Student Life

Son No. One seems to have turned his life around. Earlier this year he had the worst few weeks of his life (and ours) when he lost his part time job, split up with his long term girlfriend and decided he wasn't going back to University after the summer...

After just a few agonizing weeks however he decided to go back to University, found another part time job and made it up with his girlfriend. They have now been together three years, and still waiting for his delayed grant cheque, he is working all the hours he can when he isn't at Uni, in a bar/restaurant near Piccadilly Station.

Friday night and he wanted to show us the Curry Mile. The city was sparkling with preparations for a German Christmas market and a giant Santa Claus on the Town Hall roof. We strolled past glittering shop windows including Primark - open until ten pm on a Friday night - and then hopped on a bus which was very busy with students getting off to go to Lidl and a strange woman who got on just to shout and rant and rave at everyone and then got off again.

The Curry Mile was amazing! Son No. One says he's often had a curry at five in the morning. It was just like being abroad minus the sun with masses of restaurants with the owners coming out to tempt you into their domain. We chose the fifth one we looked at and had an awesome feast including courtesy lime and mango pickles and poppadoms, followed by sizzlers and curries, after which we struggled back out into the night. Some people were having their hair cut late at night before going in for a meal...

Son No Two walked back with his brother to stay at the student house and we caught another noisy bus crammed with singing Friday night students who were most helpful in pointing out landmarks and the bus stop for Piccadilly Gardens...

Son No One showed us round the city the next morning which was brilliant until he was called into work unexpectedly, cutting our quality time short. As well as the fantastic shopping avenues we'd had a look around the Cathedral Gardens and the eclectic Urbis Centre with its unique architecture, hi tech lift, free exhibitions and cloudy Victorian lemonade.

We were also enthralled by the North Pole Bar which was officially launched this week outside Urbis. It's only open for eight weeks over Christmas and is basically a seasonal, arctic themed tent with upside down Christmas trees and warming winter food and drink.

Son No Two enjoyed every moment in the student house, watching late night films and being introduced to various flat mates. Now he can't wait to go away to University as well. So, in three years time Son No One should have graduated and Son No Two will just be starting student life...