Reunion!

It was 10 years ago last September that we started university in Manchester, so our group of friends decided to have a reunion to mark the occasion. Unfortunately Dhanusha couldn't make it, but we muddled on as you do. After all, whether it's an Argentine model, 20 year old botox clinician or a waiter in an Indian restaurant who gives you vimto lollies with the request that you think of him "whenever you suck one", Manchester ALWAYS guarantees a good time.

Now, I went up early to see old work friends and spent Tuesday night with Sara, visiting Emma and finally seeing her new son Jake. Sara took me for my first ever Salford precinct shopping experience where we saw two slightly feral people going at it in the exchange and refunds queue in Argos. Britain is marvelous. And we spent the evening catching up on gossip and getting googly-eyed over videos of Take That.

On Wednesday Cathy, Kofi, Meg H, Lizzie, Matt, Jo and Megan and Nico made their way to the city centre for the start of our 2 day booze-orgy- sorry- reunion. Seeing as three snowflakes had fallen across the country (well, 10cms of snow in some places) transport was up the creek a bit and it took some time to gather everyone together, but pretty soon we were in Canal street's Velvet enjoying fine food and conversation. The alcohol unfortunately flowed too quickly and certain persons (ie me) were drunk rather quickly. But it was for the best as we headed to Via Fossa and danced and drank and I made new friends with a man who worked in a botox clinic and still thought I was 23 (Mediterranean skin, what can I say...). The not nice part of England is sometimes things are appropriated by other people, and some girls decided they liked Nico's coat, so unsurprisingly he wasn't best pleased and he, Megan, Matt and Lizzy headed off back to the hostel leaving the rest of us to bar hop. So it was off to Spirit, then for me and my botox-friend Manto's and finally Cruz 101 for a dance and some more.

Thursday was another good day, starting with the necessary shopping and continuing with food in Wagamama's (yes, I am missing Japanese food) and then more drink in the Northern Quarter where we entertained ourselves with crosswords and puzzles and Jo and I invented the "MossWord" which we really should have kept for posterity, but as it was rather obscene Meg H decided we should dispose of it...
Our plan for the evening was more food, so we headed off to Rusholme for more drink in Hardy's Well (an old pub we used to go to) and then headed to an Indian restaurant where we ordered too much food. I think my declaration of love for dahl may have led to the waiter asking me to remember him when sucking lollies. If I had any class I would feel dirty.

After curry everyone headed back to the pub except for Meg H and I who wandered back to the hostel taking in the University, our would halls and old haunts and marveling at the change since we left 6 years ago.

On Friday we parted ways, and after some time shopping, I headed to Stretford to meet Susan for the last rendezvous of the trip. And what a rendezvous. Susan wanted to go out in Chorlton but I whined like a child about wanting to go out in town, so after some gin and tequila at theirs we did both. We headed to Chorlton and met Penny briefly in Bar and then headed to the Wetherspoon pub, then to Iguana bar (where a certain person made nasty comments about the night's performer) and then we got a cab into town, heading to Essential, Manchester's big gay club, and I started dancing like a maniac while Susan and Lyndsey drank and Susan intermittently stated she wanted to go but would then forget and buy another drink. Yay! for alcohol.

So on Saturday I headed back to London with the marvel of trains running on time and reaching their destination early, just so that I could sit in on New Year's Eve watching telly with Ma and Pa. Except being almost a pensioner myself I fell asleep at about 10:30 and was most grumpy when I awoke shortly after...

Happy New Year!