Weekly Update!

Christmas, Eating & Andorra!

Amidst the chaos of packing for my ski trip, I thought I would post on here early to sum up the week so far. I won't be posting next week due to being away, but will be back the week of the 7th Jan, to tell you all about what will hopefully be an amazing time!

Monday was Christmas Eve, but most people in the house were working so I spent the day chilling out, cleaning my room and getting some stuff sorted for skiing. I also redyed my hair purple and it came out much better this time. I worked at the pub in the evening, but luckily finished just after 11pm, so went into Hale to meet up with Tasha, Emily, Lydia and her gang for a few drinks. There was a band on, and we stayed until about 2am, but I was only on wine so didn't get too drunk.

The following day we woke up and had eggs Benedict for breakfast before Jasmine started work at 10am. I had a bit of a nap while mum watched TV, and then we started on Christmas dinner. Dad woke up at about half two, and Jas got home at just gone three, so we opened our stocking presents before sitting down for something to eat. We had a four bird roast that was gorgeous, followed by yule log for dessert later on. Because we didn't start opening presents until around 5pm, we didn't finish until nineish, so the day seemed to fly by, we didn't even watch any television! I got lots of ski and gym stuff, some new running trainers and lots of chocolate, so a good day all in all!

The following day all the family came over, and it was lovely to have all the little cousins round, as Christmas seems so much more exciting when kids are involved. We had another Christmas dinner, this time turkey and gammon followed by mince pies and trifle, and opened lots of presents before settling down for the evening. Everyone apart from my Aunty Sarah, Chris and the kids were staying, so I was relegated to the living room on an airbed, but it was actually pretty comfy!

On 27th my Aunty Joanne and Ian left, but the kids stayed behind with us and my grandparents. Jasmine and I went into Altrincham and I picked up my phone finally, as well as buying a nice dress from River Island, and a snakeskin top from H&M for the jungle themed night whilst I am away. I had my nails done a really nice glittery mocha colour, and we had a buffet tea before Jasmine, Dad and I went to see the Hobbit (see future post).

Friday was spent last minute packing/ holiday prepping, my bag is a joke, it took two of us to close it! Afterwards I went for a drink with Emily and Tasha at Bloom in Altrincham, and then went to Benn's as he had a couple of people round. I was stupidly drinking until about 6am this morning, so am going to feel awful on the coach, and look a right state, which will be a shame if there are a few hotties lurking!

Candid Article 24

Cult Films

It could be thought that films are simply there to entertain or inform, but some have such a strong impact on fans and their lives that they gain cult status. This is a film that ‘has acquired a following with a specific group of fans. Cult films often become the source of a thriving, obsessive, and elaborate subculture of fandom, hence the analogy.’ I thought I would take a look at a few films that have achieved this label across the decades, and the effect they have had on their fans and society. 

The Godfather (1972) – The Godfather follows the Corleones, a New York crime family who have powerful connections and influences over the city, headed by Marlon Brando’s character Vito. The film spans a decade, and there are two sequels which continue the story once youngest son Michael (Al Pacino) has come to be the Don of the family. It details the movements and happenings within the gangster underworld that they are at the forefront of. The most commercially successful film of all time upon its release, it is ranked as the second greatest film in American Cinema by the American Film Institute. Thought to be one of the most influential films in world cinema, it made stars of Pacino and his onscreen wife Diane Keaton, and spawned a host of phrases that are well-known and frequently reused to this day. 

Star Wars (1977) - George Lucas’ hugely successful six-piece space saga first began in the late seventies with the revolutionary film titled ‘A New Hope’. It told the story of Luke Skywalker, who learns he is a descendant of a member of a rebel group called the Jedi who are trained to have great fighting skills and mind powers. He leaves his life as a farmhand to join their forces to rescue the captured Princess Leia and save the galaxy from the evil Darth Vader. The franchise has inspired an episode of The Simpsons, countless board and computer games and fancy dress parties across the globe amongst other things. Some die-hard fans even class themselves to be Jedi by religion, and there are Jedi news websites and hundreds of fan events that take place every year. The biggest convention is the (almost!) annual Star Wars Celebration, which has been held in America, Asia and Europe and has been running since 1999, the largest of which attracted an incredible 35,000 fans. 

