My birthday always starts early in the day. Andy wakes me up with a cuppa at about 6am and hands me a pile of presents. Once opened he hurries me out of bed so we can have our traditional birthday breakfast in a cafe in a nearby village. It was filled with workmen starting their day with a fry-up and a good strong coffee. We both had the small cooked breakfast and yet still left with full bellies.

Andy then went to work at about 9am, which is late for harvest time, and I decided to spend the day with my Mother-in-Law, Sister-in-Law, her husband and three children. We made pom poms, watched Monster's University on DVD, and enjoyed a fabulous lunch of BBQ Chicken with roasted vegetables.


I was given some fabulous presents which my youngest niece helped me to open i.e. she gave me the present, took it back, opened it, and then handed it back to me. I was given a Quad Grow planter (my niece was very unimpressed that such a large present was so boring - in her opinion - I was very pleased) ready for some potato planting next year, and some garden centre vouchers. And some cherry bakewell fudge that I might have eaten all myself (I did).

Then I had two birthday cakes. My eldest niece decided that I'd like a Victoria Sponge shaped like an H with three candles, because three is my favourite number. And my youngest nephew decided that I'd like a Lemon Drizzle cake, so I had both. Both with candles, both served to a chorus of Happy Birthday. Two lots of candles, on which I made the same wish (I can't tell you what I wished for, if I do it won't come true).


Then I rushed home, full of cake, so I could meet my Dad in town. We had dinner at Ask (Crab & Ricotta Half Moon Pasta), followed by a trip to the cinema. We saw The Children Act, which was excellent. I love Emma Thompson, and Stanley Tucci.

Emma would be at my Celebrity Dinner Party, along with Dame Judi Dench, and Kate Winslet. Stanley could come too. And Colin Firth, and Tom Hanks. Maggie Smith and Helena Bonham Carter. Simon Pegg, Chris Martin. And Ed Sheeran (he's a local lad, it would be rude not to invite him).

I'm going to need a bigger dining room table, but I seem to have digressed a little...

The next day I had a pub lunch with my Mum and a friend, sitting outside in the sunshine. When my Mum asked me what I wanted for my birthday I couldn't think of anything, so I asked her to get new batteries put into my old watches. It's something I'd been meaning to do for months but forgot to take them with me every time I went into town. I had one remaining watch still in working order, but then the strap broke leaving me watchless. It's been lovely to have my watches back and I've been wearing them on rotation.

I went home and got comfy on the sofa with the boxset of Nashville. I was stuffed. Two days of eating out was enough, I didn't even want to think about food, let alone cook anything. Andy had to fend for himself when he got home. I think he had toast and a piece of Lemon Drizzle.