Oh what a night!

We were a party of 6 at the end of the night, an untouched Cosmopolitan on the table, and a half-drunk Woo Woo (no, I'm not sure that's it's real name!) which Colin had to drag a fully-drunk Geri away from! So she says anyway, I've very little recollection of the end of the night!

We were a slightly more subdued group at breakfast - hung over or still drunk, it was hard to tell. Still, an Ulster fry and a pot of tea later, I checked out and headed on to the next hotel - across the road from Stormont, the NI Assembly building, no less. They weren't quite as accommodating as The Old Inn so, since I couldn't check in, I left my bag and got the bus into Belfast.

It was a strange few hours. So much has changed - an entire new (very nice) shopping centre, strange curved spires running the length of Donegall Place and more noodle bars than I expected. And yet so much is familiar - Castle Court, the Ulster Bank cash machines I always used and lots of the same shops. There's a lovely new foodie shop round the back of Boots though and I spent ages in there having a good nosey. Came away (of course) with new tea bags :-)

The nostalgia really kicked in when I got on the bus to Forestside to meet Emma. It took me past the tattoo parlour where I got my one and only tattoo (a leaving present from Jacqui) and the restaurant where Emma and I earned a crust dishwashing whilst studying for our postgrad qualification. My alma mater, Queens University Belfast wooshed by in a blur of the new and achingly familiar. A turn onto the Ormeau Road took me past my homes in final year and afterwards and a million more shops than I remember, the Errigle Inn, where I worked during my final year and, just above it, the Parador Inn where we used to drink (we weren't allowed to drink in our own bar, so we drank there and their staff came to us). Quelled happy days :-)

I got to Forestside and tootled about while I waited for Emma and the kids. Completely amazed to see someone I had a 'thing' with many moons ago. He looked just the same, still cute but a little bit greyer. And sober. I didn't get to speak to him but really, what were the odds?? If nothing else, I expected him to have drunk himself into an early grave years ago...

Emma, the kids and I had a lovely long chat. It was so nice to be able to catch up face to face, and her kids were lovely, chatty and friendly even though I was a stranger.

All too soon it was time to leave for my next engagement lol. They left me at the hotel, where I did a few bits and bobs then got picked up by Jacqui and Trevor for an evening at hers. Trev dropped us off saying he'd be back later (bless him, he's an absolute wee star) and we went in. I haven't seen Jacqui since last time I was back, which may or may not have been 9 years we thought, but we talk on the phone around once a month and we're on for a while. She says our record is 5 hours and 19 minutes, but it's rarely less than 4 lol.

We nattered away as we do, in the company of one of her three cats (the other two didn't come down until much later and I understand I was greatly honoured as it can take years for them to put in an appearance), and Trev came back much later. Around 3am though I was flagging, so they very kindly took me back to my hotel, where I collapsed into bed!

Ohhh, a lie in tomorrow, no check out until 11am woo hoo!

x