The Breakfast Club (1985) - Directed by John Hughes, this 80s classic was one of the first films to address the high school clique system. Five students, stereotyped the Jock, the Princess, the Brain, the Criminal and the Basket Case are placed into detention one morning with the aim of writing an essay titled ‘Who do you think you are?’. Confined to the classroom for nine hours, eventually the quintet open up to each other about their lives, form friendships, and leave as different people to those they entered as. Since the creation of The Breakfast Club, countless films have been made based on similar scenarios and settings, but this is definitely a case of original and best. 

Fight Club (1999) – Based on the book by Chuck Palanuik, this film focuses on a dissatisfied insomniac, who forms a group with an eccentric soapmaker he meets on a flight. The Fight Club members release pent up frustrations with everyday life through taking part in violent clashes against each other. A delicious twist at the end makes this one of those films that you feel the need to re-watch once it’s over. However it’s no chore to do so, mainly due to the efforts of an all-star cast, which includes Brad Pitt, Edward Norton and Helena Bonham-Carter. It was reported in 2006 that due to the release of this film, many ‘underground bare-knuckle brawling clubs’ had been founded across America, but as they take part amongst consenting adults who do not press charges if injuries are sustained, there is little police can do. 

Shaun of the Dead (2004) – This was the first film dubbed a ‘zombie comedy’, created and performed in by the genius duo of Nick Frost and Simon Pegg. It has a simplistic plot - a middle-aged man whose girlfriend is sick of his layabout ways is forced to be proactive, as he has to lead a group of his friends against a zombie invasion in London, with hilarious (and gruesome) results. The team behind the film have gone on to enjoy huge success, as well as paving the way for similar films such as Severance and Zombieland to make it into the mainstream film circuit.

Winter Views...

Life Of Pi - 5 stars *****

This was a truly breathtaking film. Even the advert made me emotional it was so stunning, so I had high expectations and it didn't disappoint. It is directed by Ang Lee, who has a very diverse mixture of films under his belt, and it is clear he chooses his projects to challenge his talents - and they have definitely been put to good use in this piece.

I haven't read the book, so didn't really know the story, but it is basically about an Indian boy called Piscine (or Pi for short) whose family own a zoo. His father discovers that the animals will be worth much more money if they are sold in Canada, so the family leave India and embark upon a sea journey to the country. However, they are caught in a terrible storm, and Pi is cast out in a lifeboat alone with a hyena, an orangutan, a zebra and a Bengal tiger called Richard Parker.

The film is a sort of alternative coming-of-age story, as it follows Pi's journey at sea, as he struggles to survive, and has to gain the trust of his travelling companions in order to overcome the challenges they face. It is told first hand by Pi as an adult (Irrfan Khan), who is recounting the story to a writer (played by Rafe Spall) who wishes to turn the tale into a book.

Visually, this film is flawless. In particular, the scene set at night where the sea is a swarm of jellyfish is gorgeous, as is one of the earlier scenes where the sky is reflected in the still ocean, so that it looks possible to walk on it like a mirror. 19 year old Suraj Sharma who plays Pi, steals the screen in his debut role, and I am certain we will see big things from him, as he throws himself into character with blind determination, and you don't doubt him for one second.

The soundtrack has been chosen with great care, and really adds to the feel and emotion of the film, I am not going to lie, I was an emotional wreck whilst watching it! It is the perfect mix of philosophy, friendship, loss, love, growth and turmoil, and so touches the old and young alike in different ways. I cannot commend this highly enough - go and see it!

Weekly Update!

Pizza, Purple Hair & Festive Cooking!

Most of this week I have already spoken about in previous posts! (Ellie Goulding on Monday and Aum's Nativity on Tuesday) however, it has been quite a packed week, so there is plenty more to say. On Wednesday I finished work at 12pm once I'd finished wrapping a few presents and doing some jobs, as Aum finished school for the holidays so his parents took him to see a musical. On Thursday we had to stay in to wait for a courier to arrive to take some parcels, but once he had been we went to Sainsbury's and stopped at Starbucks for a coffee - I always enjoy taking Aum there as he's so cute when he just chats to me. That evening we had our annual Christmas buffet tea and watched A Muppet Christmas Carol, which was lovely as always, and Jasmine and I had a proper laugh saying the lines and messing around.

