Wednesday 16 May 2012

Life begins

Last weekend I had a great weekend away with almost all of my friends to celebrate one of their birthday, a significant birthday for my friend Sarah who recently turned 40.

I've known Sarah for 20 years now, and she has been a great friend and very supportive over the years. She is obsessed however with trying to persuade me to get a dog. It's almost become a standing joke.

A great dinner was laid on, courtesy of Peebles Hydro, in their Bannockburn room. This room featured a gigantic mural covering every wall depicting the battle of Bannockburn in 1314.

About half the people who went along to celebrate with Sarah, stayed overnight, including myself. It was nice to be able to turn up around lunchtime, check in to my room, then chill out lazing around, having coffee and cream scones whilst reading my book.

Peebles Hydro has a dress code, which simply amounts to no jeans or trainers after 6.30. The evening started with drinks in the cocktail bar, however, unbeknown to Sarah, a group of us were putting the final touches to a 20-minute series of sketches, based on Sarah's life and written and presented by her brother Andrew.

It was great as Sarah genuinely had no idea we had put this together, and after numerous in-jokes and fluffed lines by parents playing themselves, we all settled into our comfy chairs for an evening of wine, food and great conversation.

The following day kicked off with a lovely buffet-style breakfast, a wander through the grounds and a leisurely drive back to Edinburgh.

All in all it had been a great weekend, spending it with friends old and new.

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