeased teacher! I hope this doesn't turn into a war of words between the two as the discreditations will amount to nothing, as it always does. Blue will always remain at the higher end of the restaurant scale, with excellent food, the fillet steak is actually to die for! So, any newbies or regulars to this site, please take this review with a pinch of salt and go see for yourself.”

Infamy, Infamy, they all have it in for me says..“ Love it when you give a place an honest review Confidential, and the owners come on incognito claiming you've got an ulterior motive! Theatre, theatre, and so obvious! I have just tweeted this article to all my followers”

Lucky Grills says..“ Dubious to say the least. What a mix-up you are. You condemn the “once informative and accurate website” on the basis of this one review and then say that some of the observations are true without saying which. Then you get upset over comments about some of the history of Blue which do seem pertinent, as the reviewer is saying Blue needs to catch-up with some of the changes and higher expectations in other parts of the city.
But your inability to put up an argument leads you to instead simply attack the reviewer. Sadly you do this in such a condescending way that any case you are trying to make falls by the wayside as you simply expose your own bias. And after issuing such personal abuse, you then say that you hope this doesn't turn into a war of words.
Any review like this is of course subjective and any sensible person will always take a review with a pinch of salt unless they are having the fishcakes, because tastes differ. Would you compare the food in Caeser’s Palace to that in Blue? I know many people who say it is atrocious and yet it is always packed out. Should anyone who reviews it only say it was fabulous or should they do a Roy Walker on Catchphrase “Say what you see” I would prefer Roy myself. So a review is subjective and hopefully honest and this is what, in my subjective opinion, people get on here. I have read some reviews with which I disagree and some where I have thought, fine if you want to pay that much for pretentious chicken and chips with gravy good luck to you.
You can't please everyone or what is the point. What's being said here is that things have moved on a bit faster than Blue in some parts of the city and whilst it remains a "trendsetter" the dining experience needs to up its game to match the new kids.
Now here's my own bias...the wannabe seen brigade who flock to Blue would eat a wet echo with so long as it came with "jus" so long as they have people to notice them and make them feel important. And they are unlikely to read anything not directly about them or anything at all in some cases so I wouldn’t bother getting so upset.
I've been to Blue only once and it was okay, a bit overpriced for what I got and I wasn't enticed to go back. Being close to "The beautiful people" was not my scene and to be honest I could not see why my companions at the time on a night out, turned their entire conversation to who was over there and who they were with and what they had on. I had no idea who they were, I gave up on soaps years ago and I hate football so the evening for me became one were I felt completely out of it. So it was the bizarre “star-struck” behaviour of friends that put me off rather than anything to do with the décor or the food. The food was alright, nothing special, no “wow taste this” factor but nothing to complain about either. And the staff were lovely and smiling. So take a deep breath and count to 10. If that doesn’t work count to 100 or until you turn blue. ”

taken on board says..“ to answer "john" my comments are in most part agreement with lucky grills to the point where yes the reviewer was honest about his visit but thats his opinion, i was merley pointing out that having worked there its poor reviewing to suggest that some ingrediants are bought in, but as lucky grills points out a review is an opinion and it should be used as nothing more but a kick up the backside to the current employees, who knows they may just shock you on your next visit......”

Debonair Dickie says..“ I had no idea that ‘Blue’ was still going. The last time I heard it mentioned was on Channel Four’s ‘Late Lunch’ when, after boasting she hadn’t read a book since she did her GCSEs, the woman who was then playing Jackie Dixon in dying soap Brookside went on to say that she spent her evenings “inder Bloobar”.
After that I never went back, it was already too full of chumps and scallies even before this free advert on national television.
Is “beautiful people” meant to be ironic? ”

Gordo says..“ Blimey.”

AD says..“ A reviews opinion is a profesionals opinion, it wont always be right but it will be right more times than its wrong (afterall livcon wont last long if all its reviews are rubish).

So no pinch of salt needed with so many dishes getting a negative review clearly something isnt right.”

Dig says..“ Is Blue still the place place to go to be seen? I must be getting old as I thought that ship sailed long ago. I know Blue has it's fans but it is hardly cutting edge and the food has NEVER been fantastic. ”

Marie Timeheritage says..“ Apart from one very muddy and circuitous walk (thanks, Liberal Dimbocrats) to the Klimt exhibition in 2008 I haven't been to the Albert Dock at all for years. There's nothing there any more apart from cramped, uncomfortable overpriced bars and cramped, uncomfortable overpriced flats.”

Barnacle Bill says..“ They've even dummed down the Maritime Museum so that shouting hyperactive whelps will not be 'bored'”

Square Eyes says..“ I wonder whatever happened to the woman who played Jackie Dixon in Brookie? Had she been a cockney in East Enders the BBC would at great expense have created a job for her, but non-cockneys have no chance.”

star_spotter says..“ Eiew myee Gozz! She’s goin’ to be in ‘Bolloaks’! http://uk.imdb.com/name/nm0281939/news#ni3569512 ”