On Friday Aum had a friend round for the day, so I took them to Pizza Express for lunch. I had dough balls followed by the Capriciossa pizza - it was nice but had anchovies on, which I'm fairly sure wasn't on the menu. I ate it anyway, but it was a bit salty so not as nice as usual. It was my final day at work, so we swapped presents and said our goodbyes until 2013. I dyed my hair that evening, and just had a quiet one watching TV with Jasmine and Mum.

On Saturday I had my eyebrows dyed, and then vegged out pretty much all morning! Jasmine and I went into Altrincham for a bit of a wander in the afternoon, but I didn't buy anything interesting, just a couple of mascaras. That evening we took Lydia on her first outing since breaking her knee, to see Life Of Pi at the Lowry cinema. It was really good, even though it made me cry - lots! (see next week's post).

Today I woke up early and did an aerobics class followed by a gym session, motivated! I then came home and dyed the ends of my hair purple, although I was slightly overly cautious as it isn't as dark or as far up as I wanted, so I am going to redo it tomorrow. Looks nice though. I spent the afternoon cooking various treats for going to Lydia's tonight - I did some asparagus and cheese tartlets, and various Christmas themed crostini. They are safely in the car along with a bottle of wine and some card games for a night of festive frolics! Looking forward to seeing everyone as it has been forever for some of them, and of course eating some yummy food!

Nights Out...

Hale Prep Nativity

Yesterday I went to watch Aum in his Nativity play with his parents. It was at the Wythenshawe Forum, which is a huge theatre, but to be fair it was pretty full - a much better turnout than I remember being at mine when I was younger!

The Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 children did a traditional nativity story, but it was shown from the perspective of the star that the wise men followed, which was different. I was impressed at how well they all remembered the dance routines and songs, as they are only little, and some of the costumes were brilliant.

Next was the Year 3 and 4 children, who did a more dance inspired performance of Pinocchio. They all looked brilliant dressed as puppets, and though it was only ten minutes long, the dances were perfectly coordinated and executed very well, not one child was out of time! The boy who played Gepetto also managed to keep up a flawless Italian accent for the duration which I thought was fantastic.

Finally came the turn of the older children - Years 5 and 6. They did a shortened version of Les Miserables, which I can honestly say is the best children's play I have ever seen. Everyone was in character giving it their all, and a couple of the soloists had amazing voices, I literally would not be surprised if they are on the stage/ screen in the future. 

At the end of all three pieces, all the children sang 'We Wish You A Merry Christmas' and there was a speech by the headteacher, Mr Connor. After initially not being that bothered about seeing it, I'm really glad I went, as I thoroughly enjoyed it, and it put me in a lovely Christmassy mood. It's a while since I've seen a nativity play, but I can safely say it put the ones done by my primary school firmly to shame!

Winter Sounds...

Ellie Goulding

Last night I went to see Ellie Goulding with my sister at Manchester Academy. She was supported by a band called Sons & Lovers which we saw the end of, and DJ Yasmin, who played an awesome set that really got the crowd going ready for the main act.

Ellie came on in a black lace bodysuit and satin hotpants, looking sensational, and opened with Don't Say a Word. I was a bit dubious, as it didn't sound like she was singing, but then we realised it was as she had a big drum in front of her ready to play the solo in it, so we let her off!

She played a really good long set, and had great interaction with the crowd, explaining the meaning behind certain songs and where she had written them etc, which made them resonate more. Because she had so much stage time, she performed basically all the songs off both albums - Guns and Horses, Under The Sheets, Salt Skin, Everytime You Go, Your Biggest Mistake, Anything Can Happen, Halcyon, Figure 8, I Know You Care, Explosions, JOY, Hanging On and my personal favourite (and apparently hers) My Blood.

She came back on shortly afterwards for an encore, where she performed Your Song and a dubstepped version of Starry Eyed, which was such a great one to finish on, as it left everyone on a high ready for Christmas time!

Weekly Update!

Babysitting & Debauchery

This has been a babysitting filled week! I looked after a little 6 month old baby called Henry on Tuesday, who was adorable, but not so cute when he woke up at 11pm screaming the hotel room down! Luckily his mum came back half an hour later, so it was a relief to pass him back and run away with £30!

On Wednesday I did the Christmas Markets (see previous post) and on Thursday I babysat again, this time for Aum as it was his dad's birthday. It was only until half ten though, so was a relatively easy night.

