Wow. Have made it thru me birthday without a single drop of alcohol. Fook, that was weird. Before some of you reading this start concluding that me is some sort of raging kudikaran, let me please give you a bit of background.
Yes, I do like to have a tipple (beer or whiskey . . . or both!). Me drinking habit was already quite considerable but was exacerbated when I started me own pub/restaurant in Feb 1999. And boy, the birthday parties were the stuff of legend. Well, I am told anyways as me is usually passed out in some corner by 10pm with all the poison shoved down me fooking throat by "well wishers"!
As some of you will know I sold (the much missed) Broadwalk bout a year ago due to health reasons (plus the stress of running a F n B outlet was enormous). So this is the first year in a fooking long time where I did not celebrate me b'day with loads of friends at the pub . . . no loud live rock band . . . no fooking merry making . . . no waking up at 7am on the floor of me own pub thinking what the fook happened & why am I half naked . . . sigh, I fooking miss those days.
This year, it was off to temple fer prayers in the am, work & came home fer dinner with wifey, lites out by 930pm. Talk bout complete reversal of lifestyle. Doc's strict orders are - No more boozing, tobacco & generally eating loads of unhealthy (but delicious) foods fer me (anyone remember Broadwalk's signature dishes - Lamb Shank Curry? Double Lamb Burger with Everything on it? Claypot Lamb Stew? . . . Yes, I am quite fond of lamb, how did you fooking guess?).
And its not just me own b'day parties I miss. All the regular patrons would celebrate their milestones at Broadwalk & it was always a fooking blast. Although running the place was stressful as fook & took its toll on me health, I cherish the many, many fond memories I have of the place (eg LFC's treble finale v Deportivo Alaves). And more importantly, it also allowed me to meet plenty of interesting people & make some genuine friends (you guys know who you are!). It was nice being a publican of "a place where everyone really knew yer name".
Sorry, just reminiscing & getting a bit sentimental. But those of you who were at Broadwalk's swansong party would have seen how much the place (& you guys) meant to me. I was in fooking tears & the next thing I know was waking up at 10am on the fooking floor of me own pub (I am consistent, you'll have to give me that)! But that was fer the last time & here I am now leading a 9-to-fooking-5 existence with the party lifestyle all but a distant memory . . . sigh.
Was fooking awesome while it lasted, eh? To all those who made Broadwalk such a wonderful hangout, TQ from the bottom of me overworked liver! I duly invite you guys to post yer fave memory of Broadwalk here.
And, oh yeah, sobriety fooking sucks!
PS: Pix is of some regulars & meself posing with Liverpool legend Phil Neal at Broadwalk shortly before I sold the place. Another great memory & one fer the album!
PSS: Yes ladies, bloke in yellow jersey is a CLEO Bachelor of the Year candidate (2002) & his name is Becky aka Mark "Eye Of The Tiger" Lee.
