It was well past 10pm when my friend Bella finally caught my eye across the marble coffee table, now littered with empty wine glasses, and gave me the sly wink that promised the night was about to change.
After a long, chaotic week chasing after our toddlers, our usual Friday night drinks were about to take a much more daring turn.
A small bag of white powder sat between us, quietly tempting.
It might sound out of place for a group of thirty-something mums in leafy north London—where Ocado vans outnumber mopeds—but for us, a couple of lines on a Friday night has become a cherished escape from the relentless routine of motherhood.
From Twenties Chaos to Thirties Adaptation
Back in our twenties, child-free and carefree, recreational drugs were as ordinary as cocktails on a night out.
Whether at a club or a dinner party stretching past sunrise, there was rarely a social occasion without a packet making an appearance.
Ordering was as simple as sending a text with your postcode and preferred amount—waiting nervously for a stranger to arrive at your door in the middle of the night.
Prices were steep, often £60 a gram or more, but a bag would be shared among friends.
The ritual became almost theatrical: sneaking into the ladies’ toilets in pairs, carefully dipping a key into the plastic, and then stepping back out into the night, sparkling-eyed and fizzing with energy.
For us, it wasn’t just about the buzz—it was a social lubricant that made conversations flow, whether with each other, the bartender, or strangers in the smoking area.
Everyone in our circle—from the tech executive to the personal trainer—participated, creating a shared, intimate experience.
Nights of Bliss and the Occasional Blur
Of course, there were darker moments. Friends’ traumas spilled out in corners of smoky clubs, and there were nights I barely recognized myself in the mirror.
But more often than not, the nights were a happy blur, stretching from midnight until dawn.
The inevitable hangovers and comedowns were manageable with youthful energy and weekends stretching endlessly ahead.
Motherhood Changes Everything
Fast forward ten years, and Saturday mornings couldn’t be more different.
A three-year-old, swimming lessons, birthday parties, weekly grocery runs—it’s exhausting.
For a while, sleep deprivation and early motherhood made the idea of recreational drugs laughably impossible.
But as life settled into a new rhythm, the craving for spontaneity and fun resurfaced.
My friends, also navigating careers and parenting, felt the same. Slowly, we pieced together something resembling our old social lives—but adapted for our responsibilities.
Evolved Nights for Modern Mums
Now, our nights are a mix of nostalgia and practicality.
Nightclubs have been replaced by Kate’s four-storey north London townhouse, where her banker husband and toddler sleep peacefully.
Wine has largely replaced vodka shots, and we only buy from trusted sources, willing to pay a premium for quality.
The space creates a private, almost sacred environment where we can discuss the highs and lows of motherhood, from postpartum sex to the circus act of balancing careers and parenting.
Fun ends at midnight, and the “rule of six” ensures a minimum of six hours’ rest for the following day.
Balancing Fun and Responsibility
My husband takes it all in stride, amused but understanding.
I never indulge around our child, and come Saturday morning, I’m fully functional—a far cry from our wild twenties.
Whether this tradition continues for five or ten more years depends on diaries and finances, but for now, it remains a treasured ritual—a nod to the old freedom while navigating the demands of modern motherhood.