Celebrating - why not milk it to the max?

Aug 23 2007 by Paul Corcoran, Liverpool Daily Post

WE ONLY get one per year and if you are anything like me you will use this annual occasion as an excuse to really push the boat out and milk it for all it’s worth. It is, of course, your birthday.

And milk mine I most definitely have. In fact, the boat has been pushed out so far, it has practically gone off over the horizon. Well, if you can’t spoil yourself – or be spoilt by others – on your birthday when can you?

Following a long weekend of getting together with my amazing friends, leaving a trail of torn wrapping in my wake as I sailed through numerous bars and restaurants across the city before continuing the partying back at mine, I found myself in need of serious rest and recuperation before I began to resemble someone 10 years older rather than just the one.

Remember the film Driving Miss Daisy? Well, this week she was well and truly kicked to the curb as I enjoyed being chauffeur-driven by the lovely people over at INTX up to Yorkshire for a well-deserved spa break at the Titanic spa in Huddersfield (the UK’s first eco- spa). And a birthday treat this most definitely was, especially considering that INTX have driven some of the world’s A- listers around in style: Britney Spears, Elton John and now me, the Daily Post’s Urbanite.

As much as I tried to act cool, calm and collected in the back of the top-of-the-range Audi, I couldn’t help but feel slightly fabulous being transported in such an uber-stylish way.

Especially when, on the journey, we pulled up alongside other drivers on their way to work who desperately tried to work out who I was. I couldn’t help but sit and smile (partly masked by dark visor sunglasses) as they tried to fathom out where they had seen my face before – was it the television? If only they had been in Heebie Jeebies or the Bar and Grill, on Bold Street, that very weekend before – they would have soon identified my non- existent celebrity status.

This is definitely the way to travel – no satellite navigation stress, no petrol fill-up stops and no traffic jam foot cramp thanks to a dodgy clutch. It was certainly my most enjoyable car journey to date.

Later in the week, I found myself desperately trying to recreate my stay in the sanctuary that is the Titanic Spa. However, no amount of chill- out tunes and scented candles came even close.

So, utilising one of my many birthday presents, I took a walk up to the Crystal Clear salon, on Rodney Street, to really try to reverse the effects of my birthday celebrations. Boy, did they have their work cut out.

The Crystal Clear salon is definitely up there as one of my favourite places to visit – birthday or no birthday. Plus, it gives me the opportunity to see Suzy, one of the head therapists, who gives not only the best massages and facial treatments but has me in fits of laughter with her calamitous holiday tales from the very second I walk through the door.

And so I am now feeling ready for part two of the birthday celebrations this week (some friends couldn’t make it last week, but any excuse really). I am off to Creamfields to catch the Chemical Brothers and my personal favourite, Mark Ronson, in what will be another weekend of no doubt non-stop partying.

However, it’s back to reality on the travel front. The Audi will be shipping around the real celebrities while I take the bus.