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!

Bailey's & Back to Basics!

This week has been another busy one, as I had Uma to entertain again. Luckily on Monday she wasn't due to be picked up until 3pm, so I had chance to get my bed delivered as planned. I stayed at Mo's in the evening and on Tuesday I babysat and it was Aum's nativity play (see previous post). 

On Wednesday after work Dad, Jas and I went to Manchester's Christmas Markets, which were brilliant as ever. We had raspberry mulled wine, bratwurst, and these amazing things that were a brandy snap basket containing a moulded chocolate cup of Bailey's covered in whipped cream with a wafer in - delicious! Afterwards we went for a cocktail in Alchemist as a treat from Dad; I had one that tasted of parma violets and had foam on top, Jasmine's was served in conical flasks and changed colour when you mixed the two, and Dad's had a mini stove to pop popcorn on, which was then added to the top of his drink!

On Thursday Aum finished school at 12pm, so we had cake from Cake Gallery (carrot cake for me) and then went to see Frozen at Parrs Wood (see previous post). Friday was my last day at work before two weeks off, and in the evening all the girls came to the flat for a sleepover, complete with nibbles, Secret Santa and Christmas music. We had a few glasses of prosecco, chatted and had a giggle - was really nice to get everyone together for what we worked out was the first time in a year. Luckily just in time the living room floor was fitted, so we didn't quite have to sleep on concrete, but it was very basic, with wrapping paper as curtains, and no furniture except air beds!

On Saturday I spent the day organising things and then went to see Mo for a couple of hours before going out in Manchester with the girls. We all dressed up and had predrinks at Tasha's new house, then got a taxi into town where we went to Manchester House (a very swanky bar atop a tower block with amazing views of the city) and Neighbourhood. Today I have been very lazy - with no work tomorrow motivation is very low, so I had takeout pizza for lunch and stayed in pyjamas at Mo's all day!

Weekly Update!

Break-Downs, Bell Jars & Giant Cocktails!

This week got off to a bad start when my car broke down on Monday. After thinking it was just the battery, I was told it was the alternator, and then that whoever had the car before me had some some botched bodywork - great! Luckily as I bought it when it was a year old from a Peugeot dealer, all the work was covered under warranty; and my dad was on a course all week so I used my mum's car without a problem.

On Tuesday I caught up with Abi when she came round for a cuppa, and then in the evening I ate at Hale Country Club. The dish I had was the best meal I have ever eaten, no exaggeration! It was tuna tartare, served with a deep fried poached egg, mini prawn toast and salted asparagus, served under a smoking bell jar to give it a wonderful oaky taste - I could eat it everyday!

On Wednesday I had my haircut (good ol' Groupon, £19!), adding a few shorter layers and a nice side fringe which shot a bit of life into it, and then I met Mo for a coffee as I was in town. The rest of the week flew by, I had my nails done and went for another coffee with Abi on Thursday, and on Friday the two of us and Tasha went for a night out in Manchester. 

We started at my house and then had a couple in Neighbourhood in Spinningfields which has a really cool vibe, great music, industrial feel decor and drinks aren't too bad either! Then we moved on to Alchemist where Emily and Smeed joined us for one before we shared a taxi home. I was on wine all night so was pretty tipsy, and despite making sure I had tea and toast before bed I still had a nasty headache on Saturday morning!

Once I had recovered slightly I packed my car up and headed to Crewe for a reunion with a few of the gang from Uni. Geoff, Matt and Chris had been at the football game so were all steaming by the time Joe, Amanda and I met up with them at half five, but we had some takeaway pizzas for tea and it seemed to sort them out for a while - until we went back out anyway! We went to Hanley in Stoke-on-Trent, not a great town to be honest, but it's the people, right?! We went to an 80's themed place called Reflex and had some giant cocktails, then ended the night in Walkabout.

Today I didn't drive home until 2pm, and haven't done much for the rest of the day except meet Mo for a coffee, kerazy!

ReUNIon!

Manchester

This weekend, a few of my old uni friends/ flatmates came to stay to make the most of my current free house. There were six of them altogether, travelling from Guildford, Oxford, Crewe, Northampton, Newcastle and good ol' Stretford. Given the distance, as you can imagine we don't all meet up that often, in fact the last time this many of the group all got together was at Timna's 21st on New Years Eve 2011, which I spent in London so couldn't make, so it was lovely to see so many familiar faces.

Everyone arrived late on the Friday so we stayed in and had a (relatively) quiet one, although that still involved sleeping at 3.30am! On Saturday I woke up earlyish to give Laura a lift to the met stop as she was going to meet one of her bridesmaids in town for lunch. The rest of us slowly surfaced, and had showers etc before Chris made us all a weird egg/pepper/mushroom/salami omelette kinda thing, which was super tasty!

We headed into the city centre at around 2pm, and had some lunch at Font bar, an old fave. I had a chicken burger with cheese and bacon with chips, and a gin cocktail (diet out the window for today...) and then afterwards we moved on to Temple Bar which is a tiny place down some inconspicuous stairs off Oxford Road, and used to be a public toilet! It did loads of the flavoured beers I've had before in the Belgian bar in Altrincham, so I chose cherry Kriek, one which I love.

We stayed in there for a while, and then Joe went off to meet Laura for some shopping while the rest of us went on to Brewdog bar, which is famed for all its ales (lots of which are ridiculously strong!). I had a 'raspberry' beer, which really wasn't good. The rest of the boys chose various concoctions, none of which they were impressed with, so we moved swiftly on. We were heading in the direction of Hard Rock, but time was getting on and it was a fair walk, so we decided to stop in Wetherspoons on Deansgate for a last one before heading back to mine. We met up with Joe and Laura who had done quite a spree, and then all got the met home where we ate lots of pizzas and started getting ready.

By the time I had spruced up it was getting quite late, so we started playing some drinking games to get a bit merry before going out. We got a taxi at 11pm to The Alchemist in Spinningfields, but Geoff didn't get in (casual T-shirt issues!) so him and Chris went to a pub while the rest of us enjoyed some cocktails. I had a Garden Martini which was Hendricks gin, rose liqueur, St. Germain elderflower, lemon juice and was topped with lavender foam and cucumber, and then I got a French Martini which had vodka, Chambord and cranberry juice in topped with pineapple foam and raspberry dust - I could have drunk them all night. Laura and I also got shots of this green stuff called Akwa, which is apparently made from the same plant as cocaine!

At just gone midnight we moved on to Venue to finish the night which was good; decent music and £1.60 vodka mixers - can't complain! We got taxis home at 3am, and attempted to carry on drinking but failed miserably, favouring bed instead.

The next day we were slightly later rising, and enjoyed a cooked breakfast (thanks Geoff!) before everyone started getting their stuff together ready to leave. The last lot went at half 2, leaving me with a very quiet, and surprisingly un-messy, house to myself. I really enjoyed the company and doing lots of catching up; probably the next time will be at Laura's wedding in July, which is very exciting!!