narshada

The Manchester meet was awesome. I'm using that word a lot at the moment but other superlatives just don't seem to do the job.

I got into Manchester about 11.30 and decided to find the hostel and then have a wander round the shops seeing as the meet wasn't until 2. I'd gone to the trouble of printing out a map of how to get to the hostel and the bar at work and then completely forgot to take it with me! So armed only with a near photographic memory and a decent sense of direction, I headed for Fobidden Planet as I knew the hostel was near there. I got to FP and took a left onto Hilton st. Great, I thought, the hostel is called the Hilton Chambers and I thought it was either on there or one of the side streets off it. I walked the length of the street and couldn't see it so went around the block to go back to FP to have a look around and ask the staff if they knew where it was. Just as I got to the door, I saw that the hostel was almost opposite on the right! Doh. The hostel was nice and looked clean so all was well.

I had a look around the shops for a while, since I didn't want to get to the bar too early. I set off for the bar at 2, figuring it might take me half an hour to find. I managed to successfully navigate my way onto Oxford st by memory and walked for a while before trying to ring The New Scum but unfortunately I'd taken his number down wrong. I decided to abandon my 'find it myself' plan, manly as it was, and ask for directions, so I went into the next newsagents I saw and asked. The guy had no idea where this 'Font Bar' was. As I walked out of the front door, I saw a sandwich board for it on the street opposite. Obviously the newsagent guy wasn't too up on his local area.

I went in and headed for the bar, trying to scope out the people in there to see if there was anyone I recognised. There wasn't, so I went and sat by the door so I could keep an eye out for people coming in. I got a text from Angel Ree And was just in the middle of explaining that I was all alone when Zamuzel walked in. I'd met Zam before so that was cool.

The New Scum turned up next, followed by GTWR and Conroy, who didn't recognise me for a couple of minutes due to the beard. After a while Ortus turned up and it was just us guys for a while. We devised a plan to cover the table in empty bottles by the time the rest turned up, but because we'd already moved downstairs to have more room and also because the staff came round every once in a while and took them away, we had to abandon the plan.

I forget what time Killa, Vindice, Angel Ree, Mistress Paine, Tragique, Emma Treasure, Pixiebelle and Rael turned up, but I'd been there since 2.10 so had a fair head start! Apparently they'd had trouble with getting a taxi, despite Killa's insistance that they should send 'a big one'!

Anyway then things kicked off properly and we all got chatting. Vindice didn't recognise me and I had to explain that I was on her friends list, ha ha! Obviously other people were doing the same sorts of things because Zam decided we should all stand up in turn, say our names, our SG usernames... and what we liked to have for breakfast. After that everyone felt a bit more at ease and the talking and drink flowed in equal measure. (Well, for some of us.)

The rest of the evening involved Zam telling stories and getting a drinking straw put down his asscrack, me somehow starting the rumour that my penis has moved up my body and now resides on my chest, (don't ask, I don't know how I get myself into these things...) random people dressed as Mario and such and awesome amounts of fun and laughter.

Ortus left to go watch the Hatton fight, (and if you're reading this KellyMonster, yes I did give him a hug for you!) and at some point after that we went to the rock kitchen. I did some dancing and later pretty much everyone was. Zam fell asleep on a chair and had to be rescued by Emma Treasure from a bouncer that wanted to kick him out.

After we left we got pizza and then split up in taxis. Me, Zam and The New Scum were all staying at the same hostel so we grabbed a cab. I fell into my top bunk in a room full of sleeping strangers and passed out happy.
I got up about 9 after 5 hours sleep and went and grabbed a cup of tea and then had a wander over and watched people fall over on the temporary ice rink.

We all met up briefly in the bar at the station at 11 - I got there early again and I was nursing a hangover but tried my best to be chipper. The girls turned up about 11.20 so we didn't get long to chat before Zam and I had to dive off for our train back.

I had such a great weekend - It was totally awesome (there's that word again, but it's true,) and I hope to meet up with all of you again soon.

Narshada happy.