Birthday celebration Part 1!

Saturday
This afternoon was the first part of Roger’s Dad’s 90th birthday celebrations. Today was an afternoon tea held in their church hall for family, neighbours and in particular church friends. Roger’s other sister, Pamela, drove up in the morning from the Malmesbury area, while her son Matthew and fiancée Claire came over from York, to join those of us already here. There were about 60 guests in total, and it was a very happy occasion, and his Dad, who is a very sociable person was clearly delighted to have so many people around him helping him celebrate. There was heaps of food - I think Janet thought she was feeding the five thousand(!) - they’d had the sandwiches catered by Morrison’s, but the cakes were made by Janet, Pamela and others, while Claire had made the scones, which were accompanied by jam and clotted cream! I feel so frustrated on occasions lIke this, that since we don’t live in England, it’s not really practical for me to make anything to contribute, something which I would love to do, since I enjoy baking, but don’t do much at home for just the two of us any more, as it isn’t good for us. Janet had asked Roger if he would give a speech/talk about his Dad, and then offer a toast. My collage shows a couple of the notice boards we had decorated yesterday with various photos from his life, the long table of food, Bernard cutting his cake, and several photos of the family, the bottom left photograph showing Roger with his sister Pamela in the front, Janet, her husband John, and John’s sister who had come along to help.