On Friday I went for a swim, had my nails done and then picked Aum up and took him to a party at the Chill Factore. The traffic was manic, which was rather annoying as I was driving to Northampton that evening, so wanted to be quick home, but I still managed to make it into town to pick up Hendo, Brian and Rick up by just gone six, so it wasn't too bad. The journey took us about three hours, including a stop for some food at a service station, so it was fairly painless, and as soon as we arrived we went to Morrisons for some booze to start drinking!

That night we went to Propaganda, an indie night at a place called the Roadmender. It was the last night before the students left so was pretty busy, and was nice and cheap! We stayed until closing and then got taxis back before crashing into bed. The following morning we were woken really early, thanks Chris, so Geoff and I went to Tesco to buy some stuff to make a full English breakfast, which I cooked, being so incredibly generous. We lounged around and got showered before heading into the town centre for a look around.

Northampton isn't the nicest place, but we managed to find a couple of decent pubs to wile away the afternoon in, and we got some food to keep us going from Wetherspoons - the nachos were amazing! We went back home to get ready for our second night out, which was to a few bars before ending the night in Revolution. I have no idea why we finished up in there, as everyone was complaining about extortionate drinks prices and the idiot guys that were in there, but we had a fab night nonetheless.

This morning, the two day hangover hit and we were all in bed until nearly midday. After packing up the whirlwind in Geoff's flat, we set off for home at around 2pm, and I got back just after 5pm, as had to drop the boys in the city centre. Lisa, Trevor and Laura were round for tea when I arrived, so it was nice to catch up with them, but it was slightly marred by the fact I had just found out Lydia has broken her knee - and I am supposed to be skiing with her in two weeks! Not chuffed, but hey ho, life goes on.

Candid Article 23

Because Candid is now available exclusively as a paid for app, I can no longer upload links to my articles on here. However, what I can do is paste my original copy, and you will have to imagine how much better it is since it has been tweaked. In the future (after this and my next article), I will not bother placing my Candid work up on my blog, in order to encourage those who enjoy my writing to purchase the app!

Peace, Love & Flares

When someone mentions ‘Faith’ it is quite easy to dive straight into thoughts about religion; but a second definition is ‘belief in anything, as a code of ethics, standards of merit, etc’. One group of people who embraced this idea, were liberal, free-loving, anti-war youths prevalent in sixties America and Europe, otherwise known as hippies.

Although it is impossible to generalise about hippies, as with any other social group, certain views and opinions were prevalent in the majority of members. They believed in group harmony, living away from major areas in self sufficient communes, one of the most famous of which is Drop City, developed in 1965. They encouraged the use of drugs such as LSD and marijuana, believing their relaxing and hallucinogenic properties to be beneficial to communal living and embracing nature. They were liberal in their sexual views, enjoying multiple partners and frequent casual sex, and often partook in shows of nudity.  Because hippies were so politically outspoken about their peaceful, pacifist attitudes they became known for their non-violent anarchy and deliberately chose not to conform to the norms of society. In a way, their disregard for commercialism and desire to break away from tradition, meant that their own values were created , and that they revolutionised many creative outlets, such as music, architecture and fashion.

Clothing was flamboyant and outrageous, in a feat meant to stray from normality, with bright prints, paisley, bell-bottom trousers, billowing chiffon blouses, pyjama style printed trousers, kaftans and cropped tops all making frequent appearances. There was an earthy feeling to a lot of the common trends, due to strong passions for being one with nature and going ‘back to the earth’. People often went barefoot, women braless, and materials such as hemp and unrefined cotton were widely used. Effects that were easy to create at home were embraced, such as tie-dye and batik, and peace signs and love beads were worn.

Many of the traditional hippie views were further made popular due to having a musical influence. Bands such as Jefferson Airplane, Fairport Convention and the Grateful Dead gained massive cult followings, emphasising carefree attitudes and taking on the hippie style, meaning that by the late 60s, many of their trends had been embraced by the mainstream fashion world and had strong influences on the wardrobes of the masses.

 

Nowadays it may not be quite as popular to dwell in communes and live off the land, but the relaxed style of dressing originally favoured by the hippies is still very much alive. You need only look to the festival scene that emerges each summer to see outfits steeped in hippie tradition – headbands or braided hair adorned with flowers, faded and ripped denim, floral prints, checked shirts that are adjusted and customised – the ‘boho chic’ trend that has been around for years now, is simply an updated and tweaked hippie style.

