Weekly Update!

Food, Food & Food!!

So this is it, the final post of 2014! On Monday I went to Carluccios for lunch with Aum and his friend AJ, and Abi joined us. I had the chicken and prune salad which was delicious, washed down with a couple of lattes. On Tuesday we had quite a lazy day at work, and then ate at the Country Club - I tried the chicken breast with king prawns and red curry sauce which looked very nicely presented and tasted even better. It was my last day at work so I swapped presents with Aum and his parents and toddled home for the evening.

Wednesday/ Thursday were of course Christmas Eve/ Day (see previous post) and on Friday it was Boxing Day and Mum's 50th, so we had the whole family descend on us for a massive buffet spread and some fun and games as usual when we all get together. Yesterday I did a yoga class, and then Grandma, Grandad, Grandpa and Mum came round for lunch at the flat, as the oldies hadn't seen it for ages and I've done a lot to it since then! In the evening Mo came round and we got a Chinese and chilled out, was nice to have some peace after the chaos of Christmas! 

Today I went into Stockport shopping with Mum and Jasmine, got a few Primark goodies (nice new underwear and some gym stuff) and then went round to Abis for a glass of wine and to see Srishti who was home for the weekend. Excited to enjoy my next week off and for New Year's Eve next week! 

Christmas!

Christmas Eve/ Day

It's that time of year again! Christmas is always pretty unconventional in our house because we have so many people to see and catch up with, but this year it was surprisingly normal. Christmas Eve I spent at a party at Emily and Smeed's house, which was loads of fun - they'd made slow cooked pulled pork, and homemade yule log, cupcakes, macaroons; perfect spread by them as per! Most people went into Hale and Alty at around 10pm, but I wasn't too bothered so stuck around at theirs drinking prosecco until 2am!

Christmas Day was started with opening our stocking presents - still on the end of my parents bed despite us now being 22 and 24! We then had Bucks fizz and eggs Benedict for breakfast before getting changed and settling down to open our main presents. I got some great stuff, and every year expect the pile of presents to be smaller yet it never is!

For Christmas dinner we had prawn cocktail followed by a five bird roast which was tasty, and then we had a lazy evening watching bits of TV and playing some classic games before going to bed fairly early for once at around midnight. We had to wait until Mum was in bed as we had lots of banners and balloons to put up as it was her 50th on Boxing Day!

Weekly Update!

Coffee, Penguins & Pork Belly!

This week has been pretty fun, as Aum broke up on Wednesday so we've had a couple of days to do non-school things for a change. On Tuesday I went into Altrincham with Jasmine, and we had coffee and cake from the new Rhode Island Coffee there, which is a really cute little cafe that does amazing combinations of drinks and food (I had a coconut mocha and a white chocolate millionaire shortbread).

On Wednesday I collected Aum at 12pm and we went for lunch at Cafe Gourmand, where I had carrot and coriander soup which is one of my faves. The next day I took Aum and his friend Alex to see the new Penguins of Madagascar film, which was brilliant! (see previous post). In the evening Rick came to mine for a cuppa as I'd not seen him in forever.

On Friday we took a trip to the Blue Planet Aquarium and had hotdogs there for lunch, and then I babysat until 1.15am as it was their works Christmas party. Yesterday we did our now annual girls festive meet up at my place, where we all ate and dranks lots and swapped our secret santa presents, it's always so nice to catch up and be totally chilled all sat around in our PJs!

Today I went to see the last Hobbit film with Mo (see previous post) and then we cooked pork belly with carrot and swede mash and roast potatoes which was gorgeous! Nice chilled Sunday.

Weekly Update!

Zombies, Articulate & Sneaking!

On Monday I saw Bombay Bicycle Club (see previous post), who were amazing, and definitely worth me buying a ticket last minute for. I went with Lydia and Lizzie, and we bumped into Kelly and James there too which was cool. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nothing much happened, I had a gorgeous dinner at Mum and Dad's of meat, falafel and halloumi on the sizzler, gymmed and stayed at Mo's, and babysat for a bit of extra money, where I made a lovely prawn rice dish.

On Friday after work I got the train to Luke's and had some Mexican food with him and his two friends from school. We were going to do the Christmas markets, but it was pouring down, so we opted for a few drinks instead. We started in Soup Kitchen, and then moved on to Hula Tiki where we hit the zombies. We didn't want a super heavy night so went home at 12pm, and played a couple of games of Articulate, very civilised!

