10 October 2018

65

In London, I became sixty five years old. I am now officially a bona fide member of The Old Gits Club.

There I am on Monday evening in a corner of the Potli Indian restaurant wearing my party hat with my youthful wife beside me. On the other side of the camera there was Ian, Frances and her fiancee Stew. We had a £25 bottle of prosecco to begin proceedings and then tucked into a delightful Indian meal. My main course choice was Railway Mutton Curry - "Authentic Anglo-Indian dish from the days of Raj - mutton cooked on the bone with potatoes as a one pot cooking flavoured with garam masala and black pepper- pot cooking." Mmm...delicious.

After the main course was over the friendly staff brought me a  Cinnamon Spiced Dark Chocolate Mousse with a single candle in it and everyone in the establishment sang "Happy Birthday". I was laughing so much I could hardly find enough breath to blow out that candle.

When the very reasonable bill was paid we went round the corner to "The Cross Keys" pub for pints of "London Pride" and tots of Irish whiskey. The fact that I still had my birthday hat on seemed to amuse the indigenous London natives, one of whom almost ended up with a melon-sized Yorkshire fist in his mush.

Frances, Stew and Ian had very kindly clubbed together to buy me and the woman of my choice a two night hotel stay in one of numerous venues around the country. The woman of my choice had already bought me the most expensive item of clothing I have ever owned and would you believe it, it's American and orange!...No, not him, a "Marmot" Goretex jacket.

My sixty fifth birthday had begun with breakfast in "The Ritz" before heading to Kew Gardens but I will blog about that tomorrow. Meanwhile, a picture of "The Ritz". £5.90 for a full English breakfast:-

45 comments:

  1. Happy happy birthday, old git!

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  2. Lovely! Thanks for sharing your Birthday with us too! That looks like a really charming breakfast establishment. And Gortex! Mmmm, perfect for your walks in Yorkshire and elsewhere. You will love it.
    I look forward to seeing Kew through your eyes.

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    1. I am afraid you will have to settle for my camera Kate!

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  3. I adore your sense of humour. Happy birthday.

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    1. I am happy to have made you chuckle Suzan!

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  4. Belated happy birthday, YP. I was about to comment that £5.90 at the Ritz would barely cover a cup of tea, when I saw the photo! I'm 68 next month. It's scary, but I'm determined to grow old disgracefully.

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    1. Thanks ADDY. Disgracefully? Wear a mini skirt and fishnet stockings and a feather boa and chew wads of chewing gum and say "innit" repeatedly.

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  5. Happy belated Birthday. May you have many more of them.

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    1. Thanks Graham. I have quite a way to catch up with you!

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    2. I suspect, YP, that you will never actually catch up with me!

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    3. Are you predicting my death Graham?

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  6. Happy Birthday young man.....sounds like a great few days in the capital!

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    1. Well. It was. I hope I haven't caught anything.

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  7. Happy Birthday! Be sure and take advantage of all the senior discounts that only begin at 65. Actually, are there any of those? Most things here start at 55 now! Talk about premature aging.

    I'm wondering how your stomach felt after wine, beer, and whiskey one after another!

    Seriously, all the best, YP.

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    1. Thank you Jenny. Very soon I will receive my state pension. Not a lot of money each week but even so it swell the Pudding coffers.

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  8. Happy Birthday, Mr. Pud....it sounds like you shared a wonderful time with your loved ones...just the way it should be. :)

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    1. I wish you had been there Lee. We could have split the bill.

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    2. I always pay my own way, Yorkie...so that would have been the case.

      It's also nice to know my presence would've been worth something! :)

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  9. Happy Birthday, Neil! It sounds like you had a fantastic time in London and your family treated you like a king...which is as it should be. :)

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    1. Co-incidentally that restaurant was on King's Street!

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  10. I misread that sentence thinking your family had clubbed together to buy you the woman of your choice. I thought, "Well, THAT's generous." But of course the woman of your choice was already with you. :)

    Sounds like a fun evening! Glad you didn't get arrested for GBH.

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    1. GBH? Great Birthday Happiness? If I have could have another woman of my choice she would be silent and inflatable and most probably "Made in China".

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  11. I was right, then, assuming that your family meal had something to do with your Birthday. Belated Happy Birthday to you!
    "Very reasonable bill"? How does that go together with a bottle of prosecco for 25 quid?!

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    1. Good quality prosecco in a west London restaurant and only about twenty quid each for the food - I was happy with this and yes Sherlock Riley - you were the only visitor who twigged that the celebratory meal was going to be a birthday meal! Well spotted.

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  12. Happy Birthday to you! You'll have to provide a photo of yourself wearing the Most Expensive clothing item - orange is very uplifting colour!

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    1. Are you being diplomatic Pip?

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    2. Not at all! Mr P looks fab in orange!

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  13. In the words of a beloved English owl: HIPY PAPY BTHUTHDTH THUTHDA BTHUTHDY.

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    1. From "Winnie the Pooh"...Thank you Vivian.

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  14. Happy birthday, Mr. P! You are but a few months ahead of me.
    Your wife is gorgeous.

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    1. Not long before you also join The Old Gits Club Ms Moon.

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  15. Happy birthday Mr Pudding, sounds like it was a very merry one.

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  16. You're nobbut a lad! Happy birthday to you, Mr pudding!

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  17. Belated happy birthday wishes Mr.Pud, by the looks of it, you had a grand 'un.
    You have the loveliest of families.
    Jo

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  18. Happy Birthday! Why you are just a young thing aren't you. How wonderful that you were able to celebrate with the whole family! Now you need to show us that new jacket... with you wearing it of course.

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    1. The jacket will be revealed in due course Bonnie Lass.

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  19. Happy 65 th! It looks like you had a good time for this momentous occasion.

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  20. Wishing you a very Happy Birthday. No need to tell you to celebrate, you've done well !

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  21. What a great way to celebrate your birthday. Late congrats from me on another milestone in life. Looking good & very happy at 65 :)

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Mr Pudding welcomes all genuine comments - even those with which he disagrees. However, puerile or abusive comments from anonymous contributors will continue to be given the short shrift they deserve. Any spam comments that get through Google/Blogger defences will also be quickly deleted.

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