The Midnight Escape – Friendship – Star Wars – Car Fire & A Stabbing

Last Wednesday I escaped from the normal routine of my life and headed off for some much-needed friend time with my two besties. 

A few months ago we planned our midnight adventure when our combined love of Star Wars shone through and we booked to be some of the first to see the newest film, The Last Jedi at the one minute past midnight showing on the 14th. 

Ollie thought we were insane and in fairness with Lindsey working till 5 and unable to nap during the day and Stacey and I having small people to parent during the day so we knew that an evening adventure might be a challenge since we tend to have our PJ’s on and be thinking about bed time come 10pm. 

None the less, all three of us were excited. 

At 8.45pm I headed off to collect Lindsey first and then we popped to the Cinema in the snow to collect our pre booked tickets (to avoid the scrum later) and then went over the road to Bella Italia to meet with Stacey for tea. 

When Stacey arrived we had just finished ordering when a member of staff from Nando’s next door rushed in asking for the driver of a Kia. Stacey stood and said she drove a Kia and the member of staff ran out saying there was one on fire in the car park. 

Unlucky it was in fact Stacey’s car but the quick thinking from the Nando’s staff and their trusty fire extinguisher meant they had put out the flames that were coming from underneath and phoned the fire brigade. 

The fire brigade quickly arrived and made the car safe for recovery by the breakdown firm. 

I doesn’t even bare thinking about just how differently things could have been if Stacey hadn’t pulled up when she did or if the Nando’s employee hadn’t been as swift with the fire extinguisher as the fire brigade said they caught it just in time. 

After the fire bridge made the car safe and discovering an electrical wire under the plastic cill of the car had been trapped and had rubbed causing the electric wire to spark next to the fuel pump. So with no battery to lock the car and he breakdown service saying it wouldn’t be collected till morning we moved her carseats and pushchair into my car and decided to still carry on with our planned cinema trip. 

After all the drama we finally made our way over to the Cinema and got to watch our long awaited for film, Star Wars The Last Jedi (which is amazing, if you’re wondering) and at just before 3am we set off all safe and well in my car, leaving Stacey’s to be collected by the recovery firm. 

After dropping my lovely friends off home safe, I had planned to go Christmas food shopping (or at least the bulk of it, to save me going with a toddler in tow) and so being wired from all the action I headed off to Asda for my groceries and stumbled on the aftermath of the security guard getting stabbed after stopping a thief trying to steal a vacuum. 

Obviously the staff were shaken and worried but even with the heightened anxiety in store … let me tell you that 4am is certainly the way I want to do my shopping in future, I saw less than 3 other customers and I easily went from aisle to aisle … however I failed to get the turkey and the chocolate tubs so ended up in Tesco up the road on the way home. 

At just after 6.30am I finally pulled onto the driveway …

I can honestly say I have not had an all nighter like that in a very long time and certainly never had one that involved the police, fire brigade, and a midnight showing of Star Wars … and there wasn’t even a drop of alcohol in sight. 

When my friends and I go out, it might not be often but we certainly make those nights memorable even if they were for some silly reason. 

Love you ladies! … Same time next year?

*Thank you millions to the amazing staff at Nando’s for their quick thinking actions and for the staff at Bella Italia where we were eating next door for being generally so fab about it all and helping where they could*