Yesterday I got the train home and met Abi for a spa day at the Country Club which was really chilled and great to have a mammoth catch up. In the evening we went out to Manchester for Jasmine's birthday (see previous post) and today after sneaking Mo out of my parents' house this morning (my dad doesn't know we're seeing each other again, awkward!) I had a roast dinner and am now chilling at Mo's for the evening.

Nights Out...

Jasmine's Birthday!

It was Jasmine's 22nd birthday on Monday, so she had a night out with all her mates last night, and I decided to tag along with Abi and Emily. We predrank at Mum and Dad's first, before getting a minibus to the Northern Quarter where we went to Terrace. We were quite lucky that we managed to get in, as it is always really busy on a weekend. They were playing some absolute tunes and we had a good boogie altogether, we even managed to grab a booth when a large group left which gave us space to keep our drinks and have a rest now and again!

Terrace shuts at 2am, so afterwards we left and went to Bar21, though we had a bit of a delay getting in as we were waiting for Emily to get a lift so missed last entry and had to sweet talk our way in! Mo and his friend from uni came and met us in there as well as they had been at a wedding and ended up in Blackdog Ballroom. We left at about 2.45am and had a stop at McDonalds in Broadheath for some much needed sustenance - I managed to devour twenty chicken nuggets, fries and a chocolate milkshake!

Candid Article 68

Bombay Bicycle Club

Click below to read my review of Bombay Bicycle Club's Manchester gig last night:

http://candidonline.com/live-review-bombay-bicycle-club-2/

Weekly Update!

Playboy Sushi & Blow Dries!

This week has been fairly chilled, not much to report that hasn't already been given its own post. I ate at the Country Club on Tuesday and had the playboy sushi which had rare beef steak on top of the rice roll which contained lobster - a little bit extravagant and super tasty!

I had a half day at work on Wednesday so went for a coffee at Abi's in the afternoon before hitting the Christmas markets in the evening (see previous post). On Thursday I had my hair cut which was much needed, I felt like a Desperate Housewife afterwards as the blow dry she gave me was huge! I babysat on Friday, and then spent the weekend in Daresbury/ Chester with the family to celebrate Jasmine's birthday (see previous post).

Today I had an article to write once I was home, and now Mo is round for a chilled evening, feels nice to be lacking a hangover on a Sunday!

Travellers' Tales...

Chester & Daresbury

This weekend has been lots of fun, spending time with the family and chilling out to celebrate Jasmine's birthday. We left Manchester at 10am yesterday to travel to Chester for a day wandering around, shopping and perusing the Christmas markets (which, granted, weren't quite up to our home city's standard!). We took the park and ride bus into the centre, and much to Dad's dismay, had a spree in Primark before stopping in a Wetherspoons for some lunch. I had a chicken burger with bacon and cheese on it, with fries and onion rings, and a pint of cider - about two days worth of calories!

After lunch we went for a look around the cathedral, which was really pretty with all the Christmas decorations up, and there was a The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe exhibition on with mechanical characters and scenes from the book which was fun to have a gander at. After a tad more shopping we caught the bus back to the car park and drove to Daresbury, where Lewis Carroll, author of Alice In Wonderland, is originally from. We stopped for a coffee at the Ring O Bells there, which is a gorgeous old fashioned pub with a few knick knacks to theme it to the famous children's book.

We then drove on to our hotel, The Daresbury Park, which we had got on a Groupon deal. We got a three course meal there (granted only a carvery and buffet for starter and dessert) the room with access to the pool and sauna facilities, and a bottle of wine for just £59 per room - a crazy bargain. We were also offered the chance to pre-order wine at the time of booking for half price a bottle so got one each of white, rose and red - forgetting that we got a free bottle with the rooms too so ended up with 5 bottles!

We drank (some) wine in the bar after eating, and then went to bed before midnight as we were all pretty shattered!

Nights Out...

Manchester Christmas Markets

The Miles trio's annual trip to the Christmas markets in Manchester took place last night! I love going every year as it is a welcome change to do something with Dad, who often gets overlooked in favour of shopping trips and cake outings with Mum! 

