The year (and a bit) of 50ths

A long, and rather lovely, day.  Early start (for a Saturday) to get to the airport, then a rather more irritating than usual flight (manspreading, man-elbowing, and man-putting-his-coat-on-my-lap-even-when-I-moved-it.  And on the other side a perpetual crotch scratcher.  Grim.)

But everything from then on was grand.  Lovely lunch with our pals (and Mr B, who had bought out the local excellent butcher so we feasted royally).  Some light shopping. Then the main event - the first of very many 50ths that are coming up over the next year of all the folk we were at uni with.  Tonight was our trailblazer (I should add that I do know older people, indeed some of my best friends, etc etc, but this is the first of my year group to fall prey to the advancing years) Chris with a very fine meal at a very fine London restaurant.  We ate (and drank) well - though I sort of wish I had known that we weren't splitting the bill when I insisted that we order all that extra wine....)  There was a very fine set of speeches (including this one, very badly captured in my only photo of the night, which was an ode of a thousand verses from the man-of-the-hour's middle brother).  

Nightclubbing was ditched since it turned out to be already several hours past our aged bedtimes when we left the restaurant, so instead back to the birthday boy's house to bother the kids and carry on the fun.

A fine start to the class of '88 birthday season.  I think I might be next...