I mentioned earlier in the week (Monday, 23rd March, previous blog entry) that Ann's idea of a birthday present was to take as many of our family as were available out for a meal. So this morning at 10 a.m. we set our from home and motored to Ely, where we went to our favourite eating out place (leaving aside the Hollow Trees Garden Centre restaurant) the Fire Engine house. All our family attended save granddaughter Lucy (who couldn't get time off from her weekend job), step granddaughter Tia, and the Swedish contingent, Ruth, Lasse, Tuva, and Freja. The above photo shows the private dining room at the Fire Engine House, before the ravenous hordes of Horners (etc.) descended on it. In the end there were twenty of us.
The above photo shows our two Great Granddaughters, the placid Astrid, and the happy Elsa. Elsa (about four months the elder) appears to be fascinated by Astrid, and can't decide whether she is a toy or another small person. She keeps trying to make experimental advances to solve this problem, and Astrid continues to be placid and doesn't object to these advances in the least.
The above photo was taken from the same spot as the first one by one of the very obliging waitresses, and shows all twenty of us, just before the meal was served.
This photo shows Ann and meself at our seat in the bay window of the room. Astra has by now become so placid that she is flat out asleep in my arms, whilst Ann is having to restrain Elsa from making further advances to solve the problem of who, or what, Astrid is. Elsa is, however, still quite happy about the matter; she follows her usual procedure of smiling at everyone and everything.
Above shows Ann's younger brother David, and his wife, Mo (Maureen). They arrived a little late, full of apologies, and, being senior of our guests, joined us at the top table.
The food, I am happy to report, was up to the Fire Engine House's usual high standards, and an excellent time was had by all. We broke up at about three twenty p.m. (which demonstrates how patient the staff at this establishment is - they were still offering us fresh coffee at this point). It was a lovely day out, and was, according to Ann, just the birthday present she'd wanted.
Got to put the clocks on now, so Good Night All.
11 comments:
Best 75th birthday party ever!
Thank you for arranging it Pa, we had a superb meal and thoroughly enjoyed seeing everyone.
Astrid slept until half way home, we stopped for a break at a coffee shop, fed the baby and then continued home with her sleeping again in the back of the car - never known a more placid baby.....other than her mother at the same age!!!
Thanks again for a perfect lunch,
Stiggy x
What a lovely day ~ but I expect it will take you all night to adjust ALL the clocks in your care....
What a lovely family party. Many happy returns to dearest Ann.
What a great celebration for Ann! It looks like a very special family gathering.
Thank you Stig. It really was a lovely 'do', wasn't it. Thank you all for coming all that way. Still,one the many good things about the Fire Engine House, is that it's fairly central for all of us.
Hello Crowbard. Yes, it was a good day out. Don't I keep nearly as many clocks about the place, either as keepies, repair work or stock, as I used, so it took probably less than five minutes to whizz round and put them on an hour yesterday evening.
P.s Have to keep thinking "Spring Forward, Fall Back" though to get it right.
Thank you Z. I've passed your good wishes on to Ann.-
Thank you, Lori. Yes, it was a really lovely family 'get-together'.I was looking at the two Great GRanddaughters and thinking 'They're not cousins, they're second cousins'. It's like looking at a family tree in reverse, if you see what I mean.
Well, that looks like a lovely day.
What cute little ladies the baby great-grandaughters look. I hope they didn't steal too much of the limelight from the birthday girl (although I doubt she would mind if they did).
Hello Liz. Aren't they just? And you are quite right. Both of us, I'm afraid are rather soppy about tinies.
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