I caught the train after work and met him and Jasmine at the met stop, and we wandered to the main market in St Ann's Square. I had a cherry gluhwein to begin with, and we all got a hog roast sandwich from the stand that is there every year. We looked at the stalls, and got some ceramic novelty wine toppers for Christmas presents before wandering to some of the other sites. We stopped for our second drink in a wooden hut selling German ales, and I decided to try an eggnog - which I instantly regretted, it was bloody awful! Dad must have drunk half of it, because I really couldn't face it!

After a crepe (with caramel and almonds) for dessert we followed tradition and went for a cocktail at Alchemist. Dad had a brandy based one that was practically straight! I had the Garden Martini (Hendrick’s gin, Briottet elderflower, rose liqueur, lemon juice and sugar topped with lavender foam and garnished with cucumber) and Jasmine had a White Cosmo (A frozen orchid bathed in Green Mark Russian vodka, Briottet elderflower, Cointreau, citrus, white grape juice and lemon bitters.)

The train times were really inconvenient so I decided to test out the new metrolink line that goes back to my flat - what a mistake that was! It took me over an hour and a half to get back, as they are not very frequent, and my stop is one of the last ones so it takes an absolute age to get there, then I had a twenty minute walk home. If I had walked to Piccadilly station, waited twenty minutes for my train and walked from the stop I would have been home over half an hour earlier. Not an experience to be repeated again!

Weekly Update!

A&E & A Food Fight!

This will be a fairly short post as I've just done one on the weekend away that I have just returned from. On Monday I ended up sat in A&E with Mo as he needed to get his leg and ankle looked at after he had a fall on Saturday night in London. Luckily nothing was broken, just bad bruising and ligament damage - puts him out of action for a couple of weeks yet again though! He stayed at mine that evening and on Tue

sday we made a nice brunch, and then I ate at the Country Club in the evening.

On Wednesday I went to Sofar Sounds (see previous post) and on Thursday I went shopping in Manchester and got some Christmas pressies, and in the evening I popped to my parents' for a lasagne as some of my relatives were over for the night. On Friday I went to this event in Manchester called Friday Food Fight run by the same company that did Up In Your Grill that I went to in summer. 

I went with Amanda and a friend called Nadina who I haven't seen since university which was fun. I had a hotdog from a stall called Piggie Smalls which had beef brisket, crispy onions and barbecue sauce on it, and a cocktail that was a variation on a mojito. Afterwards we went for a couple of drinks in Bar21 in the Northern Quarter before I caught the train home so I wasn't hungover for my drive the following day. The rest of the weekend was spent in Leicester and Birmingham (see previous post).

Travellers' Tales...

Leicester

I got back about an hour ago from a weekend trip to Leicester to visit my friend Claire, with a stop off in Birmingham today to visit the Christmas markets and meet up with our friend Laura, who is now 7 1/2 months pregnant! 

I set off at just after 1pm, and arrived at half three, giving us enough time to pop into the town centre for a coffee at a really quirky little independent cafe called St Martin's Coffee. I had a white chocolate snowball mocha which was delicious and then we went shopping for a while to find something for Lauras's birthday which was on Friday. I got a burger from the German market for tea, and then we walked back to Claire's apartment for some predrinks and to get ready for a night out.

We started at Revolution, where we had a couple of glasses of wine, before moving onto a club, but it was pretty dead so we ended up going back to Revolution. Claire knew the bar manager there so we enjoyed some free drinks, and ended up going to a stripclub with him until 6am! It was my first experience of one, and to be fair, it was loads of fun!

Today we were so hungover it was awful, but I managed to make sausages for breakfast and we got ready to head into Birmingham. It took us just over an hour, and after meeting Laura we wandered around to find somewhere to eat a late lunch. We settled on Jamie's Italian, where I had a nice fruity drink and a deconstructed caesar salad which looked really cool and tasted even better. We gave Laura our presents which she liked, and then went for a mooch around the Christmas Markets, which were OK, but not as good in my opinion as the Manchester ones. 

It started getting dark (and very cold!) so I said my goodbyes as had the long drive home to get through. It took me 2 1/2 hours, and boy am I glad to be home and ready for a good night's sleep!

