Archive for the ‘Friends’ Category

For the June Wendy House we had planned a mascarade ball for Michelle’s return. However, it turned out she didn’t get in to Leeds until way after it would have ended so it turned out to be some far more relaxed drinks before Wendy House. Not that that isn’t the start of a very enjoyable evening.

We finally made it into Wendy House just before midnight at which Fonze began partying the night away.

However, within 15 minutes of getting in the door, we were heading back out again to meet Michelle. Also Michelle is back! Hurray! Although by the time this actually gets published she will have actually gone again, but it was fun while it lasted.

Hey, do you remember SoBe? Probably not as it’s new. Well, forget about it anyway because it’s gone. It’s now called Hirst’s Yard. Confusing, it’s also located in Hirst’s Yard, along with a load of other bars.

Myself, Elina, Norm, George and Kat were recently out for post-Nando’s cocktails when we received a buy one get one free flyer, so decided it was worth a go. Perhaps they decided that the SoBe look was simply a bit too bright and happy for Leeds, but the essentials remained the same – quality, properly mixed cocktails, at reasonable prices (which changes to very reasonable when you have two for one vouchers).

It was reasonably quiet when we went in at around 9pm, though picked up soon after that, so head down early if you want a seat.

We followed that up with a trip to the ever-popular Call Lane Social where we ventured up to the tiki hideaway upstairs. You can question the wisdom of lighting drinks on fire when you have a tiki-style straw roof that is highly flammable, but we survived to tell the tale, so all is well.

At this point, myself and Elina left as we had to be up early the next morning, but I presume the night ended in a strip club.

Sometimes, you must have to be bold and say “screw it, I’m going to Wendy House in a really outrageous outfit, no matter how much people stare.

That’s when I went in my Panic! At the Disco t-shirt.

We recently headed to the bowling alley to celebrate Fonze’s birthday.

It was a rather confusing start because the alley used to be owned by AMF Bowling, but it is now owned by 1st Bowl. However, AMF have now bought Hollywood Bowl, so if you search for AMF Leeds you get what was the Hollywood Bowl out at Cardigan Fields rather than the one you are looking for. Never the less, we sorted it in the end.

They have a pretty cool offer called Big Work Party, which is where you can take your office (as long as your office is at least six people) and bowl for £2.25 a game! Being a Yorkshireman, I decided to take all the saving I could get and booked three games. I then bowled the worst games I’ve ever played, but a steak as ‘Spoons afterwards made it all better.

That’s right, I have a photo of Elettra – with a drink!

This month’s Wendy House saw Will lose his Wendy House virginity and Hugh make a return after what he claimed was an eight-year absence. That would mean that we was 16 last time he went, though if he settled into looking adult as easily as he has the bumbling old professor role in equal speed, it is in fact a perfectly plausible story.

A far bolder claim, but one I can assure you is true, is that Elettra given took to the dance floor and strutted her stuff! Add that to other things that happened and you actually have quite a strange, but very much enjoyable, night.

Last weekend we held our house warming party for our new place. Despite the continued and so far unstoppable process of ageing which continues to haunt us, we managed to keep going until gone 5am and managed to polish off around twenty bottles of various spirits – not to mention George getting through two vase-size snakebites.

Last week, we headed over to San Carlos for Michael’s birthday. Overall conclusion – poor quality restaurant, good quality company.

The restaurant itself was very disappointing – I had the steak, which just wasn’t that nice, it was cooked OKish, but wasn’t even warm by the time it made it to the table. The sides didn’t arrive with the meals either – they were just placed randomly on the table and we had to re-arrange them.

After all that, we were still a side missing and they had Tom’s main order completely wrong. I tried to grab a waiter to ask about the extra side, but that took rather a long time as no one came to check if our food was OK and they seemed to be rather rushed around.

Finally, we decided to order profiteroles for dessert, and thinking there would be plenty for the £5.10 we were paying for them, we decided to split them. When they arrived however, we found only three on the plate.

Unfortunately, I can only conclude that this was one of the most disappointing restaurant experiences I have had in Leeds city centre.

That isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy the evening however – the turn out was good and it was great to catch up with some people I hadn’t seen for quite a well, as well as finally meet the parents who have apparently heard a lot about me – all good stuff they assure me… 😀 Big thanks to them for part funding the meal too!

Having been invited for a surprise dinner party by Chris & Cara, we headed over to The Greenhouse – a large apartment development located in Beeston.

If your not familiar with Leeds, you might have heard of Beeston anyway – after all, it’s where the 7-7 bombers came from. It’s also where the football team Leeds United are based, and their accompanying Leeds United Service Crew, often described as the most notorious football hooligans in English history. That explains the two metre high security fence that runs around the perimeter of the complex then.

The idea behind the development is that it is supposed to be eco friendly – which is basically an excuse not to provide any of the tenants with a dishwasher or even a microwave, or anything useful like that.

But enough of bashing where they live. The food itself was outstanding. Individual Beef Wellington’s are always going to work because however much pastry you wrap something up in, you’re still basically serving us steak and there is simply no bad way to do that. Add chocolate cake to the end of that and you have a winning combination. Thumbs up all round.

Last weekend I headed over to Thai Edge for lunch with Si and Sarann. On Sundays they do a buffet, so you’re forced to have that – but being a buffet they have everything, so it’s not particularly restrictive.

It was good food and a nice selection. Though I think having spent so many years going to Spice Quarter and Red Hot World Buffet, I think my view of what the average buffet has to offer is in all other circumstances going to leave me disappointed.

They did have a chocolate foundation though there seemed to be an emphasis on taking fruit and dipping it in the chocolate – I just put my bowl under the foundation as that seemed like the only effective way to get a sufficient quantity to feed my habit. It was a bit disappointing though, as the chocolate itself tasted of the cooking variety.

All in all, it was OK, but I think I would prefer to go when they are serving their regular menu.