The Big Weekend Part 2

June is a very busy month, not only do Mike and I have our Birthdays this month (9 days apart), close to a dozen of our friends have Birthdays’ too. So a lot of us tend to share nights out rather than taking over every weekend for 5 weeks separately.

This year Mike, our friend Lauren and I had a joint night out planned for the day after Clare and Matt’s reception. I was feeling so tired but invites had all been texted out (we were thinking chilled night in the pub) so I got all glammed up – a lady in red and headed to a local Varsity bar. Being that it was still the Jubilee weekend there were special cocktails and Pimms Jaeger Bombs to test.....

For One Night Only Princess Lynsey

..... and test I did because I only have snapshot memories from about 11pm and I’m told Mike and Siobhan (who was staying over as she was visiting from London) we didn’t arrive home until 3am. Luckily my photo taking obsession meant I filled in my own gaps until I saw my brother who said I do a great Lady GaGa and Cha Cha slide... I wasn’t aware they were even played... *Note to self – Learn your limits*

But the above all said apparently I was a polite, chatty, fun drunkard and I even remembered to take off my make up, brush my teeth and drink a pint of water before I passed out whilst eating a kabab.... oh well - can’t win them all!

The next day I was surprisingly perky and not hung over at all, after an iced coffee and some leftover chicken we headed to our friends Sarah and Steve’s house of a Jubilee BBQ. Their flat and garden were covered in Union Jack bunting, Union Jack themed plates, cupcakes, sweets and decorations – a lovely chilled afternoon with gorgeous food and even better company – If I’d had a hangover it would have been cured! 

Cakes by Kylie

As previously mention there are a lot of Juney’s and after the BBQ we were off to more Birthday drinks this time in honour of our friend Jo. We met up with Jo, her Husband Jon and a few friend for a quiet drink (or 3) and ended up at the scene of the crime from the night before – Varsity. The difference being I remember this night out and I was coherent enough invited Jo to come in on the mass June collective for next year’s celebrations!

The extended Bank Holiday meant my actual Birthday (June 5th) was still a day off for everyone else so Mike’s parents (via Tony my Father in Law landing at Heathrow after a week in the USA) came to visit and took us out to Breakfast at Frankie and Benny’s where I cleared a plate of eggs, bacon and pancakes – stacked and covered in maple syrup (calories don’t count on your Birthday!).

In the afternoon I headed to my Mum and Dad’s for a tea party with them, siblings, my nieces and Nephew. It was a proper kids party with banners, cake, pizza and crisps – a youthful end to my 27th year!

L x

The Big Weekend Part 1

Unfortunately my title is not in reference to the huge Hackney Big Weekend currently rocking London as I write. I’m referring to the first weekend in June. Granted it was Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee but I had my own celebrations!

After Clare’s Hen do there was of course her wedding to the lovely Matt! The wedding was being held at The Manor in Rainham – a hotel restaurant set in the beautiful Essex Countryside - also hidden from most Sat Nav’s as we later found!.

Helen and I had paid for our good friend Lauren to be Clare’s make-up artist - I’d like to think a make-up artist is a girl 2nd best friend after the diamond of course! Lauren also doubled as my transport as Mike couldn’t come (his work schedule was too unpredictable and they couldn’t hold a seat for him at the wedding breakfast).

The Manor was a beautiful little hotel; the staff were helpful and friendly the venue itself was clean, modern and light.

The ceremony was set in the hotel gardens with 25 guests attending, although over cast the rain held off and it was short, incredibly sweet and at points very funny! I was immensely proud to be one of the witnesses on their marriage certificate – forever held in their history.

Time for the speeches, cake cutting and the wedding breakfast – I have to say the latter was where The Manor excelled themselves! I’m a well documented foodie – hence my membership to Weight Watchers and this meal was one of the best I’ve had – a perfect hollandaise sauce over asparagus and poached eggs, individual beef wellington’s that were still slightly pink inside with a rich pate smothered around the meat all packed in a delicious puff pastry case and dessert was a raspberry cheese cake in fruit coulis. The meal was finished with tea’s. Coffee and strawberry’s dipped in white and milk chocolate and decorated to look like tuxedos.

The rest of the day went perfectly.

The Smiths

The next day Clare and Matt held and afternoon reception in Wat Tyler Country Park. They’d hired one of the barns for a very chilled lunch reception. With a small bar, a huge buffet and a P.A system everyone chatted & laughed whilst the children played with bubbles and ate gingerbread men dressed as brides and grooms.

Another wonderful success of a day – Huge Congratulations to Mr and Mrs Smith (and Jake!)

L x

Back To My Adventures

After coming home from Spain, since we did so much, I felt I needed to rest, any fellow Cerebral Palsy and RSD/CRPS (in fact anyone with a long term condition) folks know it doesn’t take much to completely exhaust us. There’s this funny attitude that if we do something fun we must be alright – doesn’t work like that - pain doesn’t stop for the sunshine or a party – in my case I pop I few more (prescribed!!) pills and suffer the consequences, and by consequences I mean more pain, for the next day/week/month.

Anyway whilst I’m not bed bound I’m not resting for long in between my adventures, so three days after landing in Luton from Spain I headed to Suffolk and the Centre Parc’s at Elvenden Forest for my friend Clare’s Hen weekend!

I drove up with my pal Helen and we met with Clare, her Mum Bev, her sister Gemma and her future sister-in-law Sophie.

This was not my first hen night and I doubt it’ll be my last for a long time yet and I’ve come to realise much like and actor or comedian you must know your audience on a hen do, too much filth – you’re a pervert, not enough – you’re a prude! F.Y.I I’m neither!

On this occasion I had only met Mummy Bev once at a kid’s party, Gemma half a dozen times and I had never even met future sister in law Sophie before. So whilst putting together games I had to tread carefully – funny not filthy, amusing not alarming... I was going to have to spend not only three day’s for this hen weekend, with these people, but two day’s for the wedding too. I didn’t want them avoiding me as the smut monster!

Turns out I had nothing to be worried by and there was in fact a little disappointment I hadn’t included the odd naughty question in my Mr and Mrs Quiz (I e-mailed the Husband to be; Matt questions beforehand to answer - questions Clare had to get right - or face... well.. more booze) although Sophie being Matt’s sister was probably grateful!

I love the Elevenden Centre Parc’s it’s accessible, the apartments are clean, spacious and well maintained plus there’s so much to do on site. Although I visited the centre in March 2011, this time - I discovered there is tiny, weeny cute little nightclub called the Forum where the DJ was very fond of auto-mix and every song jumbled into one giant collaboration – and no it wasn’t me just being drunk – the others noticed it too.... okay that’s not a good example either, but at one point LadyGaga was mixed into Jon Bon Jovi which morphed into Kung Fu Fighting!

Clockwise Starting from: Me, Helen, Sophie, Bev, Gem and Clare

Saturday was spent in the huge pool and slides, followed by a leisurely float in a pedalo, a delicious Mexican feast cooked by Sophie and then a four hour trip to the heavenly spa.

The Spa were great about the wheelchair – I’m always worried about tire marks and scuffs in places like this but after falling over and managing to kick the spa wall resulting a week of agony on my last visit, I was taking my chair everywhere!

I have to say there was a point where I was laying outside on a water bed, in my bikini, at 8pm on a warm evening and thought - how very lucky I really am!

L x