Dragged out of Retirement

So, whilst in Leeds we called in for a quick visit before Sunday lunch to the "Gardens of the World" area in Roundhay Park.

The Monet Garden was opened in 1999, and is quite "a picture" every year, and is followed by the Alhambara Garden which has really settled in very well.

Monet Garden


Alhambra Garden




In recent years Leeds City Council have entered a number of gardens at the Chelsea Flower Show.....the first was called "The Largest Room in the House garden, after the show it was installed near the Alhambra garden.........



The last three gardens have been linked together to form a view of Yorkshire life, including the two gold medal winning gardens "Lock Gates" and the "Watermill"..... I must say it's certainly a little oasis !

After a busy week (doing I'm not sure what !! lol) and busy weekend (expertly covered by the lovely london1967 ) I am still trying to catch up with tales of my weekend in Leeds.........

So, on the Saturday evening, I went into the busy and raucous city centre to meet up with Janet and Stephen, and some workmate friends from years ago....... about 25 years...... as I left Leeds in August 1986, and though I go back regularly it's always been principally to visit family.

The soundtrack to the evening was just soooo loud... or maybe it's just me getting old !!


Helen and Marie.............................. Shelley (Helen's daughter) last seen aged 11 ! ............... Janet and her brother Tony............................


Stephen (who I do see regularly-ish)...... joined by Grace and her friend.................................................... an Marie & Helen again.................


and Stephen with Sue.

I was running late (as usual) so met up with Janet and Stephen outside the first bar on the schedule and moved on to meet the others who had gone on to secure us a space in the next port-of-call, bar/restaurant/nightclub complex "TigerTiger".  Helen was standing outside having a cigarette and I was shocked to see she had changed so little, in fact, she appeared just the shame !!  Her daughter Shelley was inside (last seen when she was 11 years old.....she now has a 17 year old son) along with everyone else, who similarly looked hardly different..... seems it's only me who aged !!   Drinks were half-price before 9pm, so in true Leeds style we had 3 rounds lined up in good time !!

From there we went onto the New Penny, a very old gay pub - I worked there for a few months in the late 1970's - it was great fun then.

This is when Grace arrived as a surprise, she now lives in York and just happned to be out with a (gay) friend with a car, and called in to see us.  The girls have had a couple of nights out since news of our mutual very great friend's death last year brought them together again.

Stephen and I often mentioned Grace when we met up as we had both lost contact with her....... We did run into Lyndon, her boyfriend when I left Leeds, about 8 or 9 years ago when Stephen and I were out in a gay club (a rare occasion).... and he had (finally) come out !!  They had been together for 13 years.... and the scribbled telephone number he gave us for her just disappeared.............  Hopefully we can now keep in touch.

Having expected to not be late out (and telling my mother so) I was shocked to look at my mobile in the taxi home and see it was almost 2am !! and 2 missed calls from my mother !............as she says, I'm 57, but she still worries!