Jessica's birthday outing
Manchester, Friday 10 February 2006
After another busy week at the offices of Jessica Sargeant's employers, it was time to unwind and celebrate Jessica's 25th birthday. First stop: Beluga.
Spaceman joins the party a little late, after nipping home for a quick change...
Most of the crowd appear receptive, except Ruth, who tries to shut the newcomer out. Not to be outdone, Henry arrives later still (and with no time for a drink in Beluga).
Luckily he "agrees" to pose with a wall-mounted thing. Meanwhile, the birthday girl was less than happy with being the centre of the photographer's attention...
Despite the lack of alcohol, Henry appeared hammered already.
The exciting walk from Beluga to the Restaurant Bar & Grill is captured brilliantly below. Albert Square is straight ahead. Click here to capture it full video motion.
We finally arrive at the Restaurant Bar & Grill...
There are six of us sat around the table, some of it part of an alcove seat. The first tricky choice is what to order food-wise...
Sandra studiously makes her choice.
Henry again looks pissed, despite only having had a few sips of white wine by this stage, meanwhile the waiter tries to hide behind a glass of water...
Henry soon polishes of his mushroom-based starter dish...
It's time for mains - spaceman's choice is a chicken, chorizo, red pepper and pasta combo. The steak was tempting, but too much of the good stuff had been consumed recently...
Looks nice, don't it. Henry's choice is the steak pudding with mash and gravy. Yum yum.
This is how much of Henry's main survived...
Meanwhile Schoey tucks into the giant prawn paella with gusto...
Look at the size of those things! Henry does quintessential English gentleman. (He's David Niven, he's Roger Moore, etc, etc.)
Once the mains have been cleared away, the alcohol section of the dessert menu catches Henry's eye. He insists on getting sambucas all round. Erk.
Henry shows the rest of the table how to down a sambuca, although strangely it takes him two attempts. You're not meant to savour it, Henry! Hilariously, several aborted attempts to light the sambuca with a lighter resulted in Henry getting his thumb burnt.
Henry's thumb receives the "dunked in cold water" treatment so favoured in current medical circles. The thumb became a recurring theme for the next hour or so. Jessica, meanwhile, was softening slowly with the consumption of wine, and very much enjoying Henry's predicament...
Eagle-eyed viewers will spot Schoey's "not impressed with the presence of the camera" look. Meanwhile, Henry continues to look faintly ridiculous, as Doylie looks on with the mildest of mild amusements.
As we go to leave, with Henry's poor thumb still throbbing, spaceman has the bright idea of putting some ice in a napkin and taking it with them to the next venue. Henry demonstrates how to look cool while having a hand immersed in a napkin.
We choose our next pub as The Bridge (formerly The Bridge Street Tavern), on Bridge Street funnily enough. Henry (with nakpin) and co. crowd round the bar area, eager for more alcohol, with Schoey's eye-catching scarf clearly visible...
Doylie does his best not to look too bored. He fails.
But he soon joins in with some banter with Schoey, before startling her with his rabbit impression. Ruth does her best to look disgusted with the whole proceedings.
Doylie's fondness for candles is adequately captured. He chooses to meditate for the shot.
Ruth does not drink. Therefore, she must be asleep here.
The camera unfortunately catches evidence of a nasty winter cold. Jessica ponders whether to go home or crash at spaceman's. At length. In a tortuous manner.
Henry, pumped by alcohol, shows what he thinks of the persistent photo taking. So rude.
This might have something to do with his attitude. Cheers!
Henry then gets caught out by spaceman's sneakiness. Dave tries to avoid spaceman's camera, and then starts sticking his tongue out in a disturbing manner. With no picture taken, Henry believes that he has gotten away with it. Not so. Spaceman was using the film feature of the camera. Click here to check it out. He is worse for wear at this point, and starts to get closer to Jessica, who is further gone than Henry...
Finally, Henry has had enough.
And then starts to look a bit deranged in the journey back (helpfully provided by Doylie and his car).
Meanwhile, Jessica does the sober test as Doylie gets all homely with the tea round.
Now it's time for a game of Buzz on the PSTwo. See how the buzzers glow!
Tea and Buzz - can that be beaten? Spaceman, under the guise of the amusing alternative alias "Paul", takes an early lead...
Sadly for spaceman, the Schoey/Jessica combo twice won on the very last round. Man that hurts. Especially when you look like Barry White...
The "dream team" in action...
Henry decides it's time to go, but he can't resist a Dave Angel impression...
Jessica continues relentlessly with her drunken devilwoman impressions (with Schoey doing both pity and humoured with the same look), before she finally collapses with exhaustion in the spare bedroom, content, we hope, with an enjoyable birthday evening out...