Glastonbury, Latitude and Bestival aside, clothing features that originated in the sixties are also copiously used by high end and couture designers – Paul Smith’s floral shirts, and psychedelic prints by Pucci are evidence of this. Even the beliefs valued by hippies in the past are continued, with ethically aware brands such as Edun creating clothes out of sustainable materials and helping third world communities by using local tradesmen and women in their businesses.

Nights Out...

Manchester Christmas Markets

Last night I met up with Amanda, my friend from university, and we went for a wander around the Christmas markets in Manchester city centre. I love going every year as it really gets me in the mood for Christmas (and the food is definitely a bonus point).

We met by St Peter's Square met stop as it is directly in front of the markets, so is a good rendezvous point. We had a bit of a mooch around first, before deciding what to get for our tea, which I always find a hard decision! I chose a lamb burger, but as there was a wait on those I went for the Cumberland sausage instead, with Stilton cheese, and red pepper relish. It was amazing! Amanda got the same but with Lancashire cheese instead. I also bought some raspberry mulled wine, which is my favourite out of all the flavours they do there. The prices are pretty ridiculous, but you do get a bit swept up in the festive spirit!

We then had a look at some of the stalls, and I bought a couple of things; an antique gold ring that looks like a crown, and an oxidised silver torque bangle that has a lovely pattern engraved on it - I've been after one in a similar style for ages, but they're so expensive in places like Topshop etc. I managed to get this one for £12 which I was very happy with.

After a while we were getting chilly and it was starting to get a bit quiet so we decided to head home. Not before a cheeky trip to the fudge stall though! I got 100g of cherry vanilla flavour and 100g of maple and pecan; it's probably the only time I can justify spending nearly a fiver on sweets.

Weekly Update!

Free Tickets, Dates & Christmas Trees!

This week has been pretty fun-filled, as aside from working at the pub on Monday, I scored a free ticket to Xfm's Winter Wonderland on Tuesday (see previous post) and I went on a date on Wednesday. We went to this really nice pub/ bar in Spinningfields in Manchester called The Oasthouse, which is made to look like an old barn - it was very cosy and festive with all the Christmas decorations. I bumped into a few of the regulars from the pub I work at which was funny, as they insisted on embarrassing me by shaking my date's hand and congratulating him!

On Thursday I helped my mum to put up our Christmas tree, aided by the obligatory sound of Christmas music on my iPod and a couple of glasses of wine which was lovely. Dad, as per, confined himself to the other room and watched the football all night!

On Saturday I went to Leeds (see previous post) and in the evening a big group of us went out to Evolution. It was their Christmas night, which wasn't much different except for a themed backdrop to the photos, and a cringe-worthy dance troupe performing to 'All I Want For Christmas' and wielding axle-grinders and fire sticks to 'Girl On Fire'. Not only were the girls pretty harsh on the eye, but I genuinely think I could have put on a better show, as they were far from talented. I sound like such a jealous person, but those who know me will know I appreciate an attractive girl as much as any guy, so really it's just disappointment!

Today we were all slightly hungover, though I'll be honest, I expected worse, so lounged around reminiscing about the night's antics before I drove home at 3pm. Mum and I had intended going to a carol concert this evening - only to discover upon arrival that there was no such event occurring, so we went home and had liver, sausages, cauliflower cheese and sweet potato mash for tea, which was worth going home for!

Days Out...

Vintage Fair, Leeds

Yesterday I went back to Leeds for a second time for my sister's birthday. I arrived at around 2pm and was greeted with a bacon sandwich - perfect. 

Once I'd dumped my bags we decided to drive into Leeds as there was a vintage fair on at the Corn Exchange. We parked at a really cheap carpark (£1 an hour) and wandered through town until we reached the venue. It is a really magnificent building and looked very festive with a huge tree in the middle and lots of lights twinkling.

The first few stalls were jewellery based, and had some pretty aged gold pieces that were handmade. as well as vintage brooches and hair pieces. There was a beautiful customised hand held mirror on one stand that I was very tempted with.

Towards the back were a few more 'fashioney' stalls, selling hand tie-dyed clothes and cut off Levis jeans shorts and sheer blouses, old fashioned leather clip suitcases and some amazing fur coats, which despite being £400 still made me want to reach for my credit card! As well as the vintage market, there were also shops there that are open everyday selling everything from trinkets to Asian inspired gifts, handmade tailoring to some pretty funny cards! (see picture).

