Mum's 60th Birthday

L-R: Friend from the village, Merrick (Mum's partner),
Community Police Officer, Mum, me, Aunty Patsy, Aunty Helen, Aunty Muriel.

As briefly mentioned before, I'm currently in the UK for a month - for the first time in 20 months - to surprise my mum for her 60th birthday, which was Friday 24th July. It was all a bit hush-hush, hence nothing blogged about before. I snuck out of Rwanda on 18th July by Belgium Airlines via Brussels. Not at all impressive, the food was yuck and there was no personal entertainment system on an eight-hour flight! - Kenya Airways are much better.

Touched-down in the early hours of Sunday morning and saw rain for the first time in two months, at Brussels. A sight that has since lost its novelty value ;)

Dad and Marilyn were there to welcome me with balloons and a banner :op

I'll write more about my first reverse-culture-shocked week later. This is just about birthdays.

Mum had been planning a barn dance for months, so we drove down and booked into the Holiday Inn at Rugby, got changed and went over. It went like clockwork. I'd promised to be at home (in Rwanda) on Friday morning so that she could talk to me before the party. Obviously she couldn't get hold of me because I was in the UK and the SIM didn't work. Thankfully, last time we talked, the MTN network went down, so she's used to not being able to reach me due to the poor service. This was the one time I've been grateful for it.

So, Dad and Marilyn went in first and told her they had a surprise for her - they had me on the phone. They got her sitting down with her back to the door to talk to me and whilst we were talking on the phone, I walked up behind her. Classic :)

Had a lovely time dancing, though remained shawled-up as I was freezing to death in the hall. Loads of old friends there, and family. There's a video for those who are interested, courtesy of Dad who is dancing with Mum. I'm dancing with my uncle, Les (Patsy's husband, parents of the Young British Dancer of the Year 2008, my cousin Billy).

The community bobby popped in halfway through to see who was using the hall. As half my mum's friends are probation officers and magistrates, he fitted in perfectly. 

There's also my dad's version of events on his blog too :)

Also, Nobby of Nobby's Brewery, our local micro-brewery based at The Ward Arms, brewed up several kegs of his finest, so beer, wine, and oompsidaisey flowed freely that night.

The next day was recovery. Dad and Marilyn dropped me off at Mam's in the morning as they headed off back to Gloucester. On the Sunday we had a family BBQ, continuing the celebrations.

Merrick, Aunty Patsy and cousin Emily on the patio

Harry, my nephew Damian, and my cousin once removed, Felicity

Damian and Felicity on the bouncy-castle

Family friends Hannah, Harry and
Kate with my brother William

Family friend Barbra, former Mayor of Camden, with my cousin Rosie

Mum's childhood friends Sue & Jan

Aunty Lucy (Rosie & Emily's Mum)

Me stuffing my face after a
hot shower and a glass of red wine!

So, after all of that partying there was just enough time to enjoy a day out at Foxton Locks on Aunty Helen's boat Celia (this is an old photo) with Harry and Damian...

...before my step brother William's 22nd birthday on 2nd August :) 

We took him out for a meal and a drink. Birthdays all round. I've managed to pile on 2lbs in the fortnight I've been home and the trend is set to continue as I head off on a tour of my favouritist people tomorrow: Graeme in Bath, Vikki in Bristol, Jo in Camberwell; Cassie, Sean and little baby Ryan (who I’ll be meeting for the first time!) in Lewisham, back to Camberwell, my cousin Alx and her hubby Pob in Hertford, then across and up to Carlisle with Dad to see Aunty Jean and my cousins, then back to Northamptonshire and off to the airport in the wee hours of 15th. Thus far, I’ve only been reclining in Gloucester with Dad & Marilyn, and here with Mum & Merrick, so the next few days will be quite hectic but hopefully a LOT of fun.

I shall update further if I survive :)