At the end of September I had a text from my former SciChem work mate Madels saying that him and his wife Pammy wanted to come to Walsall soon for an Indian buffet again and they’d be bringing another former colleague Sean and his partner Sammy. Soon turned into about a week.

A week last Thursday was the day. I was let out of work early, because I’d done everything I had to not because I was going to eat I must point out. With a bit of time to kill I broke up the arduous pilgrimage from Queen Street to Katz by stopping at The Registry for a pint of Inch’s.

I reached Katz and was soon joined by the others. I haven’t seen any of them for a while so there was catching up to be done, but I think the main basis of conversation in there was me talking about me. A situation I am totally comfortable with.

We moved onto Golden Moments. It went unlicenced during the pandemic so I’ve not been in since but I heard recently that it had started serving booze again and I was delighted to find that this was true.

It was buffet night so up we went. Everyone else went straight in going for starters and mains but I played it light to start with and just had a boiled egg, 2 fish pakoras and two onion bhajis. Schoolboy error. Problem with this approach is my plate was very quickly empty whilst everybody else still had lots of grub to demolish, so I had to go up again. I was very wary that everyone in the restaurant could be thinking “he’s only just been up and he’s going again already the greedy git”. I expected my return journey (this time armed with both curries and rice) to be greeted with people tutting, pointing and pelting me with spare fish pakoras.

It was very pleasant in there, the food was amazing and we all had a great time. Then the desert menus came out. I never do puddings in curry houses for some reason so declined this time but Madels, and the ladies dived in. Sammy went for the Ferrero Rocher ice cream but couldn’t eat it all. There was naan bread left on the table. Sean wondered if ice crem would go with naan bread. He tried it and said it really did. He invited me to try it. I declined this offer. I don’t mind experimenting with food but this just seemed gross. The Express & Star could have messaged me at this point saying “we know you like putting your investigative journalist head on. We’re doing an article called ice cream on naan bread, does it work? Could you find out please? and it would have still been a no. And then I thought what the hell and dived in. And it was really good. Next time I have naan bread in the house, rather than stick bacon on it, or going proper old school and having it with curry, some of that lemon meringue ice cream I’ve got in the freezer is going on it.

We needed a team photo so decided to grab one on the way out. I nipped to the toilet, standard behaviour on my part and as I emerged back out Madels exclaimed “here he is the future Mayor of Walsall, keeping everyone waiting as usual”. The waiter who had been collared to take the photo said “future Mayor of Walsall? More like the Bruce Willis of Walsall”. Now I get called Matt Lucas and Phill Mitchell all the time but Bruce Willis is a new one on me. I’ll take it though. I must remember to buy a white vest, wrangle an invite to a Christmas Eve party in a tower block and see what occurs.

On the Saturday it was work on the morning, followed by an hour doing absolutely nothing on the settee (where You Tube auto played song of the day Wet Dream by Wet Leg) and then it was a power walk down to Bescot.

I passed the Fullbrook. Work is still ongoing on this but I am slowly starting to think the that the July of this year reopening which was first mooted isn’t going to happen, although it was good to see that the new roof is now complete. It must be the same people that took decades to rebuild Pleck Bridge that are working on it. Please hurry up and reopen Fullbrook. We need you.

I made it to the ground for abut 2.55. I glanced into the bar as I passed but pressed on which now means that 3 home games in a row I’ve been in my seat and alcohol free for kick off. My life is just an array of grim statistics but this is one that really needs nipping in the bud post haste. Anyway, I saw the opening goal, and some fans were seriously shocked that I saw it and they didn’t (hi Andy, Mark and Daz).

Wimbledon equalised and it all went a bit flat. Their fans started singing “is this a library?” which was a bit harsh. We aint had a lot to sing about of late. I missed our second goal due to Madri commitments but was in the stand for the 3rd one, and the fans were back in full voice for that.

It was joyous in the Bescot Bar afterwards. It had been a bit muted in there after the Northampton win which was our first in 12 games as I think everyone was just relived (and most people were tucking into £1 pies in there after that game) but this time everyone was loving it. Anyway if Bescot Stadium is a library then my God, I want to read every book in the place.

Swill and I got a taxi after a couple of pints. This time it was my turn to have trouble with the door. It said on the door “pull and slide”. Well I’m shit at pulling but sliding? I can Cha Cha Slide along with the best of them. Anyway I couldn’t get the door open and Swill did it with ease, avenging the time recently when he couldn’t do it and I took the piss by humming The Crystal Maze theme.

The taxi got to by St Matts Hall, and Swill couldn’t get the door open. “Push the button” the driver shouted repeatedly. I helped by singing the Sugababes classic of the same name. Eventually he got it open and we headed in to Wetherspoons. We’d certainly earned a pint after those taxi door exploits.

From there we headed to Katz where we met Matt Whelan and Goughy then ended up in The Walsall Arms to round off a great day.