During our time away we were determined to have an adults-only night, just the two of us as Celia and Kevin — not just as Mum and Dad. The hotel concierge had suggested that we head to the Gros Islet Street Party on a Friday night, which is much-loved by tourists and locals alike. And I can certainly see why.

So when Friday came around, we settled the kids to bed under the care of the babysitter, and headed out for a date night. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, perhaps a few souvenir stands and some local food, and probably a steady throng of visitors traipsing up and down the street to the beat of a steel band.

But the reality surpassed my every expectation.

As we arrived, the sheer scale of the sound system was a giveaway that the night was going to be livelier than I’d anticipated. One of my favourite things to do abroad is to peruse the shops (or in this instance stalls) and we were met by the friendly smiles of local vendors as I contemplated my latest purchase. Admittedly I didn’t get long to look as the smells luring Kevin towards the food stands proved too much for him to resist. After much deliberation and temptation, he finally settled on a huge skewer of barbecued jerk chicken, while I opted for the best grilled crab I’ve ever had. With our hunger satisfied and the street beginning to swell with revellers, we grabbed ourselves a couple of drinks and soaked up the atmosphere (and the alcohol).

By this time the mighty sound system had shifted gear from Caribbean classics to a playlist of international hits, which kicked off the party vibe in style. A few cocktails later we found ourselves dancing the night away, which is something I especially enjoyed as Kevin doesn’t dance very often. Before I knew it, the hands-on my watch had gone from 8pm to 11pm and it was time to head back to the hotel, as we knew our little Bennettes would be up bright and early wanting their breakfast buffet. Sure enough, they were, and even though our date night had been a late night, it was worth it.