The night before the night before Christmas!

On Wednesday, the last day in work before Christmas, finishing at lunchtime, my wife had come with me and we had a room booked in the local Travelodge near Cambridge. After a quick drink with my colleagues we booked into the hotel and got ready. The idea was for us to spend the rest of the afternoon and early evening shopping and then meet up with my friend Liz and have a meal and a few drinks. This was my wife’s first time in Cambridge.

The weather meant that we had to dress warmly and so I chose my woollen long sleeved dark pink dress over my new denim leggings tucked into my knee high stiletto heeled boots.

It’s still funny to look at the receptionist’s face when having booked in an hour earlier as a couple, we leave together as two women!

We dropped the car at the Grafton Centre and strolled carefully (pavements were somewhat icy) into the centre where we wandered in and out of the shops with no particular agenda. Finally we made our way into Debenhams where we perused the racks of dresses each of us looking for that something special. In the John McDonald Star Collection area we found them. My wife bought me a new con fit dress and I returned the favour with a gorgeous dress that fitted her like a glove. I purchased another pair of enhancers and a stick on bra which was on special offer, whilst Jackie picked up a couple of new bras.

We decided to stop for a sandwich and coffee in the café upstairs and enjoyed a spot of people watching. Picking up a few bits of make up in Boots on our way back to the car we returned to the hotel and freshened up and got changed for the evening. I wore a grey dress with shiny black belt over shiny black hold ups and on my feet a pair of black patent heels.
Once more passing through reception we got a smile form the guy behind the desk as we exited the hotel and carefully walked across the icy car park to the car.

We picked up Liz from her house and parked at my usual spot, we chose to eat at the St John Chop House – a traditional English menu where I had eaten before. The place was busy but not as full as the last time and we were given a table near the window.

The food was as expected really tasty with us having between us, Sea Bass, home made sausages and bacon mash and beef and game suet pudding. We finished off the meal with a “low fat sweet” me – sticky toffee pudding with ice cream, my wife a marmalade sponge with cream and Liz a fruit roullade.

We were looked after really well and again not one raised eyebrow from the other adjacent diners. I wholeheartedly recommend the restaurant on all counts.

Given the state of the pavements outside we decided to walk round the corner to my regular pub (as Emma) the Pickerel Arms and were warmly greeted by the bar maid Claire.

The pub was packed and we were lucky enough once served to find a couple of seats by the fire where we settled down for a very pleasant end of evening chat and drink. All so very normal and a great experience. All to soon, several glasses of wine later, it was time to leave and my wife drove us back to the hotel having dropped Liz off on the way.

Back at the hotel we decided to try the two dresses on before getting ready for bed – I wasn’t really dressed when we were shopping to try clothes on. Looking at the label in my dress we were disappointed to find that it was actually a size 16 and not the 18 that we thought we had bought. Shrugging, I we thought I might as well try it on only to find that it fitted! Yes, my very first size 16 dress. I was over the moon on all counts, it being a present from my wife, a gorgeous dress to boot and now a size 16! My wife tried her new dress on and what a fit! She looked a million dollars. Already she was planning to wear it to our friends New Years Eve party – shame I couldn’t do the same! Instead, I had it in mind to wear it out in Manchester on Dianne’s birthday on the 30th.

Off with the make up and to bed, the next day being Christmas Eve and back home to our daughters.