Candid Article 67

Sofar Sounds, Northern Quarter

My latest Candid article on my second Sofar Sounds experience, can be viewed here:

http://candidonline.com/sofar-sounds/

Weekly Update!

Cocktails, Catchups & Chinese!

This week has been a great week for socialising with lots of different people, my favourite kind of socialising! On Tuesday I went for a coffee and catchup with Rick in Altrincham, and had dinner at the Country Club. On Wednesday I had a good chatter with Laura in Didsbury, we went for a cocktail (mine's a margarita) at The Drawing Room, and then a fruity cider in Folk. Lovely filling her in on all the gossip in my life right now!

On Thursday Brian from uni came to stay as he had an early interview the next morning so needed somewhere to crash. We had a nice casserole for dinner and then sat around talking for ages, pretty deep for a weeknight! On Friday I went to watch my other friend Rick's play in Manchester with my mum and grandpa (see previous post) and then yesterday I did a lovely yoga class before the Miles foursome travelled to Leeds for my cousin's 21st birthday party.

Stephanie had hired out a bar near to their house called Medusa, and we stayed there all night drinking wine and jaegerbombs as they were four for £10! Today we woke up and had a big cooked breakfast (much needed as I was desperately hungover, and Mum was throwing up all night!) before travelling home, and I am now safety at home after a roast dinner in Alderley Edge (see previous post), chilling out before getting a Chinese later when Mo is home from London.

New Tastes...

The Botanist, Alderley Edge

Today I arranged for all of the girls and their boyfriends to go to The Botanist in Alderley Edge for a Sunday roast. It is somewhere I've heard is really nice, and I knew after my cousin's twenty first birthday last night that I would be in need of hangover food!

We had booked a table for 3pm, and when we arrived it was pretty much full, and the atmosphere was warm and lively - they had a singer/ guitarist on in the background playing some decent tunes. We were in a corner around a big square table, which was a little bit of a squash but nothing we couldn't deal with.

We ordered our drinks and then food shortly after - we all went for the roast except Emily, who opted for sausage and mash. There was a choice of beef or chicken, and it came with a large Yorkshire pudding, potatoes, stuffing, lots of veg and gravy! 

Apart from a few hiccups with our orders (mainly as we asked two portions to be kept on the heat as Tasha and Tom were arriving later) the experience was a good one, and I think a roast of such quality for £11.95 was a real find, especially for Alderley Edge. I'd definitely go back again, and am tempted to try the food there on a normal night as well after it was so tasty!

Candid Article 66

Time Of My Life

This week I did a slightly different Candid article - a theatre review of my friend's production of Time Of My Life by Alan Ayckbourn. Read it here:

http://candidonline.com/troublehouse-theatre/

Weekly Update!

Reunions & Revolution!

This has been a really bizarre week, as it appears that somehow, Mo and I are seeing each other again, which has come from nowhere! He seems to be in a really good place and I'm happy, so we'll see how it goes, it's nothing permanent for now! 

I saw him on Monday, when he came round to mine for drinks, and during the day on Wednesday I went to Gastronomy with Lydia and Abi for lunch, and then Mo came round again in the evening to chill at mine. On Thursday I had my nails done, and Friday I popped round to Mum and Dad's for a cup of tea as my babysitting was cancelled so I had a free evening. I got an early night as had Aum's birthday party at Laser Quest the following morning, and I had to go and pick up his cake from Slattery's beforehand so was in a bit of a rush.

Straight from the party I drove to my friend Bex's house near Ripon, for a catch up and night out in York. She lives with her sister in a beautiful converted church which I was very envious of. We got the train into York and started in a bar called Blue Fly that did cocktails, I had a caipirinha which was really strong! We then moved on for a couple in a huge bar on two floors that had an almost church type feel, and then after a quick prosecco in a dingy pub, we ended in Revolution, where we drank pitchers and danced the night away!

The following day we went to a cute little cafe in Ripon called Oliver's Pantry for brunch, where I had a huge field mushroom with rocket and bacon on sourdough bread, with an oreo cookie milkshake. It sorted my hangover out, and I drove home at 1.45pm for a roast dinner at Mum and Dad's. Mo came round to keep me company on my usual Sunday evening hungover lounge-around which was a welcome addition, not that I was much company!

Candid Article 65

Kim Halliday

For my latest article, a bit of a different one this time, click the link below:

http://candidonline.com/new-music-kim-halliday/

Travellers' Tales...

