Biggest birthday bash ever

What a great time was had. The birthday boy didn't stop smiling all night long.

Like a fish swimming through clear water, Ricardo was in his element.

He had asked the band if it would be OK to sing a few numbers with them and you could see that they thought it was a bit of a drag for the host to steal their thunder. ..... Well that soon changed as Ricky Royale swung into a fabulous swinging rendition of "Caledonia". Suddenly the band all stood taller & nodded to one another, as if to say "This guy's HOT". He got a standing ovation for that first song & nobody sat back down after.

Yours truly got to sing as well and got a bit of a taste for it, I could get used to singing with a professional bunch of musicians. (I couldn't however put the gorgeous Lucy out of a job though.

People really entered into the spirit of things and dressed up. We even managed to get a token Nazi. It was the hugest amount of organisation, but worth every second. Why do you think I married a guy who can dance like this.... Sue Thomas looked like a vision in her sparkly silver & blue dress.

Even Humphrey Bogart, William's labrador had a special suit made for him by a BBC costume designer (Clarissa May!!!!)

Phew I need a big lie down now though.

Birthday bonkers

At last....it's arrived. Ricardo has turned the big six-oh.

Any birthday wishes will be passed on to his Lordship.

Big Birthday Bash

In one hour's time Ricardo turns sixty......

We have been getting ready for a 'BIG' party at our friend William's. (No Richard hasn't gone Gay (not that there's anything wrong with that), he's just showing how eternaly grateful we are to William for lending us his studio for the big event. It's being made into 'Ricks Cafe Americain' from 'Casablanca' for the night.

Suez has been cooking her fingers to the bone...she came all the way from Melbourne to cook at our house.

To go with the middle Eastern theme, there are Spanakopitas, Tiropitas, felafels, Chocolate cake, Baklava, Tabouleh.....etc etc

There are presents to be opened. I'll fill you all in on what they were real soon.......too tired now. Worked all day decorating & faffing.

Skittles (No beer yet)

Lena bena, (my niece), sent these cute little skittles to play with.

As soon as the party excitement is over they will be used non stop.

Wishing and hoping and waiting

At last........ after a two and a half hour drive, then the excruciating last hour waiting at the arrivals section at Heathrow airport. SUE THOMAS arrived.

Later that night we had a hilarious dinner at Clarissa's where Richard was the only boy, surrounded by 5 girls.... needless to say he loved it.

Today we took her to that most English of scenes.....the Bluebell wood.
Wayland woods has been a wood since the Ice Age. It's supposedly the scene of the sad Babes-in-the-woods story. Today it twittered & sang with birdsong & smelled heavenly. We ate a picnic in a clearing (complete with TIM TAMS, Kelly). There was a lot of sniffing and laughing & eating.

Here is Sue spotting the early purple orchid. It's so nice to have here here....thanks Amy Adam & Lena for letting her come......Kelly, we miss you. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Goosebumps

Newt nuts

Today as the leaves on the oak trees started to unfurl, the sun shone & we went to Redgrave and Lopham Fen. This beautiful and rare patch of open land is the largest remaining river valley fen in England. It's the home of the 'Raft Spider'. One of only 2 places in the world where this rare creature lives.

We went searching not for spiders (as I'm not all that keen on them) but for Newts. This is a picture of the Great Crested from this website.

I'd never seen one of these most English of creatures. Richard had regaled me with stories of catching them as a boy & keeping them in festering jars in his bedroom at home. We did see some as we stood staring into a pond. I was thrilled, but we only saw small brown ones...... not the Great Crested or anything.

There were violets out in the woods. ...........Soon there will be Bluebells & Lilac.We also found this tiny creature. A clump of sticks bound together moving along under water.

On the way home we stopped to try & capture this huge field of yellow. It was yellower in real life & smelled really good.

7 days

Quick get ready...it's only 7 days until Sue Thomas comes.

CLEAN.

I must admit when I have the time I love to clean the house.

Sad I know. Our vacuum cleaner is so pathetic though that you have to use the smallest nozzle

in order to pick up any dirt....consequently I've got a blister from vacuuming.

You can see here that operation 'Buns of Steel' is kind of working.

Easter in East Harling

Easter in East Harling started with home made Hot Cross Buns...I'm never quite sure what to call them when they are cold. (Note the Atomic coffee maker, Tom & Vero).

It moved on through pastel shaded fairy cakes...

Then got going on the real stuff......

There was a flower festival at the Church. Here is one of the displays....done by a 90 year old man who lives in the village, his wife used to do an arrangement every year but she died 20 years ago & he's been doing it every year since. More than 60 daffs & all from his own garden.The Church was all done up in white & gold, with my vestments on Altar & Rector & Curate. It looked spectacular for the Easter Saturday evening service when the whole Church started in darkness and a procession entered for the Easter vigil bearing candles. WOW, amazing & ancient rituals get me every time. Our best bass singer sang an unaccompanied & ancient chant , the 'Exultet'. Heart breakingly beautiful.

Richard & Ray (the Tower Captain) put on a display of bellringing & we had a camera rigged up to the bells & a TV monitor down in the tower so you could see what happened when you pulled on the rope.

Just found a few more photos to put on the blog. .......
After everyone was gone from bellringing FUN. Ricardo & I and Ray (Tower captain) climbed up the very rickety ladder, over a beam or 2 and out onto the roof of the Church. My GOD the view was spectacular & what looks like a spindly little steeple is actually a huge construction made of lead. It looked like the Sagrada Familia up close. Ray said not to tell his wife Jeanette because he's been at East Harling for 15 years & never been to the top of the tower before....I know she wont read the blog so I think we're covered. There was also a display by William the organ tuner & (occasional player) of how the huge organ works. Jolly good show eh what???

Zebedoodle

The Zebster is going to be famous.

The Daily Mirror, bastion of British journalism; is coming to photograph his Royal Miracleness.

Here are some photo's of him getting ready.