Nights of fun - pt 3

With the Wimbledon's women's junior and senior finals being held today, I was feeling that I had just enough time to watch a bit of sport before a friends barbecue and then another trip to London for a pair of friends joint birthday parties.

With so many birthdays all close together I had to make an extra long shopping spree in order to get the required cards and presents, but I was happy that I was able to get everything that I planned before I had to leave.

Thanks to the a beautiful sunny and cloudless sky, the walk to my friends place was a nice leisurely stroll downhill for half an hour and not wanting to be the first one I had left only a few minutes before it was due to start in order to arrive fashionably late but still with enough time to enjoy the good food, music and company before coming back again.

However, when I arrived I found the house and garden empty and showing no signs of preparation for the barbecue, despite the fact that as late as the previous night I was assured that the party was going ahead at 4pm, weather permitting of course. I texted my friend to ask what was going on and it was awhile before any reply came, and when it did arrive I was far from happy and began the long walk back uphill.

Apparently they had rescheduled it for between 6 and 6.30pm and had not even bothered to tell me about it. Not good.

With a busy night ahead of me already booked in London, I did not want to let my other friends down and certainly I didn't see why I should bother changing my plans for the first friend who clearly thought so little of me that she hadn't even told me of the change of time for her barbecue.

Back home earlier than expect I had plenty of time to kill before I was due to leave for the second party, but with no internet at home I was going a bit stir crazy so I left early and decided to make another exploratory foray into Camden, which was where the second party was being held. Outside Camden Town tube station I could see the venue merely seconds away so I had plenty of time to be once more amazed and mystified at the myriad of outlandish and bizarre clothing and stalls that is Camden Market on a Saturday.

At 8pm I reached the venue and spotted one of the two birthday girls with her friend in the corner, however as we had yet to be introduced face to face I was wary of approaching her direct, fearing that she might think me a crank or a perv ... me being 32 and going slightly grey while she had barely turned 21 and is the sister of my friend thus having never even met me before.

I shouldn't have worried, and happily my faith in being able to get along with almost anyone was renewed once more when she smiled at me and beckoned me over even before she had received her sisters text to say that I had arrived and was waiting for her to notice me.

The next few hours were filled with much drinking, meeting interested and friendly people and finding out that my friends new boyfriend is in special effects, having worked on various projects from Doctor Who, to 28 Weeks later and even the most recent Star Wars movie.

Apart from the fact that I both arrived and left single, I do not think that I could have had much more of a good time, and if the other guests promises to keep in touch are genuine then I am dearly looking forward to meeting up with them again soon.