After we'd had a wander we went into a few more shops in the centre before heading back to the car. Something a bit different to do that filled a Saturday afternoon I guess!

Winter Sounds...

Xfm's Winter Wonderland

Yesterday I got a text off my friend Mike asking if I wanted to go to Xfm's Winter Wonderland, and obviously I jumped at the chance! Unfortunately I was working until 7.30pm, but I drove straight there, so we arrived just in time for Delphic's set at 8pm. They were really good, and proper got the venue pumped up ready for the night's festivities. As there were a few different artists on they only got to play a four song set, but it included Doubt, so that was all that mattered!

Next up were Everything Everything, who I was particularly excited to see. They too played a small set of five songs, but ended on Cough Cough, which was so good live! I'm looking forward to the new album coming out in early January even more now. I was surprised at how young they all seemed, the bassist in particular looked like he should still be at school! Great talents, and they formed at Salford University, so you could tell they were pleased to be playing to a home crowd.

Next up were Maximo Park, who performed for about 45 minutes. The lead singer, Paul Smith, was crazy as ever, diving about the stage and putting on a great show, and they played 'Books From Boxes' which is up there with one of my favourite songs ever, so it was great to see it live. The last time I saw them was at Benicassim in 2009, which I can barely remember apart from the fact that it was rather tame, so it was good to see the band play in the high spirits they are famed for!

The final act of the night was Bloc Party, who have been on my 'to see' list for as long as I can remember. They played a really good mix of old and new, well known and less known songs, including a few from their latest album, which sounds a lot heavier than previous ones, I will definitely be getting hold of it after hearing a few samples.

The night finished at about 11pm, and we headed back to the car (which we had sneakily managed to find a space on the road for free!) and I drove us both home. Not bad for a last minute gig and free ticket!

Weekly Update!

Eggs Benedict, Skyping & Chinese!

This week started nicely, as I went for lunch with Tasha on Monday to a new cafe that has opened in Hale called Cafe Gourmand. I chose to have eggs Benedict  a personal favourite of mine, and a cup of tea. It came with one of those ball infuser things which was different, and looked very swish on the wooden plank it was served on! The food was gorgeous, and for that with a tip and two cups of tea it was just over £11, which I thought was quite good.

Tuesday and Wednesday went by in a flash, I skyped Hana in Australia on Weds lunchtime; it was great to catch up with her and see her all settled in. In the evening I went for a drink with Mike at The Pelican in Sale which has been done up - it was really busy as a match was on, but it was cool to have a few chilled drinks to break the week up. I babysat on Thursday, and had my nails done on Friday before picking Hendo and Nate up to drive to Leeds to see SubFocus and Knife Party (see previous post). 

Saturday was a bit of a rush driving back from Leeds and getting ready for a ball I was going to that started at 6.30pm (see previous post) but I managed it and had a great night. Sunday was a lovely lazy day that involved a lie in, watching some TV, catching up with some of the mates I went to Benicassim with and in the evening I got a Chinese with Mum and Dad which topped the day off nicely. Best weekend I've had in a while!

Nights Out...

Genesis Appeal Winter Ball 2012

Last night my friend Tasha and I went to a charity ball at the Radisson Blu in Manchester. It is very random how we ended up there - basically we wanted to dress up and go to a ball, and I saw this one advertised on Twitter as it was hosted by a publication company that I follow. On the spur of the moment we decided to go, as we figured it would be a laugh and was for a good cause, so why not?

I picked Natasha up at quarter past six and we headed into the city centre. We were a bit worried that we would be late as the invite said 6.30pm prompt for the champagne reception, but we seemed to arrive at the perfect time. We gave our coats in at the cloakroom, picked up a glass of champagne and wandered through to the bar, where everyone was gathered. There were casino tables and a Christmas tree with baubles with numbers on for a raffle; and with all the other decorations the room looked very festive.

