The Good Life

Last weekend I went to Albi to watch Worcester Warriors take on Albi in the European Challenge Cup.

I went with Darren and Tracy, friends from the rugby club, but met up with several other people we know. There was a group of around 15 of us who spent most of the weekend together.

The majority of this group are known as 'The Giraffes'. They're a group of men who are a variety of ages who enjoy rugby, enjoy drinking, enjoy singing and enjoy each others company. They're a lot of fun. In normal lives they're managing directors of companies, they're accountants, they're salesmen, they're team leaders but when it comes to the weekend and the rugby, none of that matters. It doesn't matter who does what for a living or how much money they earn or any kind of social status. The only agenda for weekends like this is to have fun.

And we did.

We started drinking about 7am at Gatwick airport where some poor kid was standing outside duty free giving away Baileys. He fast became my best friend and didn't have the heart to tell me to piss off! We then flew to Tolouse and went to a bar called 'Le Winger' where the alcoholic owner with very limited English bought us pints of Heineken and kissed us goodbye in a very continental way. After arriving in Albi and getting sorted in our hotel we went to O'Sullivans, an Irish bar just round the corner from our hotel. It's the pub in the picture and the outside had been made to look like Santas Grotto. Very cool. I don't know why when we go to foreign countries we look for Irish/British bars but we found it, it was nice. We then sat there all night and drank and sang and stood on chairs.

This set the tone for the weekend where more drinking, singing and standing on chairs ensued.

There was a rugby match at one point too!! It almost seemed a bonus in a weekend of fun and winning was the icing on the cake. The Albi supporters were very hospitable, I was invited to serve behind the bar and then got given free beer! All good!!

I've never laughed so much in one weekend. Every single minute of it was fun. It made me realise that as much as I get worked up over work or friends or men or life or anything else, at the end of the day, it is possible just to have fun.

If only all of life could be like that although I don't know if my liver could cope!