Friends

It is said that a true friend is someone who you don't speak to for a couple of weeks/months/years but when you do catch up everything falls back into place and it's as though you haven't been away.

This was so true on Friday night. Since leaving Sheffield four months ago there have been occasional e-mails/texts/telephone calls but no real chances to catch up. This was until Friday night when we all decided to have a mini re-union. Last trains back to Hull leave crazily early so up step Laterooms.com. I love this place, as I haven't paid full price for a hotel room for years. Upstep the Mercure Hotel just outside the Winter Gardens. The room was fantastic, the view amazing (although I should apologise to those people having dinner across the square after my shower, as I forgot that I had opened the window, and the breeze chose the worst possible moment to blow the curtains aside!) and the service first class, and I would hugely recommend it for a night away.

As it was a Friday, and with plenty of holiday days left I decided to take the day off. I could check in from anytime after 12pm so a leisurely morning, a quick train ride, and I was in Sheffield in time to use the gym, pool and spa.....yeah I know really manly but so worth it. Was a fantastic way to relax after a hell of a week and to kick start a night out.

Soon it was over to Ha Ha Bar to meet up with friends who had come with me to Manchester, some who had left at the same time but moved elsewhere, and those who had stayed. It was such a great time, seeing people who had been on maternity leave, catching up with others and within minutes it was as though we hadn't been away.....making the same jokes......making fun of the same people.....it's such a shame that we had to split apart a very close team and that we no longer see each other every day.

As it was a few too many drinks later and it was off to Reflex/Flairs - an 80s bar where one of the guys used to work as a club dancer - a bless 'Huggy Ben' where they had somewhat foolishly installed a pole dancing pole.....unfortunately we found it......and a spin-off ensued (probably not the best idea after a meal and several drinks) until the staff threw us out.

From there to a club where the husband of one of my surrogate mothers was DJ-ing (is that a real word or have I just made it up?) for dancing like a fool with a lot of friends around.

Crawling into bed at 3.30 on a Saturday morning is something that I haven't done a lot of for a while. When I lived in York it was twice a week, but 3.30 bed for 5am start don't really mix....unfortunately cos I love a social life involving dancing and mixing with friends.....and I hope that I can pick this back up again in Manchester.

I have soem very close friends who I see every week or so, and I know that I have some great friends who I see or speak to less often, and I would like to say a huge 'Thank You' to all my friends, and apologise if I have let our friendship slip, but you all mean a great deal to me!