My Birthday....

It was my on the 21st December...


People always ask me whether it bothers me or not being born so close to Christmas?  When i  was younger i loved it as i knew that after my Birthday it wasn't long to go before Christmas.  My Mum and Dad never ever let Christmas take over my Birthday and always made sure my Birthday was special.  I never ever had a Birthday cake nor a party but i always remember my early Birthdays fondly.


Getting older is a different story...


If you're born a Christmas baby just before Christmas i.e. the 21st December!! Then no one has the time or the money to want to celebrate it with you, well this is the case in my case...hmmm or is it that my friends just don't really like me?  This year i gave up and never even bothered to organise a damn thing and guess what!?  I had a lovely chilled Birthday with my family and loved it!!


What did i get?


I have a pair of Hunter Wellies and wanted some socks for them so i got bought a pair of really funky Zebra cuffed ones BUT they were too small!! The person who bought me them shall remain anonymous to save them the shame but they bought me a size that would fit a 
Chihauhua!!  So they're on their way back for some that will actually fit my feet!!  I sound ungrateful don't i but i'm not, i laughed as this person never ever gets it right and infact if they did it would ruin years of suspense...will they get it right, won't they...




I got a new pair of boots not the Gucci one's but a very 70s style that I love!

Ooooohhhhh Coffee or Tea????

Beautiful structure

A recent trip into Manchester City  Centre on Saturday led us to ....yep the Christmas Market again but this time NO alcohol was involved as my Daughter accompanied us this time.  It's usually a tradition that we all go together but now our 16 year old son decided to stay with his friend on Friday night in fact my son and five of his friends at one friends house (his Dad must have some patience), i guess a male pyjama party without the girly sleep over.  Instead they decided to stay awake all night. Needless to say he was in no mood to be trapesing around the City.  On our visit to our wonderful City we discovered a fab coffee/Tea shop in a very unpredictable place, the Town Hall!!!  The only reason we found it was because Tony wanted to go into the Town Hall to see what the organised Clock  Tower tour was about (BORING).  I then got a very excited call to say i must go inside and take a look as it was amazing.  I have one time a long long time ago been inside and i knew that it had some of the most beautiful Gothic looking architecture you have ever seen and started it's construction in 1868. 

Historic Figures

 I thought by it's design and wonderful carvings and structure that it would be Gothic and thirteenth century but to my surprise it isn't.  Anyway once inside we discovered a seating area surrounded by statue's of historic men who changed Manchester it's Corn Exchange and Slavery in the late 1800s.  A huge open fire just peeping out from behind the Christmas Tree and a haunting but exciting feeling of history surrounding us and we sat and ordered coffee.

Seating Area 

What should we have, a small coffee or a large coffee??  


Okay we'll have a small coffee each please and a Coke for Isobel (i hate my children having Coke)!  


When the Coffee arrived we discovered it was a Cafetiere full of proper coffee! Blimey they must have got this wrong and what was a £1.60 priced coffee surely must be more!  Taken in by the relaxing surroundings and people watching we just drunk it anyway.

Isobel and her Dad

What was surely a cheap coffee break may just cost us an arm and a leg, well we were in the City!  Nope, wrong! £1.60 for the Cafetiere that we got about five cups of coffee out of!  Well Tony being tight as a ducks arse he was well chuffed!

If you're ever in Manchester take a trip to the Town Hall and enjoy a sit down in a beautiful historic atmosphere, and i'm sure you would just hear the meetings of minds from long ago in the background.

All I Want For Christmas....

Is Hermes des Merveilles!

Beautiful feminine fragrance that smells just beautiful.  I've dropped lots of hints but i'm not sure they've sunk in! I've even got my friends to post little handwritten signs, they've written in big writing on A4 paper and placed them on the fireplace.  What was the reaction? Erm why do people keep writing that? What is it? I don't get it?


What are my chances of receiving this beautiful perfume as a gift this Christmas?  I've far more chance of Father Christmas being real!!!!


AND if i do get it i'll show my arse on the Town Hall Steps!

A Little Bit of Christmas...

YYYYYAAAAAAYYYYYY!!!! I finished work for Christmas on Friday for an extra Christmas Break so i'm going to chill and watch Christmas Films such as It's A Wonderful Life

I took my children to the Christmas Markets again on Saturday as it's a Winstanley tradition just before Christmas but this time without any alcohol!! Oh and to pick up my hat i left behind in a drunken stupor on my last visit...shameless springs to mind

Tuesday is Lunch and Christmas Shopping with Mum to pick up the last lot off my list

 I must be mad!!!

and to top it all it just may snow......

Wednesday is my Birthday!!!!!

and do you know I've never had a Birthday Cake!!  Aaaahhh!!! All together now....

AND!!!

I'm treating myself to my nails done at Perfection Nails in Ashton Under Lyne who are just fantabulous!

Christmas Markets

On Saturday afternoon my friends and I had a trip down to the German Markets in Manchester as we do every year for our little Christmas outing.  Needless to say by about 6pm i was a little worse for wear, hum hum full of Christmas cheer i'd say

You can just see my head popping out from behind the lovely Ang and her glittery festive berret..


The City of Manchester is full of life at any time of year but there is something a little more special when the German Christmas markets come to town.  The beautiful light displays in the trees then sprinkle light down to all tasting a little mulled wine or a hot chocolate Baileys.  Feeling a little peckish and to put a little bit of a lining on our stomachs we ventured over to the food stalls where we all indulged in either a paella or a Chirizo Hot Dog.


There is a huge amount of fabulous items/gifts you can purchase from handmade trinkets, jewellery, funky hats for the children or festive decorations for your home or garden.


Such good fun with a huge black and blue bruise on my leg to prove it, how on earth did i do that!?

OH NO!!!!!

I finished work on Friday for Christmas so I'm taking it easy and had the laziest day watching trash TV (God i couldn't be a lady of leisure) before the calm before the storm that starts tomorrow for me!!!  I've already had to cancel my hair appointment due to a hospital appointment so now I'm now going to have a very UN-stylish mop with roots showing my now very white strandy/grey hair that makes my red locks finally make me look like I'm a blonde; which I've incidentally always wanted to be growing up but now i am this new Blondie colour i don't want to be i actually like being a red head!  (don't call me Ginger).

The problem is it's costs me a fortune to get my red locks back and although I'm going to save myself £60.00 to perhaps spend on myself, maybe a new pair of boots (not the Gucci kind though obviously or sadly but the offer is still there if anyone would like to buy me them) i now have to wear a lovely dress i have for Christmas Day and a scruffy looking mop that even a Red Setter would be ashamed of *sigh* not to worry i tell myself i can make the most out of a bad situation i guess and think about how fickle i am at moaning and groaning about how my hair due my hospital appointment may have just spoilt our Christmas Day meal ( i should just stay in). What if i meet someone i've not seen in years?!

Of course none of the above is meant to be taken seriously lets remember there are a lot of people homeless or can't afford their hair cut at anytime of the year and can't afford to go out for Christmas Day let alone feed themselves so i take this on board and will remember even though I'm not rich and I don't have much money i do have much more than some so who cares about HAIR!!!!