Michelle makes a trip to England

Got a surprise phone call from Michelle, not that a phone call from Michelle is a surprise, as we chat all the time, but the surprise was the fact that she would be visiting England to celebrate her mothers 60th birthday. So arrangements had to be made so that we could all meet up at the same point. It's surprising what can be achieved with very little notice, but a triumphant success followed, accompanied by a set of strange coincidences.

As it happens (insert Saville reference here) I was talking to Pla and he mentioned that Kirsty and the kids would be in Blackburn the same weekend as Michelle. So the Saturday night ended up with a grand meeting of old friends. Those attending were as follows. Woody, Michelle, Sandra, Gillian (Sandra's sister), Kirsty, Lee, Stuart (Michelle's brother) and his girlfriend Angela. A veritable fullhouse of loveable funsters making merry in Blackburn. It's strange how quickly and readily we can get together, yet most of the us hardly see each other, and we only live a few miles from each other.

Yet again beer is the lubricant that oils the evening, conversations ebb and flow as quickly as the drink can be purchased. Many establishments are visited this evening, ending up at The Napier, for obligatory 'Welsh Disco' (ask Lee he knows why). More arrangements are made for the following day's walk, and as night follows day, day follows night and it's Sunday already.

Today's the day the teddy bears have a picnic, but we are devoid of teddy bears and we have no sandwiches to picnic with. That being said, or written, we are together once more, but this time in Ribchester. A slightly different line up for today, missing is Stuart and his girlfriend Angela, and also Gillian is not with us.

Joining us today is a heavily pregnant Sharon and Kieran, along with Holly. Lee's youngest daughter Eleanor has brought a friend with her, and Kirsty's monkeys are also in attendance, along with Robin (Sandra's son). Most of us have a little fuzzyness about us (last nights drinking) so walking is prohibited and replaced with plenty of standing around and the taking of pictures. For all we can manage is to hang around while the kids enjoy the playground. Jos turns up unexpected to surprise us, it's good to see him, it's been a while.

After much standing and swaying the children are requesting ice creams, so purchases are made, more hanging around made, but at the shop this time. We return to the playground so the kids can burn off the sugar previously ingested. As the afternoon draws to a close, we all go our separate ways, a great weekend, but the final surprise awaits us at the very end of the month.