Saturday 8th October 11

I went to Manchester today, for the regular cafe gathering, and to take David's port and Champagne to the auctioneer who will sell the 15 bottles in December.  The bottles were picked up from outside Night and Day, I got a receipt.

In the evening I had been invited to Milladio's and Pebbles' party, but there was a message on the invite page saying that if it was raining, it would be cancelled.  So as it was raining when I got back to York, I decided to go straight home.

Saturday 12th March 11

Laura called on the mobile quite early and I went to collect her from Piccadilly.  We spent the morning together, ending up, as often with Laura, at Afflecks. I chatted with Colin, who like me, is not a big fan of shopping, whilst Nomi and Laura tried to find a belly-dancing outfit.

Colin and I went to Night and Day early, and bagged a table for the people who turn up for the social.  I really enjoyed meeting my friends.... was especially glad to see Janie, with her friend Jonathan, and Ian who turned up with his Canadian friend Lyndsay, Grant, who turned up unexpectedly, and Tess, who wasn't with Fiona (but it was lovely to see Tess anyway!) and lots of other fab people. 

I had a beanburger and chips for lunch, and at about 5 as other people were peeling away (a bunch of them were all going to see a burlesque show) I went back to Piccadilly and got a 6pmish train back.  It was full of kids who'd been to see some 'X-Factor' singing show, and they were very high spirited, so I made a handful of them a balloon model....

Home before 8pm, must try for an early night as working tomorrow....

Saturday 8th January 11

I got up early as I wanted to be useful before going out.  So got the stove lit and made a tomato soup with a red onion which had been deep frozen and was a funny texture, but smelled normal and fried in olive oil perfectly normally, plus some big thrown away tomatoes which needed their stem areas cutting out but the rest was fine, and a stick of purchased-at-full-price celery!  I also sorted through the second lot of grapes, blanched the good ones and put them in a tray to dry.

I left the soup cooking on the stove and cycled off to the station, where I'd arranged to meet Jackie, my friend from the Northern Green Gathering who lives out in the wilds of North Yorkshire, who wanted some company.  So she came with me to Manchester to the social group that I sometimes attend.  At Piccadilly we met Janie, and walked down to Night and Day to have a bit of lunch and lively conversations.  I was pleased to see Sean, the organiser of the Manchester World Naked Bike Ride, Christine, one of my facebook Scrabble opponents and her partner Simon, Ian, Ellie, Amy and Stephen, Robert, Simon, Laura and Victoria, and several others who's names I can't recall.  But we had some good conversations and I was glad that Jackie made some friends.  I was very happy to see Janie again, and Sean.

However, Jackie wanted to go to a particular shop called Unicorn but she was so engrossed in conversation that she left it too late... we got on a bus and arrived to find it just closed, with the staff shutting the shop.  Bummer. 

But overall, the day was lovely.  The train trip back was noisy with loads of police dealing with football yobbos.  But there was no hassle really.

I got back in at about 8.30pm, and a bit later, on facebook, read something which has saddened me considerably.  My good friend Robin, who has often commented on this blog with good humour, posted that last night his wife Stella died in hospital, following complications after weight loss surgery in November.  I didn't know Stella very well, I met her about half a dozen times, mostly briefly, but Robin loved her as did their two children.  Very sad news.  My heart goes out to them.  I'm so sorry.

Saturday 13th November 10

I had a 9am start to the day, despite a late night, and caught up with some washing up, as Gill had kept the stoves going and there was hot water.  She got up at 6, as usual!

Our youngest went off to a party and eldest went to have a hair cut, and I got ready to go to Manchester for a regular social I like to attend.  I made sandwiches to have on the train and zoomed into town and got my ticket and got down to Platform 4 to get the train.  I chatted to a musician chap who had two chunky cases with him... probably guitars but I thought at first one was a cello.  We talked about being a performer and all sorts.  He was off to Cheshire to do a gig.

I had my sandwiches and read Resource magazine.  I was soon in Manchester.  I met my friends Laura and Nina, and we went to Night and Day and met another of Laura's friends Colin, and Janie and Jonathan, and Swin and Ellie, and a new attendee Simon, and Fiona and Tess, Sean turned up, and Ian, and plenty of others.  What a lovely crowd.

I had two coffees and lots of conversations and left at about 5.45, and got the 6.11 train back which was a bit late, and I spent the journey chatting to a nice retired couple who were keen to get back to Edinburgh and were slightly worried about getting their connection in York.   They'd been to a nephew's wedding at Manchester Town Hall.

And therefore I got back into the house at 9.30pm and didn't do much apart from get slaughtered at Scrabble by Gill.  She beat me by 108 points.