Dublin!

I have just got back from an amazing weekend in Dublin! We set off on Friday (conveniently at 9.35pm so no time off work needed!) so were touched down in Ireland just before 11pm. Flights were only £26, so an absolute steal. We got a taxi to our hostel (£35 each for the two nights) and after a quick change/ makeup refresh we went out to a club called Everleigh, as a guy called Andrew that I met in Croatia who lives in Dublin had recommended it. He was out there with his friends so was cool to catch up. The music was amazing in there, proper old school r&b classics, so we all had a good boogie. The drinks weren't cheap, vodka mixer was about £8, so I stuck on wine which was about £6.50 a glass so not too bad. We stayed out until pretty late, and then I went back to Andrew's house for an afterparty, but ended up passed out on the sofa after about half an hour, despite the loud music!

The following morning I got a taxi home and got ready for a day exploring the city. We walked to the spire in the centre, it was drizzling slightly but we weren't perturbed. We were going to get some breakfast, but it was closer to lunchtime once we were out of the hostel so we decided to head to Wagamamas for something more substantial instead. Afterwards I was feeling really ropey and tired, so Lizzie and I headed back for a couple of hours nap!

That evening after spending a while trying to ring round for a restaurant that had space for six people on a Saturday night at the last minute, we ended up in the Irish version of Pizza Express called Milano. It was still really nice, we shared a bottle of wine and I had a meat feast calzone, which was definitely what the doctor ordered! Afterwards we went for a few drinks in a bar called 37 Dawson Street, which was dark and luxurious, with animal heads on the walls and flocked velvet wallpaper... and expensive drinks! At one point I was going to get a mojito, but stuck to a gin and lemonade when I heard they were 15 euro.

A few of the girls wanted to go home then, but Lydia, Lizzie and I decided to stay out and go to a bar on the same street called Cafe En Seine. It was a similar style to the last place, but huge, with glass ceilings and chandeliers like something out of Moulin Rouge. They played some great music so we had a boogie and then got a rickshaw home which was so funny!

The next day we had a lazy one, and packed up ready to leave before going for breakfast. We went to a cafe called The Elephant and Castle, where I had French toast with berry compote, maple syrup and whipped cream - so good. We wandered around the shops for a while and got a coffee before the taxi came to pick us up (rather late - we actually had to steal someone elses!) and I was back home for 6pm after such a fun weekend with all the girls!

Weekly Update!

Awful Bands & Tinder Dates

This will only be a short one as I have spent this weekend in Dublin, which deserves its own post! On Monday I went for a coffee and catch up with Rick, and filled him in on the whole Mo situation amongst other things as it has been ages. I always have a laugh with him as he's like the male version of myself!

On Tuesday after eating sushi at the Country Club, I went to a gig at the Roadhouse with my sister to watch one of her friend's bands. Unfortunately due to me finishing work late, we only saw their final song as they were the support, and the main band were terrible! At least I got to have a cider after a stressful day though.

On Wednesday I went on my first ever Tinder date, which was an experience. We went to Sandbar off Oxford Road, and to be fair, it actually went quite well. There were no awkward gaps in conversation and we had a lot in common, and managed to go through a fair few drinks so I was pretty tipsy by the end. When I realised the time I had to make a mad dash to the train station, so ended up running with him there, giving him a quick peck and jumping on the train, so not the best end as I couldn't really gauge the situation, and I wasn't blown away with chemistry so don't think it will lead to anything. It hasn't put me off meeting people off Tinder though, and considering I've only ever been on two dates apart from ones with boyfriends, I think it could have been much worse! 

Thursday was spent packing and prepping for Dublin, and on Friday after finishing work a good 90 minutes later than usual I had a crazy dash to the train station to get to the airport on time, so was glad when I was sat in the departure lounge with the girls sipping wine and eating pasta!

Candid Article 64

Indiana

I went to watch my new girl crush, Indiana, perform at Deaf Institute on Sunday. Review for Candid below:

http://candidonline.com/live-review-indiana/

Nights Out...

