DINNER
Sheesh Kebabs (Spicy)
Basmati Rice
Roasted Peppers and Garden Courgettes
Green Salad with Garden Lettuce
Flagelot Beans with Onion in Olive Oil and Red Wine Vinegar
Plum Tomatoes with Oil
Fresh Garden Basil and Parsley sprinkled liberally over the salads
Organic Beetroot

Walnut Dream Ice Cream (sigh)

Well, it was a very successful 70th birthday bash for Mr A's dad. There were about 50 people, mostly relatives who came friday, and stayed until sunday afternoon.
Scarabella sang to a very enthusiastic audience, the Mr A's band did a storming set.
We stayed in the old caravan, where we lived when we first got together, for a year. It doesn't have electricity, and is at the bottom of a sloping field, surrounded by trees. It was quite nostalgic to be back there, although there were people coming and going most of the time.
Luckily, saturday was good, weatherwise and a splendid game of cricket was organised with much shouting and laughing. To the massed choruses of 'that's a sixer', a bright yellow tennis ball would come sailing over our heads to get hopelessly lost within the trees surrounding the 'pitch'.
The barrel of locally brewed beer, Tomas Watkins, went down very well, as did the assorted drinks, not to mention the champagne for everyone for the birthday toast.

Chris, a family friend and neighbour turned up with a very large step ladder. ....okay........well, it will all become clear at some point in the proceedings..and it did.
Up he perched on the top of it with camera for group photograph. It happened so quickly, we all stood like mesmerised cattle, still waiting, and posing, long after the shot had been taken..

I 'dressed' the marquee. This was hiding the large wooden poles that were keeping it stable in the high winds with flowers. There were a load of beautiful tall foxgloves that had been blown over in the winds that I used, and even if I say so myself, it looked lovely after I'd finished, a mass of purples, yellows and white daisies.

To wind up the evening we had an outside fire by the caravan, where the 'other party' went on. Singing round the fire, laughing, smoking, telling stories, it was a fine end to an amazing day.
Mr A's mother, who is 70, worked like a Trojan, organising it all. From finding caterers, to getting off cuts of carpets for the marquee, she did a splendid job.

Mr A is hunting slugs while I finish up my post. They are out en masse, having decimated many of my flowers and herb seedlings. Slimy buggers!