18 August 2010

Another milestone. I made it !! It Is my 76 birthday today.  The sun is shining and the weather is fine, unlike yesterday when I went to the geriatric golf day and spent much of the time sheltering, from the drizzle,.in Griggs’ buggy.  Today, however was to be entirely different – a sunshine day.  Both ‘children’, Miles and Chloe, came down from London to celebrate the occasion. Smiler,  very kindly shouted us lunch at the Axe and Compass’  in Arkesden – very good it was too. We then sat, in the garden, in the sunshine, chatting with me smoking one of my best cigars, before ‘my lovely’ produced a scrummy chocolate birthday cake. Jane (the sheep) kindly called in, to wish me a happy birthday, and so joined us for tea.

I also had a number of telephone calls, during the day, wishing me a happy birthday, as well as half a dozen e-mails on the same business. How very kind of people to remember and take the trouble.. Personally, I am very bad on that score and tend, lazily, to leave such things to ‘my lovely’, who, unlike me, is brilliant and never forgets anyone..

As well as the splendid lunch and tea I was showered with presents including, from ‘the children’, another really good, ‘hands free’, telephone with enormous buttons, which makes it easy to use with my useless hands. Kimberley, Smiler’s wife sent me lots of delicious things to eat. Sadly, she could not be with us as she was working, as was my son-in-law, Karl.

Apart from her other presents, ‘my  lovely’ gave a bottle of Pol Roger which she insisted on opening for in the evening. I didn’t resist too much! Thus, rounding off a memorable day.