RNLI Charity Ball, Preston

On Saturday, Natasha and I headed to the Marriott Hotel in Preston for a charity ball in aid of the RNLI - Royal National Lifeboat Institution. It was being run by my friend Luke, who was one of my ski reps when I went to Andorra, and whose house we all bombarded last New Year's Eve, as he is windsurfing the channel next May so wanted to raise some money for the charity that may end up helping him! 

We had booked a hotel room at Guy's Thatched Hamlet for the night, which was a quaint little place that looked like something out of a Disney film! We dropped our bags off there first before heading to the hotel where the evening began with a glass of Bucks Fizz.

After standing and chatting for a while we were asked to take our seats, and enjoyed a lovely three course meal, which I was very impressed with to say there were 90 people catered for. We had tomato and basil soup, followed by chicken in a creamy sauce with sweet potato and root vegetables, and finally a vanilla cheesecake with berry compote and fresh fruit.

After the food the dancing started, and there were various party games and a raffle, and we stayed around drinking prosecco until about 1am, when we finally decided to head into Preston. The nightclub we went to was called The Loft and stayed open until 6am, so we were there until the early hours, and I eventually got back to the hotel room at 7.30am! Was hardly worth paying for a room!

It was such a fun if very messy night (to be expected when Tasha and Luke are involved!) and we met some great new people and had a blast, worth every of the many pennies I spent that night!

Weekly Update!

Busy, Busy, Busy!

This week has been officially exhausting! I have had something on every single day/ night! On Monday I went to see Aquilo with my sister (see previous post) and then we stayed for a night out afterwards as Remake Remodel was on at Soup Kitchen, which is a night I've wanted to try for ages. It was really dead to begin with, but soon perked up, and played some awesome music. We got home at about 4am, and I was up for work at 7!

On Tuesday after a meal at the Country Club (braised and glazed Cheshire pork rib-eye steak with sweet potato, caramelised plum and amaretti crumble, AMAZING) I went to see the Klaxons with Tasha, who were awesome! They have recently announced they are splitting so this was the final tour, and they really gave it their all. Unfortunately I got a parking ticket, which dampened the mood slightly, but still a fun evening.

On Wednesday I dropped Aum in Pontefract and then finished for the day, so met Abi after an interview in Manchester. We went to a place called Tea 42, which does fabulous cakes (I got a huge slab of the chocolate variety), and since I was off duty I indulged in a glass of prosecco too. 

The next day I got a lie in, and collected Aum from Oldham in the afternoon. In the evening Mo came round, as there had been a slight misunderstanding that we needed to clear up. We sorted things though, and it was nice to see him, even if it made me feel slightly weird as he seemed back to his old self. I had to suck it up though as on Friday I had a Halloween party to go to! I went as a vampire, and had a great night, and it helped to take my mind off things which was much needed.

On Saturday, though slightly hungover, I dragged myself up and went to the Altrincham Market with Abi for lunchtime pizza. I had one with capers, anchovies and olives which was delicious, if a little salty. That evening I had a ball to go to! (see next week's post) It was in aid of the Lifeboats and was run by my friend Luke who I met whilst skiing. I went with Tasha and we had a great and very late/ drunken night!

Today we drove home and I went to Mum's for eggs Benedict for lunch, which was much appreciated after a night on the tiles. I had a nap there and then came home to get ready for the Indiana gig I have just returned from with Amanda (see next week's post). She was incredible live, and it was a chilled affair which was definitely required after a hectic week!

Candid Article 63

Klaxons

I saw the Manchester leg of Klaxons farewell tour on Tuesday, review for Candid here:

http://candidonline.com/live-review-klaxons/

Candid Article 62

Aquilo

I reviewed newcomers Aquilo's gig at Manchester's Soup Kitchen on Monday, see below:

http://candidonline.com/live-review-aquilo/

Weekly Update!

Stoke, Singing & Stalls!

Aum has been off school this week, so it has been a usual one of going out for lunches and doing fun stuff! On Tuesday we tried the Oxford Road Cafe (see previous post) and on Wednesday we went and played crazy golf at the Trafford Centre. Thursday we had a lazy day and a swim in the pool,and it was Diwali, so they gave me a box of Laduree macaroons as a present, which didn't last long! I babysat in the evening for one of Aum's old HPS school friends.

