A Slow Meander Through Life: A Weekend with the 'Olds' and the News

It's only Sunday but the weekend has been pretty good already. Friday night I was up in Leeds to see my friend Poonam. I met her when I was teaching in Coventry - she was a sixth former at the school - and we've been friends ever since. She's Indian (well, born here but of Indian decent), and as a consequence isn't supposed to have things like male friends who stay over and things like that. It's never really bothered me before, but the point of going up to see her is that we were both going down to Coventry (well, I was off to Leamington), so I said that we could meet up and I'd give her a lift. The plan was to drop her off at her parent's shop in Hillfields. No problem there, but we had to drive past the shop, round the corner, and say goodbye there. We aren't boyfriend and girlfriend, we never have been and we never will be, but her parents wouldn't be happy. I think for the first time yesterday this annoyed me. I didn't say anything to her (and should), but I think I'd quite like to say hello to her mum and dad, and say how nice the shop is, and chat about the weather and things. It's a cultural thing that I just don't understand entirely.

The time in Leamington was very nice. I saw my uncle, aunty and cousins, and then went into the town centre with my mum and dad to have a look around. They're doing quite a lot of work on the place at the moment (it's always been great anyway) and the new road round past the Regent Hotel is lovely. It was cold and foggy though, and everything looks great then!

We ate in the Angel hotel in the evening. My Grandparents had gone down too to meet old friends, and the meal was one of these meetings. I knew the people there and had a lovely time talking and catching up, and having to explain things like mp3s! Not an easy task, I'll tell you... The food was as fantastic as the company, and we were very well looked after by the staff there. All in all a pretty perfect night.

I drove back up to Lincoln after the meal and hit some very heavy fog. It was about -2 degrees all the way, which kept it interesting. When I returned home I promptly walked into town to meet Neil and Dalts who were in a new bar in Lincoln. It was my first time in there and it was very nice. It's an over 25s jazz bar which sounds a bit odd, but there aren't any kids in there, the live music was good, and there's table service. Yes - table service. Fantastic. We shall be going there again.

So it's all been good, and there's still a squash match and Harry Potter to come this evening. I think a stroll into town through the frost this morning could be in order too. If you live in warmer climes and aren't aware of the idea of frost, here it is...