It was my wife Shirley's sixty fifth birthday today. The best gift of all was to have the members of her immediate family around her.
Yesterday, Ian and Sarah drove up from London with Baby Zachary. It was his first ever visit to Yorkshire and clearly he loved it because he couldn't stop drooling. They came up in their fairly new electric vehicle - a big black Volvo replete with technology, lights and screens. Whereas London boasts many public charging points for electric vehicles, Sheffield and indeed all other northern cities have very few facilities for such cars. However, this morning Ian located a speedy charging point by the KFC on Queens Road. It took two hours to get up to full charge.
Today we all went out to "The Rising Sun" on Fulwood Road for a late lunch. Shirley and I, Frances and Stewart, Little Phoebe and Baby Margot were of course joined by Ian, Sarah and Zach. We enjoyed tasty meals with our beers, wine and apple juice though two members of our party opted for milk. Four of us chose the homemade steak and vegetable pie with chips, gravy and mushy peas. Phoebe had beans on toast and Ian had the vegan burger with chips and salad.
How lovely it was to be with our family - all comfortable in each other's company - with our three darling grandchildren. You never know what the future might hold but today was a day to feel blessed and fortunate.
Much later, back at our house, Ian ordered an entirely vegan Chinese meal from "Wawin Chinese". It was delicious and there was plenty of it. In fact, I would say that too much was ordered. The excess is currently in the fridge and I guess we might have some of it at lunchtime tomorrow.
I am so sorry that there are no pictures of the family event. You see, because the others all have expensive camera phones, I decided to leave my own camera at home. Instead, at the top there's a picture of a removals van that Shirley snapped on Friday morning. She was helping a friend to move house. Oddly, the van had been driven over from Hull where my football team, The Tigers are based. Hull is sixty five miles from here
Pass on my birthday greetings to Shirley.
ReplyDeleteMany happy returns of the day, Missus Yorkshire!
ReplyDeleteReceived with gratitude.
DeleteHappy Birthday Mrs "Pudding". The whole family together all at once, what a fun day. That doesn't happen here, there's too many of us and co-ordinating schedules is too hard.
ReplyDeletePlaces seem far apart in The Land of Oz.
DeleteYou don't hear electric cars in car parks passing you or when they are reversing. At least they don't pollute the air though like conventional cars.
ReplyDeleteOn an open road, Ian's car accelerates like a bloody rocket! WHEEEEEEEEE!
DeleteSeriously YP do you not think cars should have audible beeping sounds when reversing rather like bin trucks have? Electric cars just whizz past with no sound.
DeleteI agree with you and I also think that cyclists should have bells on their bikes - even those competing in road races like Le Tour de France!
DeleteBelated Happy Birthday wishes to Shirley!
ReplyDeleteYour family gathering sounds wonderful, and indeed like the best birthday present.
Good to know baby Zachary enjoyed his Yorkshire visit - the first if many, no doubt.
I will get him a flatcap and a whippet for his first birthday.
DeleteBelated Happy Birthday to Shirley.
ReplyDeleteA good time was had by all, it seems.
We will all be meeting up again in May. We have booked a week's stay in a villa by the sea in Hawaii...sorry, I mean Portugal.
DeleteHappy Birthday to she who must be obeyed, (all spouses must be obeyed.) Sounds like a great weekend with the family.
ReplyDeleteIf all spouses must be obeyed how come my spouse does not obey me?
DeleteIt is certainly a birthday time of year! I know that it must have been so gratifying to have all of your sweet family together in one place and I am sure that made Shirley as happy as she could be.
ReplyDeleteYou are right Mary. She doesn't cry often but she was crying when Ian, Sarah and Zach headed back to London an hour ago.
DeleteBelated Birthday Greetings to Shirley. What a wonderful celebration.
ReplyDeleteWas Ian's vegan burger up to "Bosh!" standards?
Well, that is a very eye-catching van! Sounds like a wonderful day. It's great everyone could be together and in Yorkshire, too! I'm glad Ian found a charging point for the car. Seems like that might be a concern if he ever drives to a remote location.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday to Shirley! Sounds like a wonderful celebration!
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday to Shirley! I'm sure she loved having all her family around to celebrate. Have a lovely weekend with grandchildren and children.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday to Shirley! It sounds like a happy weekend at your house.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds as if Shirley had a wonderful birthday. Please add my greetings and best wishes.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday to Shirley!
ReplyDeleteI could have sworn you said Sarah was vegan, not that it matters.
I love a good family lunch get-together