On Friday we went to Carluccio's for lunch with one of Aum's current school friends and his family. I opted for a salad, but it was still pretty naughty as it had blue cheese, walnuts and bacon on it! I finished work quite early and rushed home to pack for a night at one of my old uni friend's houses in Stoke with all the usual crew. We just stayed in as people were all arriving at different times, had a nice spaghetti bolognese and quite a lot to drink!

The next day we had traditional oatcakes for breakfast, which were amazing! Definitely something I will seek out again. Then after a lazy start we went bowling for something to do, which was actually pretty fun, I haven't been with anyone other than Aum in forever. I set off for home at about 3pm as that evening I was at a Katy B gig with Emily. We drove in, and then afterwards went for a couple in Piccolinos in Hale to meet up with the girls who were already out there.

I stayed at Mum and Dad's and today have been for a mooch at Altrincham Market with Jasmine and Mum which was cool; it has recently been renovated and is full on trendy market chic, with an artisan pizzeria, home ground coffee house and live music. We stayed there for a while, grabbed some food and looked at some of the stalls (which sold everything from art prints to fur coats, to jewellery made from cutlery and home baked brownies!) and came home early this evening for some tea. Great week of fun, socialising and eating!

Candid Article 61

Katy B 

Click the link below for my latest Candid article on Katy B at Manchester's Academy:

http://candidonline.com/live-review-katy-b/

New Tastes...

Oxford Road Cafe, Altrincham

Today I headed to a cute little eatery in Altrincham called the Oxford Road Cafe with Abi and Aum, as he is currently off school. It is tucked down a side street away from the main town centre, so you would think it would be relatively quiet, but I was surprised at how busy the place was when we walked in. 

We waited ten minutes for as table, which shows the cafe's popularity with it just being 1pm on a Tuesday, not a particularly busy time of the week. I ordered a skinny latte and Aum had a juice, whilst we waited for Abi to arrive. Our server was very pleasant, and assured us whilst we perused the menu that everything was made to order so anything could changed accordingly (always good to know with a child in tow).

Abi arrived and we ordered - I chose the 'Stu Special': smoked salmon, scrambled egg, asparagus spears, wilted spinach and sauteed mushrooms. It looked very presentable on the plate, and was relatively cheap at £6.95. Aum stuck with his standard bacon sandwich, which I was told was 'Delicious!'.

I always enjoy visiting and trying out places I haven't been to before, especially if they are local and independent, and the Oxford Road Cafe is a great hidden gem with super service and well made, reasonable food. Check it out if you're ever in the area!

Weekly Update!

Crumble, Dress-up & Perusing! 

This week has been a proper chilled one, as I had Monday afternoon and Friday off so plenty of time to enjoy myself! After Carluccio's on Monday (see previous post) I met Jasmine for a drink in the Moss Trooper and then had a quiet evening at home.

On Tuesday I went with my dad to the Adidas factory in Stockport and got a few bargains, including some new neon vest tops to stick with all my other bright gear! I went to The Cake Gallery on Wednesday with Jasmine and had a slice of rose and pistachio cake, which is my favourite one that they make, and then I babysat in the evening before Aum broke up from school on Thursday.

On Friday I had my nails done and then Abi popped round for some homemade crumble in the afternoon, before I headed round to my mums for some tea and to go out with Jasmine and her friends for Charlie's birthday. We had predrinks at his house, and then went to Cane and Grain in the Northern Quarter before moving on to a more clubby place afterwards. I met up with my mate Benn who was out in town and we went for a drink in a cool bar called The Gas Lamp that was underground and quite Victorian in style.

The next day I was so hungover, and had a family party to go to at my grandparents in Leven, Yorkshire. We picked up a McDonalds on the way and then I tried to sleep it off, which didn't really work! It was my cousin's 8th birthday so we had some bits of food and took some funny photos with a kit my mum had bought which had a big photo frame and then accessories to change your appearance, like moustaches and hats, funny lips and noses etc, was good fun. I drove back that night and we got a Chinese for a late tea - lovely healthy hangover day as usual!

On Sunday Mum, Jas and I went to the new Altrincham market which is lovely, it has lots of vintage and handmade craft type stalls with illustrations, jewellery, fur coats and lots of knick knacks to pass a lazy Sunday. We got a 'New Yorker' panini from one of the food stands that had pastrami, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard on it, and I bought a brownie to take home with me. Jam packed week but lots of fun!