HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MR. HCB!

Although Mr. HCB was up early, as usual, I didn't get downstairs until an hour or two later - after he had had his breakfast , so we then sat together, before I had my breakfast, while he opened his cards and gifts - and some lovely ones there were too - which you can see from the bottom photograph in my collage.  

Gardening and cricket featured in both cards and gifts, together with the occasional "rude and cheeky" card, and also the recyclable one that has been going back and forth from us to our next door neighbour, Mike and Lynn, for quite a few years. There was also a “double sided” jigsaw puzzle, from a dear Blip friend - but I don’t think that will get done until the autumn!

This afternoon, we went out for a Champagne Afternoon Tea at a nearby "posh" hotel, Chiseldon House, using a voucher we have had for a while.  I took a couple of photographs when we first got there and good job I did, because when we left it was raining hard, as you can see from the photograph I took looking through the window, but the gardens do need the rain.

There were lots of lovely sandwiches and cakes, as you would expect, but we were eating in "splendid isolation", which didn't bother us - however, the "musack" was rather off-putting and we would have preferred some quieter instrumental/classical music, but as Mr. HCB said, "They don't do that these days!"

Three members of the Silly Saturday Gang had jumped into my bag, so you can see JH Ted, Reeth and Gobby waiting patiently for their sandwich and cake - in front of the Birthday Boy himself.  I decided to try the Cornish and the Devon way of adding jam and cream to my scone - and have to say I preferred the cream on top, which is apparently the Cornish way but Gobby said he didn’t mind how it was put on because it all goes down the same way!  

I had mentioned that I was allergic to prawns, so thankfully, there were no prawn sandwiches, and I also said that we wouldn’t be drinking our champagne, as I am on medication and my husband would be driving - so we were asked to bring a “small bottle/vessel” - their words - to take the champagne home.  Well, you can see how much they gave us - and my first thought was that it looked more like - well you guess!!  We certainly won’t be getting drunk on that!

They did give us a “brown bag” and some serviettes to wrap up the remaining cake and scones, so guess that will be our supper this evening washed down with some champagne - or orange juice for me.

Mr. HCB says he’s had a lovely day - and I guess when you get to our age, you don’t want too much excitement!  I’m just pleased I felt well enough to go out with him and could share his birthday tea.