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Windsor
2011-11-27 | 5:25 p.m.

I had one of those days yesterday where I just felt pure, true contentment in an 'I wish this moment could last a bit more forever-ish' type way.

I hadn't seen my friend Tim since the Edinburgh Festival so we managed to wrangle a day we were both free and went with my suggestion of 'Let's go for a day out somewhere!'

Cue me at my mum's last weekend asking her *where* exactly would be a good place to go for a day out bearing in mind it's the UK and November. And Tim HATES the seaside. My mum helpfully commented that she had driven past Windsor before and that it looked nice, which was good enough for us (and Tim's dad chipping in saying there was a colourful bridge...we have such helpful parents!) and so Windsor was our destination!

Our itinerary first off involved a plan to go on a 40-minute boat ride on the river and this is where my dreams came true! When we were in Amsterdam last year we did a boat ride and sitting opposite us were a couple who had had the forethought to bring with them mini bottles of wine and Magnum ice creams, which Tim and I gazed at in abject jealousy.

After buying our boat tickets we had 20 minutes before we were due to set sail so gambolled around the town looking for provisions, found a Waitrose, purchased a bottle of red wine (maxi rather than mini!), packet of plastic cups and Almond Magnums, realised we had 5 minutes to get on board the deck and ran all the way back only to find that the departure had been pushed back half an hour, but we were let on by the captain to start our boat party early, yay.

A kid under the supervision of a slightly odd but very nice woman and man was the lucky recipient of our spare ice cream whilst the woman pestered us (nicely!) at various points on the cruise asking things like 'Are you on a date? I think you're on a date!'

'No, we're not on a date.'

'I think you should turn this into a date!' Before dragging off her bloke to go out on the deck to look at the ducks outside, much to his protestations of 'Aww...but I can see them from here!' whilst we stayed in the snuggly warmth for the remainder of our voyage.

After that we went to admire the castle, just from the outside rather than going in, then crossed the river to go and have a gander at Eton. Think we found the college - not sure. We saw some buildings that could well have been it and decided that was enough and that the Windsor Wetherspoon's was a-calling.

A couple of drinks later and we decided an early dinner at a Indian restaurant seemed a good idea, before going back to the pub for several rum and Cokes. Then all time was gone and we had to get our trains back - sad times! I was trying to persuade Tim to come back to London and Tim was trying to persuade me to carry on the night out in Reading, where he lives. Going back to Reading would have been an infinitely better option as as soon as I got back to Paddington I realised the Tube had stopped running for the night...and I didn't know how to get home!

With the help of some Underground staff, bus strangers and some random criminals at Trafalgar Square I managed to get on a night bus that was heading out Canary Wharf way and by nearly 3 o'clock in the morning (agh) I was home. But I didn't mind because the day really was so perfect.

Tim messaged me on the way back saying 'I do love hanging out with you :) although you didn't say 'you'd never date me' for a change...I had a great day too, always do with you x'

I do usually tell him that I wouldn't want to go out with him or be his girlfriend (because I am so charming like that) but I believe yesterday I instructed him after a lengthy discussion of the pros and cons of being in a relationship (we're both pretty anti right now and the one pro I offered was 'Sex on tap') that if I wanted children in the future that he would father them. Isn't he lucky?! Don't answer that.

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