So I'm having a stag night.

I don't see why I shouldn't.

I know the mariage is not a conventional one....wait,.... two people who love each other are being legally recognised in the eyes of law....I take that back, it IS a conventional marriage and we reserve the right to pick and choose the conventions of the ceremony itself that we want to adopt and disregard any others.

So, get over it.

I thought long and hard about this.

The stag I mean.

Getting hitched was a no brainer.

I orgainsed a great stag - no two great stags, one in Dublin and one in London - for my pal Martin earlier in the year before we all jetted off to Serbia to see him tie the knot to Daniella.

I attended my brother Jason's stag back in July the week befor he got hitched, so it ain't gonna be any differnt for me.

I intially thought about going to Amsterdan and wallowing in all that entails, but then I got thinking who I would want to be there with me and the price tag may have precluded some of them.

So I have settled on a weekend in Manchester, including a day trip to Howarth.

Two of my favourite places.

Manchester because I sent three years there working and living and Howarth, well because it is so beutiful.

We have two bottles of vintage Dom Perignon in the booze cupboard - vintage 96' and I intend to take one with me to crack open and get all the guys who are sharing the stag with me to either sign the box or the bottle, as a little momento.

Sentimental fool that I am.

I still harbour this silly little dream to live their some day in the Yorkshire Dales.

Ah well...