So another year came and went bringing with it more wrinkles and grey hair but never mind. I was meant to blog about it way before now but between running the Ireland Twitter account and life – and procrastinating I didn’t get around to it.
Lucy and I headed to Dublin for the day. The Perfect Murder was on at the Bord Gais Energy Theatre and as I’d read the book by Peter James I was keen to see the play.
We had lunch first, I had a voucher for Milano’s so we went there. I’m delighted I had the voucher because €36 for two pizzas and two drinks is mad money! After lunch we went to Antoinette’s Bakery, a great bakery that specialises in Gluten free and vegan goodies. It was worth getting lost about 15 times! I blame google maps.
Now on to the play. It was brilliant, I can’t speak highly enough of it. There were only 5 actors in it, including Shane Ritchie and Jessie Wallace (Alfie and Kat from Eastenders), all were fantastic. It was so funny with a couple of proper jump moments. At one point I swear I jumped the height of myself and the whole audience screamed (not because I jumped, although that’s scary in itself!) The cast teamed with the fantastic lighting, sound and a brilliant set design all added up to ‘the perfect play’. If I lived in Dublin I would have gone to see it again, it was that good.
The icing on the cake was meeting Shane Ritchie afterwards, even though I look like I’ve been dragged through a hedge backwards (as usual!).
I had a really lovely birthday and got totally spoilt by family and friends. The family bought me a ticket to see Magnum (the band where the magnumlady name comes from). Lucy and her boyfriend Laurence gave me a voucher for Afternoon Tea in Ashford Castle (another bucket list item ticked off), I can’t wait to go. Jono got me such a fab duvet cover (pic below).
So that was my ‘perfect birthday’ and certainly one to remember. You can read Lucy’s blog post here.
Magnumlady Blog 
Val, belated birthday wishes. Glad you had such a great day.
Thanks Jean
You had a brilliant birthday bash, Val! I loved going to Dublin on my birthday – something about going to ‘da big shmoke’ makes the day feel that much more special.
So…how do you feel now, having just turned 30? 🙂
ps – love that duvet! Well done and fair play, Jono!
pps – what are you on about? You look fab in that photo of you and Shane! I honestly wouldn’t have recognised him if you hadn’t told me it was him (I’ve not watched him and Kat on Eastenders for many, many years now – way back when they were first got married…ten years ago now, give or take?) – he looks more like Peter Gabriel than Shane Ritchie. 🙂