Phew! What a day! Started off the day wandering around the countryside between Thorpe and Virginia Water with camera in hand. A beautiful, clear, crisp, dry day. A very pleasant way to enjoy creation. An added bonus was that, just around lunch time, Vic had timed it so that we were by the train tracks and able to get a very close view of a steam train go by. Photos in the usual place.
Following that was a evening organised by Ally and Miriam to celebrate the beginning of the end – my 30th birthday. (Actually, today wasn’t my birthday, but this was the closest Saturday to it). The usual suspects and myself were instructed to be at the Dragon Chef in Slough. Now, I wasn’t sure what to have expected as the girls had volunteered to organise the evening, however a few surprises were in store. First my brother turned up, with wife in tow. OK, not too drastic. A little after everyone had consumed their main meal, everyone sang ‘Happy Birthday’ and handed me presents. Now the singing was to be expected, however, the presents were very thoughtful. Most notable were an LP (yes, vinyl!) of the soundtrack to Saturday Night Fever (I’ll explain if you ask), and a very impressive watch which is powered by light! The icing on the cake was quite literally the icing on the cake as it made an appearance, with lit candles and another rendition of ‘Happy Birthday’ – the icing having an image of me as a child somehow. A big thank you to everyone who contributed to a great evening and a special thank you to the girls had organised a very enjoyable and memorable evening.
Above all, it was good to have friends and family with whom I could celebrate and share this occasion, for which I am very grateful.