Henley Picnic

Today was our annual trip to Henley for a jolly day out with friends and family. Every year for the past 21 years (eek!!!) we've gone to Henley on the Saturday of the Regatta for a picnic.
There's a field by the river (next to the rowing museum if you know Henley) and we go with our gazebos and tables and chairs and we sit eating and drinking and playing silly games until it's getting dark. Wonderful!
There's always my mum and dad, Mrs S and Mr C, and Mr M and over the years there have been different friends, boyfriends and girlfriends, and different dogs!! And now, of course, new children to join in and carry on the tradition.
Or push the bath chairs as the more elderly amongst us like to suggest!!!
We always take ridiculous amounts of food which never gets eaten! Every year we suggest taking less and co-ordinating more so we each take certain things but it never happens and it's always a gluttonous feast.
As long as my mum keeps doing Coronation chicken and Mr M keeps bringing the hard boiled eggs I'll be happy!!
I was quite proud of myself that I actually took home-made food this time - Jamie Oliver's delicious sausage rolls and his smoked mackerel pate, yummy!!!!
Look at me, my first married Henley and I've gone all domestic!!!!
It was an even busier day than normal today as Miss E had a school party first thing in the morning. I had lovely chats with some Mums I've never met before and the entertainment was fab.
Miss E quite often gets overlooked when they're making balloon animals, getting them up to join in tricks etc. and me being me I really feel sad on her behalf. I can see her trying to sit so straight and quiet like they ask and she can't understand why she doesn't get picked.....
But after half an hour of that this morning, he called her up along with the birthday boy and they had ten minutes of helping him with a washing-machine-shrinking-mixing up-putting holes in socks-trick and she got a balloon dog as a reward for all her efforts.
Happy child and very happy Mummy!!!!