My Dad's 70th Birthday

On the 23rd of January my dad would have turned 70 years old. He died nearly fifteen years ago and it's impossible to imagine him at 70. I miss him a lot, I always will I think. My mum and I decided to go out and celebrate his birthday by going on a pub crawl round Wakefield to pubs he used to go to with my mum. Then we thought we would have curry in a place we went to once (in a really funny way) with Lee and my stepdad in the evening. It was a really nice afternoon with my mum and especially considering what happened a couple of days later, I'm glad we got to do it. 

Lee and I picked my mum up at around 1pm and he took us into town before going home to work. My mum and I went into Marmlade on the Square for lunch, where I had halloumi and smashed avocado on sourdough toast, it was nice. Then we started the pub crawl in the Strafford Arms, where my mum and I went about ten years ago, but I can't remember why. 

We carried on into the Black Rock, which was a proper old man pub and was playing some fantastic dad rock which my dad would have loved. (I did actually make a playlist of songs that reminded me of him when it was the tenth anniversary of his death; I periodically add to it when I think of a song). We were the only women in there but it didn't feel unsafe. We then walked to the Inns of Court, where I swear I have never been before even though I used to drink in a pub a couple of doors down, which was called Players back in the day. I was very underage and we had some brilliant nights in there haha. 

Finally we walked down to a pub that is now called the New Union, but which used to be called The Spaniard and was also a Slug and Lettuce at one point. Lee and my stepdad arrived at the restaurant while we were finishing our drinks, and we realised that it only took cash and also doesn't have an alcohol licence, so my mum went off to get cash and a bottle of wine, and I walked down the restaurant and we all met there. It's called Syhiba and it is a really nice Indian with really friendly staff. 

I had mushroom pakora and then paneer and mushroom balti, which was delicious. I shared some lassi with my stepdad, he had never had it before but Lee said he would probably like it. After we had eaten we went back to my mum's house for a bit. It was a really nice day and I think we commemorated my dad really well! I hope he had a good heavenly birthday. 

Halloumi and avocado on toast for lunch

Drinks in the first pub - I mixed my drinks but my mum just had different lagers with lime which she always used to drink back in the day

The second pub had this old fashioned mirror

And he we are in there - I don't know why my mum had her glasses off though!

The third pub had this lovely stained glass in between the booths

And here we are in there - we sent this picture to my godmother who also raised a glass to my dad that day

The toilets in there were pretty gross but did have this life affirming graffiti in them 

This is where Players used to be. You went downstairs into the bar where there were pool tables and a small stage too

As we went down to the New Union there was a spectacular sunset looking down Westgate

My gin in the New Union

Mushroom pakora - they were quite spicy!

And my balti and some rice!