Hen day

Thanks to the organisational skills of my Bridesmaid to be (Lisa) today has been my Hen day.

Faye and I went to "Go Ape" in Rivington, to join Lisa, Helen and Jo for a couple of hours of climbing around in the tree tops and flying down zip wires. After a 30 minute safety briefing and training on which karabiners had to clip to which safety cable, we were let loose in the forest. It was fun, but bloody freezing, and not helped by getting stuck behind what can only be described as a wet, overweight, whiney kid who managed to cause a queue of 20 people behind him on various stages of the course because he was faffing about and making a fuss. Eventually, after being stood on a platform about 40 foot off the group and getting to the point of hypothermia, with Lisa hanging in her harness off one of the routes, and Lisa, Jo and Faye waiting patiently on the platform before that, I finally got a grip of this kid, seeing as his dad wasn't going to. He was making a huge fuss about his rope being twisted, so I started to unclip and reclip him so that he had no excuse - at which point, in whiney voice he said "Oh will you go up first" - So I quietly said to him, in my best teacher voice (that was clearly a very annoyed voice!) "no, YOU are going up. There is a queue of twenty very cold people behind yuo. You are stopping everybody else from moving on. Get on with it"...he went!

We jacked it in not long afterwards, as time was running away from us and we were all freezing. So hot chocolate and cake in the cafe, then off home for 20 minutes in the shower to warm up.

An evening in Manchester (Hen Do moments) then followed - 15 of us at the Teppanyaki restaurant on George Street in Manchester. Fabulous food, not cheap and drinks are extortionate! However, it was a fantastic couple of hours. I was despatched outside at one point and came back in to find everyone, including the chef, wearing a little tag badge with various pictures of me as a kid from the archives that are on flickr (Faye - I know it was you that disclosed that source!). Lisa had also organised for everyone to bring me a gift that either reminded them of something to do with me, or that related to a story that I would be able to share with them. Wonderful ideas, great gifts and a realisation from me that people do know me pretty well (and think that I am funny and effervescent!). Thank you Lisa :-)

Walked to the Birdcage, in stupidly high heels, was told I had great legs (which was nice!). Some bloke with a camera took a group photo and nearly had his legs broken when he asked if it was a Hen do or "the big 4-0" for me. Cheeky bugger. I don't look a day over 37 and 1 month.

Birdcage was full of obvious Hen's - dressed in a variety of costumes - I am so glad that we didn't do that! Wasn't what I expected - the cabaret (as it was) was 5-10 minutes of dance act between every half hour of disco. I'd stopped drinking when we got there because I did not want a hangover next morning. We clearly had the "weirdos come to us" sign flashing over our heads, as later in the night, some random bloke kept coming over to us, dancing like a fool and FARTING every time he came over. It was disgusting.

Home by 1.15 in the morning thanks to Eric, our local friendly taxi driver. Sleep came a little while later.

I enjoyed myself even though clubs are not really my thing. Lisa did an amazing job of organising everyone and I know it has been stressful due to a couple of no shows, and some cancellations. But it was lovely - so Lisa - thank you so much ...you're ace!