Although Emily is generally very sweet, a month without a 'day off' is hard for me, so I was very glad to disappear to Manchester for the day. There, I had arranged to meet Jill, a mum I know from Tokyo who had returned last August and lives in Southport. Nick and Emily walked me round to Adlington station and she enjoyed seeing me off on the train. I tracked Jill down in the preappointed rendezvous of Next Home department. We pottered happily around the fashion shops of the Arndale Centre for ages, then flopped down in a cafe there for a two hour slap-up lunch, bottle of wine included. We felt very much like 'ladies who lunch', though neither of us gets much chance to splurge like that. What is it about lunchtime drinking that affects you so much more strongly? I was a little merry and very rosy-cheeked by the end of the meal.
I hurried back to Manchester Piccadilly in drizzle with moments to spare before my planned train, only to find that it had been cancelled. I needn't have worried as Emily and Nick were round at the neighbours' house, who had their whole family visiting for the day, including 3-year old granddaughter. Once Emily got home it was easy to get her fed and off to bed as she had had a busy day, having been for a ride on the model train at nearby Brookside earlier. Nick and I went to the Legh Arms for a couple of drinks and a catch up with Skid later in the evening.
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