Fancy Dress

Living 100 miles away from friends and family means that returning to my 'Liverpool home' involves trying to shoehorn several catch-ups into one visit. To this end, barely an hour after being virtually knocked over in my parents' hallway by one over-excited, adorable and sorely-missed 4-year-old, my bff Clair arrived armed with belated Christmas presents for my boys. After quick 'hellos' I climbed into her company van and off we sojourned to Eccles where Clair was booked to 'dress' a room in preparation for the party of a member of the Hollyoaks cast. Soon I was immersed in transforming ugly social-club chairs and tables into things of beauty, all the while catching up on the day-to-day of our lives. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute and had to laugh when my beautiful friend tried to pay me for the pleasure. We've both had our share of sorrow over the past 18 months but our tragedies only seem to have brought us closer. They say you can choose your friends and I choose Clair every time.