We were ushered through into the dining room after a while, where we found our table and sat down. We were introduced to the people on it with us, and then had our starter, which was a roasted vegetable salad with goats cheese on top. Tasha and I had ordered two bottles of wine to be on the table, and it went really nicely with the starter - there is nothing worse than wine tasting awful with food! The main course was roast beef with vegetables and a potato rosti, which was in a gorgeous rich gravy, and was the perfect size considering we were having three courses. After that there was coconut pannacotta with a lime biscotti and lemongrass chantilly, followed by tea/ coffee and chocolates which were amazing! They were made by a company in Wilmslow who had also donated a raffle prize, and their chocolate is exquisite.

Once we had finished eating there was the raffle and auction for charity. Obviously it was for a good cause (The Genesis Appeal) but it took forever, and we got a little tired and bored waiting for it to be over! After an hour and a half, the band started playing, and people got up for a dance. We danced to a few of the later tracks, before going back into the bar for a go on the Christmas tree raffle. We were lucky enough to be placed on the same table as the organiser, so he gave us a few clues in choosing our numbers!

We then had a couple of photographs taken, some nice and some silly. We bought one of each for ten pounds which I thought was quite good, as they are fairly large and in cardboard frames. Then we ate some things off the chocolate fountain table, they had fruit, marshmallows, fudge and mini doughnuts! By this time we realised we still had the best part of a bottle of wine to drink, so we headed back to our table to sup up and have a boogie until it finished at 1am. We got a taxi back (cheap too - £20.50!), and I was shattered after such a busy couple of days, I fell to sleep almost straightaway. It was really fun to have done something a little different on a Saturday night, everyone loves to dress up don't they? We found out the following day that over £5,000 had been raised for the charity as well which was really good to hear.

Winter Sounds...

Knife Party/ Sub Focus

Last night I travelled with a couple of friends to Leeds to stay with my sister. The weather was a bit of a nightmare, and there was an accident on the motorway, but we still managed to get there for 7.30pm, which wasn't bad considering we had a few detours and stopped off for some food at Morrisons.

We got ready and had a few drinks, before playing some drinking games and getting into the mood for the evening. We got a taxi from the house at about eleven, as Jas and I had to pick our tickets up from the Box Office, but we were actually fairly lucky as there was no queue, so we got in quicker than those in the normal queue.

The drinks in the venue (we were at the O2 Apollo in Leeds city centre) were really expensive, it was £5 for a single and mixer! I noticed that the miniature bottles of wine were £4 though, so I bought two of those and put them into a pint glass - classy. I didn't actually drink a great deal, as with it being so crowded and us jumping around a lot, it was a bit counter-productive having a full glass.

First on were Feed Me, who I'd never heard of, but they were really good, and proper got the atmosphere pumped up ready for Sub Focus, who were next. I was looking forward to that set the most, and it didn't disappoint. It ended with Tidal Wave, which I am totally in love with, so that was cool. Knife Party, the 'headliners' were next, and they did all their classic hits, by which time the majority of people were wasted/ high, so it was pretty crazy!

They finished at about half 3, by which time my sister was getting tired, so she and her boyfriend went home and I stayed out with my friends. The final act to play were Koan Sound, who (from what I can remember) were also amazing. However by then the venue had cleared quite a lot, so most people were just bobbing about, it wasn't quite as mental! We left at 4.35am, knackered. It was a brilliant night though, you can't beat a dubstep/ D&B night for getting you in a good mood!

Weekly Update!

Catchups, Cakes & Clowns!

The week got off to a good start when I was told Aum was going to Pontefract after school on Monday, so I had a nice coffee and cake at Costa with Abi in the afternoon, and then once I had picked Aum up and dropped him at home I was free to go back to my house for a bit of a break before my shift at the pub. We were really busy that night - I made triple the amount of tips I usually do!

On Tuesday I was able to lie in, as Aum wasn't back until half twelve, and then I took him into school for the afternoon so he was in a very good mood after such a shortened day. On Wednesday I went to the gym and did a proper workout which was good, and then in the evening I went to see The Vaccines with my friend Rick (see previous post). We went to Factory afterwards for a night out, and I bumped into the ex-boyfriend of a friend which was strange - he had completely changed! It was good to catch up, and Rick and I had a really good night, even though I got home at 4am and had to be in work at 7.45am!

Thursday was Aum's birthday, which got off to a great start when I locked my keys inside the house, forcing us to have to start walking to school whilst we waited for his mum to drive back from work to pass me a key! It worked out OK in the end though, and he loved his present from me which was a bonus. As they were going out for a meal after school, I finished once I had dropped him off in the morning, so promptly went back to bed to catch a bit more shut-eye!

