One Lucky Birthday Boy and a Sad Loss

Where to begin? Such a fine time was had by your humble servant and continues to be had that it all starts to meld into one bundle of fun.

I hit 70 years last Friday 13th. I always make a fuss of my birthday. Matters are normally taken out of ones hands on the "big" birthdays and it only feels like 10 years ago that my 60th was celebrated in fine style by a surprise party attended by so many and organised by Pam.

Pam played a major hand in this one as well so that when last Friday arrived I had no idea what was planned. I  had been told to have a bag packed which could have meant I was being thrown out but I spotted no clues in the lead up and sat waiting for the next instruction. To add to the excitement such "instructions" came in the form of rhyming clues doled out by Pam when appropriate.


We set off in Pam's car and headed for the M25 with my little head full of ideas as to our destination. Last year we had a lovely couple of days at Windsor taking in dinner a play and an overnight stay in an hotel. so that was my favourite for a repeat.
However we turned left onto the M25 heading eastwards so I had to recalibrate. What lay hither?
Would we cross into Kent? I thought that probable because Pam, as far as I'm aware has never been anywhere meaningful in Essex so perhaps to Faversham to see Caz et al for a weekend.....or maybe to Dover...to France?.....No that won't happen I don't have my passport. I decided to enjoy the ride until we crossed the Thames on the QE2 bridge before straining my 70 year old brain further.

Then we turned left for Chelmsford before the bridge so I was completely banjaxed. Then I saw a sign for Maldon and recalled that some time back my friend Roy, eccentric millionaire and music hall singer, had spent a birthday on a Thames barge thereat and so it came to pass.
We arrived at Maldon (Essex} and The Queens Head where we had a pint and I waited for the denouement. It arrived in the form of 8 of my oldest friends Adrian and Geoff, Mac and Carrie, Roy and Annie and Peter and Kay. (arranged in order of distance travelled)
After a couple more pints we left the pub and boarded the Thames Barge "Reminder", our accommodation for the weekend. Oh what a weekend it was .Two excellent dinners in nearby pubs a sing-song, vast amounts of whisky. Much laughter and banter, proper breakfasts to clog the finest arteries, a walk round Maldon and a splendid lunchtime session in the local Witherspoons

The undoubted stars of the show were the 4 ladies who coped magnificently with the vagaries of the plumbing and the constant stream of rubbish talked by the male of the species. Mind you they talked a fair amount of rubbish as well.themselves.

I was so smitten by the whole thing; the work that had gone into the weekend, the distances travelled by such good and kind people, the size and style of the barge, the whole kit and caboodle.
There were lots of pictures taken and I've published most of them so if you aint interested sweep by.

 Breakfasts of inordinate healthy content were managed by Roy and his able ex school dinner lady assistant Mandy Lifeboats Dodge.

A glass of bubbly to kick off

Rubbish, rubbish, rubbish

My birthday cake

The entry to the boat was another surprise with balloons and bunting (handmade by Annie and now resident on Independence) decorating the main saloon and a birthday cake of rainbow colours

I think the only time I got in the galley was to blow my candles out

One Big Puff!

A speech from Ady and Roy. 

Then it was all change and back to the Queens Head for dinner.

Ignore any thoughts that the photograph is fuzzy-it is the photographer and the subjects that are fuzzy

We returned aboard and awaited the "Great Surge" -Ooooh Matron-which had been suggested as a possibility resulting from seasonal high tides along the east coast. Fortunately the only great surge was in the consumption of fine whisky which meant some of the company felt below par when we assembled for breakfast.
After a fine breakfast we wandered round the town like a bunch of Romanians looking for a boot sale before meeting up in the local Witherspoons

Kay, me, Roy and Annie in Witherspoons

Carrie, Peter, Ady and Geoff in the same place

Ady clutching..???..well you work it out

A reading of events that occurred on previous Fridays 13th

That evening we went to somewhere else that I can't remember to the Jolly Sailor for dinner. 

We returned to Reminder for nightcaps, a lovely sing song and a group photo. Everybody looks much better than they are but they are all much better than they look. Lovely people.

A few photos to demonstrate I didn't spend the whole weekend in a restaurant, pub or boat.

The last day (Sunday) and the weather is foul. Cold and wet. We rejoice at the weather we have enjoyed for Friday and Saturday. We link arms and give thanks that we have survived the Great Surge. We prostrate ourselves in gratitude that we have dined so well yet not so wisely. We hurl ourselves into the foamy brine to cleanse our minds of the excesses of alcohol, food and laughter. And I take myself apart (a clever trick I learnt at Legoland) from the others and whilst resisting a tear thank God that I have such wonderful friends. I am such a lucky boy. And I'm over 70 you know. 

............and it's not over you know. In the highly unlikely event you have read this far you might want to have a cuppa now as this goes on a bit.
My birthdays do.

Pam drove us back to Berko in very unpleasant conditions-the driving conditions that is-Pam was as wonderful as ever.
We had Sunday lunch at The Highwayman to keep the party going. 

Monday and it's Quiz Night at the Lamb so we have a specially formed team for my birthday

The HippoBidet2U team. Mikaela,Pam,me, John, Janice, Matt, Karl

We did ever so well coming joint 2nd out of hundreds of teams....well 4 actually but I thought we were good and would have fared even better if I'd listened to Karl KleverKlogs. Great fun. Great people.

Thursday and the party continues. A train to Watford to meet with Geoff, Ady and Kevin for lunch in the White Something pub

Saturday and I find myself in Harlow lunching with brother, Jim, sister in law Mary and niece Sarah; a very fine lunch and whilst envious of Jims' ribs I thoroughly enjoyed my liver. Just another day in the life of a cannibal

and here they all are

Back to Berko and suddenly it's Sunday and I've invited a few friends to join me for a drink at the Lamb and a curry buffet at the Akash just 2 minutes walk away

More cake!

and balloons

another Big Puff

Where else would Peter put his serviette

Back in the Lamb afterwards for Pam to have a relaxing drink and me to pay the bar bill. ouch!

A wonderful birthday and there's still more to come with a trip to my sister's in Lancs on Thursday for another  celebration of which more anon.
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Life goes on.Whilst I've been indulging myself, sadder events have come to pass.
. My friend Les, who, with his wife Jaq, has been mooring their boat at Cow Roast, died on Tuesday morning. Jaq and his family were with him at what was the end of a painful experience for all. Whilst he suffered greatly near the end he was one of the ballsiest people I've ever met facing what he knew with fortitude, humour and no little stubbornness,  I envy him his courage.

He died with his boat keys in his hand.

My condolences and all of those in the Cow Roast community go out to Jaq who over the last few years has striven tirelessly on his behalf.
Be assured, good lady, if there is practical help required we will be there.