Manchester

This week has not been about blogging; in fact I very nearly didn’t have a single photo to upload for your visual delight... No, this week has been about one thing and one thing only – Manchester.

Essential onion chopping
eye protection

Blue sky and sunshine in
Manchester on Wednesday

I love the place. And have been missing it more than I thought I would. So when the chance arose late last week to attend a careers fair at the GMEX Centre on Wednesday, I jumped at the chance. I did quite a few recruitment events/Open Days at my last job and really enjoyed them so I packed my bag and on Tuesday evening headed to Euston for the train HOME. The others attending the event were put up in a lovely hotel at Salford Quays with dinner and breakfast all paid for – me?...I opted for a crate of beer a couple of pizzas (to share!) and my favourite couch in all of Manchester. Miss Jen Copestake (there you go, a personal mention...happy now?) didn’t know I was coming and was so surprised to see me – although quite annoyed that that meant she hadn’t ‘put her face on’. Catch up chat, crap TV and too much pizza later I was knackered and settled down for a night on my couch.

The event the next day was really busy. Lots of interest from undergraduates and a surprising amount of first years (who only started Uni 3 weeks ago!) interested and keen to find out about placement opportunities, years in industry, insight days etc etc... Also got the chance to go round and have a nosey at what the other companies (most of the Times Top 100 were there) were offering. After that I dashed home to Westhoughton to see the parents (and for a free meal) and caught the 8.15pm train back to Euston.

Homies 4 Life

Back in the office on Thursday I had a bit to catch up on and suddenly it was Friday again!..and clearly time for some post-work cocktails at Waterloo Bar and Grill with lots of the other TfL grads. Those catch ups are great although I really need to do it 'properly' next time when I don't have to rush off somewhere else. I had already planned to go to Manchester this weekend so the 24hr trip earlier in the week was a bonus. Heather and Jimmy leave for their extended honeymoon at the beginning on November so this was the leaving do (any excuse for a party, eh?!). The Gas Lamp was the starting point and then onto Mojo – not to be confused with Moho or Noho – both in the Northern Quarter, nowhere near Mojo. Some of us continued onto the Village and Coyotes then finally Cruz where we danced until the sun came up.

pasta in a cake tin and
a chair for a table.

Turns out I was far too hung-over to stand in the pub for more than 45 minutes on Sunday afternoon, and thank God I did leave - how totally embarrassing. Even more worrying than not being able to stand up for 90 minutes was that it became physically impossible to move from my couch all evening and ended up staying in Manchester for a third night!...I was well fed and slept on a belly full of pasta bake and garlic bread – standard Colgate Crescent communal Sunday evening dinner. All of the above factors resulted in me having to catch the 5.55am train from Manchester Piccadilly on this morning – painful, but so totally worth it for such a good weekend.

This week I’ll be heading to Loughborough for another careers fair, having my ‘development needs’ meeting (where they tell me how awful I was at interview) seeing some comedy and at the weekend, heading out to Orpington to see some family – lovely jubbly.

Until next time..

Bren x


PS, AS IF it's November next week........WHAAAAAAAT?!