On Friday after work I drove to Lancaster to see my friend Weronika. We were supposed to be going for a meal, but we decided to stay in and have some pizza and garlic bread at hers before going out for a couple of drinks. We met some friends in The Friary, where it was the rock and indie night which took me back to my Urbis days! Despite us intending going home fairly early, we managed to find our way onto the free guestlist for Sugarhouse so continued our night in there, before a group of us went back to Weronika's for an 'afterparty' which went on until 7.30am! 

On Saturday we woke up at 10.30am, so I was completely knackered, but livened up a bit after having some scrambled eggs with toast and beans and getting ready. I drove into Manchester at 1pm, and Weronika came with me so we could do a bit of shopping. I bought some lilac hair dye, which is going to be my project for the Christmas holiday! On Saturday evening I went round to Emily and Smeed's where we made a cake for Aum's birthday party.   (see previous post). It was nice just to chill out for once on a Saturday, and get a relatively early night.

Today I had a super lie in, and then got ready for Aum's party, which was at the Marriott. He had two entertainers called Kuki and Krumbs who kept the kids occupied, and then there was a mini disco, which a few parents joined in for! There was a bit of food for the adults (bagels and cupcakes etc) and drinks, and people were all chatting and enjoying themselves, so it was a nice day. I got home at half 6, and spent the rest of this evening watching TV and having a catch up on the phone with Lydia. A nicely varied weekend!

New Tastes...

Volcano Cake!

Tomorrow is Aum's birthday party, and Emily and I had said we'd make his birthday cake. Sounds like a relatively easy task - except for the fact that he requested a 'volcano cake'! We made a normal chocolate cake (see recipe below) but made sure the top layer was a little smaller than the bottom, and we also made a few cupcakes with the leftover mixture to help with the construction!

Once it was all cooked and cooled, we made some buttercream (again see recipe below) and used it to sandwich the two cakes together, and using the cupcakes cut in half, we made a little stack on the top to add height to the 'volcano'. Then we put the buttercream all over the cake, which made it easier to mould into the shape we wanted.

By now it was starting to look like it was supposed to, then we just had to add the 'lava'. We used normal icing sugar, but didn't add quite so much water so it was a little less runny. Emily had some food colour pigments that we used, which are a lot more concentrated than traditional food colouring, and produce much better results (they are also easier to mix to create different shades etc). We managed to create a really good orange colour, and we literally just dropped spoonfuls of it onto the top so it dripped down the sides, creating an authentic effect. We did the same with yellow icing, and then using a cocktail stick dipped in red colouring, drew some streaks into both the orange and yellow lava paths for a finishing touch. After an hour in the fridge it was set and looked brilliant, and we even found some sparklers that we can put in the top on the day to make it look like it is erupting!

Cake Recipe
175g butter
300g caster sugar
3 eggs
200g plain flour
75g cocoa
200ml sour cream
50g cream cheese
1 tsp vanilla essence
We also added 1 tsp orange flavouring to make it chocolate orange flavour!

Buttercream Recipe
75g butter
175g chocolate
300g icing sugar
125ml sour cream

Autumn Sounds...

The Vaccines

Last night I went with my friend Rick to watch The Vaccines at the Manchester Apollo (now known as the O2 Apollo). We had a few drinks in the bar beforehand, so didn't see the support acts, but of all three I hadn't heard of a single one! The band came on quite late I thought, at 9.45pm, but it worked out well for us as we had only arrived at around 9pm.

I saw them at Benicassim this year, but being rather drunk at the time, couldn't remember much apart from that they were really good! It was cool to see them again being slightly less intoxicated. They played a good mix of songs off the old and new albums - Wreckin' Bar (Rarara), Tiger Blood, Wetsuit, Post Break-Up Sex, If You Wanna, No Hope which they opened with, I Always Knew, Teenage Icon, A Lack Of Understanding, All In White, Blow It Up and a slow one that I don't really rate so I went to the bar during it!

They played about a 40 minute set, but then took a while to come back on for the encore, which left us feeling a little uneasy as to whether there was one... luckily for me it included Bad Mood (my fave off the new album) and Norgaard, another classic. Overall a top gig, and I bought a really nice vest top for a tenner as well - looking forward to wearing it!