Awake at 6, rolled over and back to sleep til gone 8. 

Then after getting ready and copious amounts of tea, we set off in search of breakfast at Brenda's Cafe on London Road. A traditional fry up and yet more tea!

Then a wander in the sunshine around Derby town centre which I barely recognised. Bar the odd bit (Vines on Sadler Gate, my old bank; now empty - whodathunkit?) and a couple of other corners. But the Assembly Rooms boarded up, mostly pedestrianised. We visited the site of the old house at Abbey St; occupied by the lads and generally marvelled at much had change / how little had change.

I went to Derby a year after the rest of them - 1985 - 6 years into Thatcher's brutal reign. Unemployment was still high, the young were herded into pointless YTS / YOP schemes and Derby was stuck between Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire, recently decimated in the wake of the Miners Strike. A fairly austere time; lacking in much hope; a sense of resignation. And to arrive back in Derby to find it in a similar state after a prolonged period of Conservative rule and it's similarly broken and neglected and lacking in much hope. 

We reconvened at the hotel; She set about packing for Her trip to Leicester and dinner with Her brother in leafy Kirkby Muxloe - whilst I hooked up with The Son of a Preacher Man and Wilks and headed off to Pride Park to take in Derby County v Cardiff City (Sheep v Sheep as someone unkindly referred to it). 

Front row / upper tier about level with the centre circle. Decent seats. 29,000 were in for a game that Derby should have won at a canter but conspired to gift Cardiff chances and also managed to miss an open goal (watch from 1.30 onwards!!) Still think it was better that than the college visit / tiddlywinks match. Even though I was the Tiddlywinks team captain!

With The SOAPM happy with the win, we walked back into town and slept / showered / met up with a few others and set off for the main event. 

21 of us rolled up to the Cosy Club back room and set about reminiscing over a few beers and poring over the old photo albums we'd all brought along. Despite not having seen many of them for the thick end of 35 years it was like a family reunion - just picking up where we'd last left off. Everyone seems healthy, solvent and thriving. Just so much joy at everyone being together again. 

I sent a text to Her at 0140 so I assume that's when I got in..... 

Oh - and I won the trivia quiz on 1984. Quel surprise....! 

Extra is L-R Alfie, Self, Wilks; #2 TSOAPM; Wilks

The home fans walking back to town; happy with their team's result.