I told you in my first column of the new year that I was going to say yes to something that I would normally say no to.

So when my Val invited me to join her on a five week mindfulness and relaxation course, something I would have normally said ‘no thank you’ to, I instead said yes and went along to it and I’m so glad that I did.

I’ve now completed the course with the final class being a very relaxing sound bath.

It amazes me how they can make such weird and wonderful sounds from a simple set of different sized bowls.

I believe they call them the singing bowls. It was extremely relaxing and quite a strange feeling but in a nice way.

The vibrations seem to not just surround you but go through you like some kind of massage.

So with the course now completed I have learned about being mindful in the senses of sight, touch, smell, taste and now sound.

It was an experience I am glad I have had and completing the course feels like a nice personal achievement. I like to learn and experience new things and my saying yes to Val’s invitation was really worth it.

If you’re interested in experiencing the mindfulness and relaxation course yourself you can find Top Yogi on Facebook.

They meet at Christ Church in Davyhulme and Sevenways Hall in Stretford.

Now, talking of Stretford. Stretford is an area that is really seeing lots of changes with a market and craft fairs, all the amazing work being done at Stretford Public Hall and new bars popping up all across the area.

Val and I often go to the craft fairs at Head and have also been along to the Food Hall, you may remember I wrote about that last year. So at the weekend we went along for our first visit to another new bar called The Longford Tap and we spent a lovely hour there.

The walls are filled with photographs from Stretford’s past. Old shops, roads, pubs and clubs and buildings that are no longer standing. It’s a local historians dream!

You can casually gaze around at Stretford’s past over a nice relaxing pint and I also tried my first ever Manchester Egg! It’s pretty much like a Scotch Egg but with an added layer of black pudding around it. It was very nice too! Not the healthiest thing I’ve ever eaten but again another new experience!

We really enjoyed our visit to the Longford Tap. Call in if you’re passing, I’m sure the head barman, Bill Houghton, will give you as warm a welcome as he did us. It’s just a few doors down from the Stretford Food Hall on King Street Mall.

I will be doing my second performance at my new residency at Mulino in Urmston on February 13 at 8pm and if you’re free I hope you will pop in and listen to me singing the songs from the great American song book. You’re welcome to just use the bar or you can book a table by telephoning 0161 286 7819.

Have a lovely weekend and I’ll see you in my weekly video on my community website www.allabouttrafford.co.uk every Monday at 6pm and back here in Wayne’s World next week!