weekend news

Wow. Ok, I am in a much better writing place than I was a few hours ago. A few hours ago I was most definitely a horrible hungover mess, but now I have finally woken up. I suppose waking up at lunchtime means that I won’t be able to sleep until 1 or 2am. Oh well, no matter. I have nothing to get up for tomorrow, being housebound due to the parades.

Graduation weekend was the most lovely amazing fun I have had in ages. My parents, my sister and I flew over to Edinburgh on Thursday morning, after having had a horribly stressful few days dealing with my grandparents’ house and my mum’s family. I honestly thought that everyone was going to be too tired to have any fun, but we all got totally into the moment. So, we flew over, and then checked into the Balmoral, which is the most sumptuous hotel experience I have ever had, and most likely ever will have. We even had those fluffy towel bathrobes. Amazing. Once we had checked in, we went ‘family shopping’, in which we went places that we all wanted to go to, like a jewellery shop to get me a gorgeous Georg Jenson cuff, and then Jaeger for my dad, and Jo Malone and Thomas Pink for my mum, and a pashmina for Lil Sis. See, everyone did well. Everyone was just in the most perfectly relaxed and happy mood. I was so happy.

Big Bro and his wife came through and we went for cocktails at Harvey Nick’s and then dinner at the Atrium, where I had the nicest dish I have ever eaten, in the form of a warm pigeon breast salad, where the meat was a gorgeous scarlet, and just fell apart in my mouth it was so tender. Amazing. Delicious. Perfect. The food was of a much higher standard than I really could have imagined. I knew it was going to be good, but just not that good. I even had whiskey after the meal. All of us together had a blast, and had a really jolly meal, just lots of fun, lots of toasts to me, and then to my parents, and everything was great.

And then the hangovers begin. All the rich food, the three different wines, the champagne and the whiskey began to catch up on me, and I just was not feeling that hot the next morning. However, lazing in bed was not an option when the best breakfast spread I have ever seen was on the table downstairs, as well as formal shoes, bags, and scarves had to be bought! I sent Dad off to Orvis, whilst the girls looked at shoes, and I managed to get a great pair from Shuh, which was the biggest surprise. I usually hate their stuff. But never mind, because they were sexy fifties – incredibly high, flat ribbon bow in a lemon on a minty shoe. Awesome. Sexy and stylish. Perfect for a black dress. With that purchase I headed back to the hotel for a nap so that I would be perky and fresh for afternoon tea and the big walk.

Whilst I knew the meal on Thursday night would be amazing, what I was really looking forward to was afternoon tea at the Balmoral, because a good meal can be found anywhere, whereas afternoon tea is a preserve only for high class British hotels these days. And my, what a spread! Tiny finger sandwiches, amazing scones, tiny meringues, cakes, and other mini-desserts, all with a harpist playing in the incredibly genteel background. Just how I wanted it.

Graduation really didn’t take very long – a 50 minute ceremony, and I was the proud owner of a very fakeable wipe-clean scroll. Ha! Actually, it was strange, I didn’t think I would be nervous, but I was. I didn’t think I would grin like a maniac, but I did. Wow. And best of all, I walked out of the hall and straight into the arms of a very drunk FMN1. We screamed and giggled and spun each other around. She was just the person who I wanted to see at that second, and it was fantastic. I am officially a graduate.