Just got back from Manchester where Gareth hosted the first official Madagascar reunion (the first official one because we attempted to let everyone know about it, I met up with Gareth, Ros and Olivia months ago for The Mikado). It was lovely and very gentle but fairly poorly attended, only myself, Gareth, Judith and Ros could make it. We all watched Eurovision (why did Serbia win? Was an utterly unmemorable song!) Cooked beans (under protest!), then played ‘the really nasty horseracing game’, which is, but is also fun. We stayed awake for many hours chatting about Madagascar, reminiscing and looking at photos, which was great as the trip seemed almost like a dream so having some corroborative memories was nice and reassuring! The next morning Judith and I wandered around the shops in Manchester until she left to go to her grandparents and I went to meet some of my uni friends.
I met up with Jen, Tall, Leila and Mahinda to go and see 28 weeks later, which was a bit nasty and definitely not something I would have watched off my own bat, but that is what friends are for! I did actually enjoy it but had some rather graphic dreams last night…I’m not really a horror story fanatic as my overactive imagination still gives me gypp in the wee hours as it did when I was seven…maybe one day I’ll grow up?
We then lost Mahinda to go and pack for Philadelphia (hope it’s fun!) and the rest of us went to, for a change, drumroll, Wagamamas! In the restaurant we bumped into Dan and Gesine (MUGSS), and also Aiden (I know him from many places starting with middle school) who works there. I think I was doing pretty well for sightings of friends in a place I haven’t lived for a year! It was lovely catching up with the girls and felt like it used to, Tall and I felt we should be heading to a rehearsal after dinner to burp and attempt to sing with full tummies, which always used to be entertaining (and was a fairly regular event)!
After Wagamamas we polished off a bottle of cabernet sauvignon and some pink cake in Fallowfield and then I went to Tall’s for the night (thank you!).
I met Simon in the station this morning for a quick catch up and coffee and then hopped on a train home to the shire.
I had a fantastic weekend and I’m really happy that I saw so many of my favourite people in one go! I miss Manchester and my social life 
Will have to do something about that! It is nice to be home though, Pekoe seemed pleased to see me and my dad was bouncing with excitement when he got in about a bottle of extremely nice wine he brought back and wanted to test me on (this is the kind of test I like!) It was a Chateau Talbot St. Julien (Bordeaux) 2004. It was really smooth and drinkable with medium tannins and medium body and blackcurrant aromas and flavours…in real language it was yummy and probably worth drinking some more of!
I do hope my Bordeaux plans work out…watch this space!
