....Sisters are doing it........

for their Mum and Dad!

Got out of work a bit early today....with permission....and drove North for a surprise party.

These three beauties are my cousins Sara, Nicky and Emily....actually they're not really my cousins, their Mum is my cousin so they are second cousins? It was their Mum and Dad's 40th Wedding Anniversary so they organised a surprise party. Peter and Mary thought they were going out for dinner with Mary's sister and her husband who had come over from Ireland....but in fact the family were gathered at a secret location.

The Boss and I had booked ourselves into a hotel..... the Thistle Middlebrough. We arrived about 5.15, showered , changed and jumped in a taxi to get to the venue for 7.00....only it didn't quite work out that way...the taxi driver wasn't sure where the venue was...so after a bit of toing and froing including 3 trips around the same roundabout he dropped us at the Cricket Club...and charged us £8.50 for the trip. I wasn't happy that he hadn't adjusted the fare to allow for his incompetence but the Boss told me not to make a fuss. We enetered the club....only to find out that we were in a fundraiser....the pillock had dropped us at the wrong bloody club!

Fortunately the locals were able to guide us to the right venue which was a walk of about 1/2 a mile away.

We arrived late....obviously...so it was a bit of a grand entrance for us....but my Dad was even later getting there. The compensation was that for the first time in about 20 years I was able to get a pint of Newcastle Exhibition......well about 6 actually. The food was good too, including the famous Tessside Parmo....look it up on the web.....and a good time was had by all.

I had the biggest camera so I was designated official unofficial photographer. Took over 100 shots and have spent the afternoon today (Saturday) editing them down to about 40 really good shots.

The party broke up at midnight...I'd phoned a different taxi firm for the trip back to the hotel...turned up on time, straight back to the hotel...charged £7.00!

Collapsed into bed about 12.45, totally exhausted and slighty with drink taken............to be continued.........

Das vidanya moy padruga.