Catrin came over after lunch. She was my best mate through our teens. We navigated our teens and boys and feelings together. Massive bond there that, of course, will never be replaced. Love her to death. Funny, when I opened the door to her I just said, "Hiii, come in" and we just fell back in to it. No thought of hugs or "Oh my god, so great to see you again". It was like we'd just seen each other a few months ago. Me and Catrin will always be like that, I think.
Soon as she sat down, Tracy Jones rang. First time I'd spoken to her for at least 23 years (she tells me that we Did see each other once after school). Tracy filled me in with osme of the goss over the years - who's doing this and that, and would you believe Richard Osbourne and his wife are really into s+m, swinging, and have a 'dungeon' in their house??? Jesus!
Went with Catrin to pick up her daughter Phoebe from our old primary school. Memories!
Can't believe how much Phobe's grown (she's 10). Beautiful long blonde hair and blue eyes but still looks so much like Catrin, somehow.
They dropped me off at the top of St Mary's St. Had a yarn with a guy from Brisbane at the Walkabout.
Cut through Caroline st. some massive bloody new thing being built up the Hayes. Already massive new shiny buildings around there - how much room do they think they've got? It's turning in to a mini Japan!
If you don't look up it's still the same down St Mary's and the Hayes, which is quite comforting. Even Spiller's Records is still there. That's where me and Catrin bought our tickets to see Madness in Port Talbot in Oct 81. I walked in and actually remembered the feeling of waiting at the counter and finally receiving the tickets in our little 13 year old hands. Wow! I was right back there, that excitement of loving them so much, being 13, boyfriends, bying ska badges, falling asleep to "Seven" on the tape player. Brilliant.
Outside St David's Hall there was a massive screen showing the graduation ceremony of Uni of Cardiff. Went to Argos to buy a bag for London. It's in the Queen's Arcade, which
is now a two storey mall sith a grand double staicased entrance.
Rushed to Jessop's to get a battery for my new vid camera. Don't remember Queen st being so short! Jessop's is right by where I took a photo of Catrin in her pork pie hat when that tramp was trying to talk to her.
Bought a UK sim card, then a big black assistant at Cardiff Central bus stn who I thought was a Maori (I was wrong. he had a funny accent) showed me where to get a bus to the Bay.
Met Louise (my sister and Kellie at 'Salt', and was surprised to see my mum there. I thought Kellie must have come with her, but turns out Kellie was as surprised as I was. Great to see louise but wouldn't mind some 'just us' time with her. Didn't get much of that last time.
They left, Kellie was starving, so we looked at the restaurants there. Two Italian restaurants right next to each other had exactly the same menu and prices!
Downstairs got talking to a posh couple from North Wales. They recommended a chinese joint round the corner but when we got there the doorman was in the middle of ringing the cops and trying to get rid of three mouthy 12/13 year olds who were giving him jip. Bless 'em.
Went back to the first Italian restaurant we'd looked at, that could've been a bit cheaper. Shit loads for a folded-over pizza, and $30 for a bottle of plonk. It mattered not because I had the company of my daughter, in a nice atmosphere, looking out at Penarth Head. Not many times I can say that, now is it?
Raced to the train cos kellie was freezing, changed at Queen St, unplanned change of trains at Central, Kellie fell asleep on the new train while we were waiting for it to pull out.
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