Saturday Night, Sunday Morning

Last night I hit 'Town'!

Well actually I went for a meal to celebrate a girlfriends birthday and met all her mates who are a bit younger than me and (the important bit…) don't have kids!

Pre-Children, going out into Manchester was a given. Big Boy and I would think nothing of propping up our favourite bars, visiting a few of them as the mood took us and then rolling into a nightclub to finish off by drinking more and dancing till we dropped.

Post-Children that is not an automatic choice when we have a precious childfree weekend! I have become an expert at fending off invites to 'Go into town.' Initially it would be because one or other of the children was ill or sickening. Then it might be that I had nothing to wear, or couldn't afford it, couldn't cope with a late night and then getting up with the kids in the cruel morning and finally it was because I didn't feel that I could pass muster, in 'Town'. I was past it!

Post-Children we have got a house near a nice school but a more expensive taxi ride from 'Town'. You see, Manchester is always 'Town' and though we live in Stockport that is always, well Stockport!

Going out is either the coffee bars near us, which with their close proximity to home you don't tend to push the boat out very far, your bed is always calling.

Stockport Town Centre, forget it!

'Town', in my on-lookers, post-baby and past-it opinion is where IT's at. The bright lights, the buzz of people having a good time and the best people-watching material ever!

I started to go regularly into town a few years ago. I book theatre tickets for the Royal Exchange, and go, whatever it is, to feel me again, this is something just for me and the children know when Karen arrives that I am on one of my theatre nights and I will come back.

Just being in town and mixing with 'normal people' makes me realise I am still young (ish) life didn't end with children; in fact it is still there to be grabbed. Last night was further confirmation of that.

I drove; it really was how I persuaded myself to go (having a cheap quick exit parked around the corner). The company was enjoyable. The food was affordable. I felt like I fitted in (well no-one stared) and I didn't go on about the kids (much). I left like Cinderella on the stroke of…10 (Cinderella didn't have kids) and drove home to enjoy a bit of peace& quiet and dial-up TV. But it felt good .

When Big Boy lurched in from his local night out (boys are not as hampered by these hang-ups) I informed him, that in the future, now the children are older, we would be hitting 'Town'!

And enjoying it!