BIRTHDAY: AY AY!

THIS weekend saw me turning twenty six, amongst other things. Here's how I celebrated:

Here's me with an AMAZING card that my 3-year old cousin

  Harry made me - and some weird wallpaper.

ONE] Eating at Annexe, Birmingham:
         This restaurant on Corporation street opposite the Law Courts is a complete hidden gem. I wanted to go
         somewhere that had a good atmosphere, was reasonably priced but had great food to show for it; this
         made Annexe the perfect location to say goodbye to my twenty fifth year. The service is impeccable, from
         the moment you are greeted outside the front door to the minute you leave, something which is lacking at
         many places at the moment [not least at new Turtle Bay where a bar manager actually pulled a face at us
         after speaking rather abruptly/sarcastically just before we promptly headed to The Lost and Found
         then Annexe]. The first thing that struck me was the music: all the 30s classics with a pinch of le
         Francais. The second was the decor:

Yes that is a piano placed in front of a large projected Fred Astair (I think) 

Yes that is a wonderfully 30s pattern on french-style mirrors.

    Whilst my photographs had clearly felt the effects of alcohol, my stomach hadn't, and I tucked into every

    freshly- made and delicious course as though I hadn't eaten in a week. We did have an altercation with a piece

    of cod that had been overcooked and left out, but this was dealt with swiftly and professionally as we were

    offered a champagne and cherry cocktail by the manager amid several apologies. Needless to say a new

    piece arrived that was brilliantly flakey and worth the wait. Dish of the evening for me had to be Scallops of The

    Day wrapped in pancetta and served with celeriac purée and pesto which practically melted in the mouth. I

    was told that the Rosemary Beef was equally full of flavour. Unfortunately this is where my photographic imput

    ends but you're going to have to take a wander down and have a look for yourself! 

    FACT: Annexe holds 'Show Nights' every so often which basically consist of dressing up like a 30s
              Hollywood star, enjoying the live performances and eating like a king. The next one is
              THIS FRIDAY 16th May with the theme of 'Opulence, Burlesque, Hollywood Glamour'

TWO] Learning to Ski:

          That's right - my wonderful boyfriend surprised me with a fast-track skiing lesson with Snozone at Xscape

          Milton Keynes on my actual birthday. This, my friends, is an amazing gift. If [like me] you get to your

          lesson and suddenly find yourself overcome with fear DO NOT WORRY. THIS IS NORMAL. Was I scared?

          Yes:

Here's me looking scared

          Did I have an amazing time? Yes. Did I want to go back yesterday and today? YES. I have no idea

          how much the lessons are [and will not look] but am assured they are great value for money. 

I'm not sure how but I mastered everything. Birthday luck.

        The great thing about this place is the real snow. It's one thing to learn how to ski on a completely smooth
        surface but it's another ball game to be able to handle your skis when they're buried under a mound of

        snow. 

Actual amazing snow

          Thanks must go to my instructor 'Lemmon' who:

                  a] was patient, encouraging and uplifting in instances of frustration [of which there were a few]

                  b] pushed me down the slope backwards, about fifteen minutes into the lesson, and

                  c] taught me how to ski in three hours.

        I'll definitely be back soon to complete levels 3 and 4 and basically rule the slopes. NB These lessons are 

        not age-specific as far as I can tell on account of the four year old twins who showed me up.

THREE] Ordering a 15" Pizza from Joes Pizza: OBVIOUSLY

love

STANLEY