We are family

Despite being a relatively small family, it is a rare occurrence that we are all together.

Our little clan gathered in Buckinghamshire at the weekend to celebrate my mum's 90th birthday

Friday; the journey.

 No, of course they weren't really asleep, they were far too excited.

  

The weather was beautiful, the kids took Bobbin the dog for a walk, and Boston the cat strolled around the garden with us.

Don't worry, that's a toy pheasant in Bobbin's mouth, although we did see a couple of real ones strutting through the garden too.

Belinda (my eldest sister) and Alan's house is beautiful, the kids consider it a holiday to go and stay there.

Nice views, no?

Sabena (middle sis) and me, snapped by Nina (Littlest).

The candles on the birthday cake were a potential fire risk...

but the smoke eventually cleared!

She does like butter.

1960s California maxi dress - vintage shop
Necklace and bangles - charity shopped
Boots - retail
 

Old Amersham is a very pretty little town nearby, where we went out for Sunday lunch.

Many of the buildings are made from the local flint.

The white cottages were the homes of some of the Lollards who were burned at the stake in 1521 for their religious non-conformism. There is a memorial to them up on a hill just outside the town. The burning took place there so that the flames and smoke would be visible to many in the surrounding area, and the daughter of one of the martyrs was made to light the fire.

Atrocious cruelty in the name of faith is nothing new, is it?

The River Misbourne often dries up, but the exceptionally wet winter means it is flowing beautifully at the moment.

Ruth Ellis, the last woman to be hanged in this country in 1955, was reburied somewhere in the extended churchyard of St Mary's in the early 1970s, although her grave is unmarked since her son destroyed the headstone in 1982. He went on to commit suicide.  No happy endings anywhere in that tragic story.

 The rounded stone graves (body stones) are an unusual feature and may have been designed as a deterrent to 19th century grave robbers. There is cast iron version too.

Hmmm... there a lot of death in this post, isn't there?

You could be forgiven for feeling it is a little inappropriate...

However, my mother adores churches and graveyards, and local history, and Old Amersham is a town she knows well. She told me about the Lollards' houses, Ruth Ellis' grave, and she recalled going for a picnic up at the Martyrs' Memorial after it was erected in 1931; she also went to grammar school here, so all of this is very much up her street!

This building, Badminton Court, used to be a brewery before becoming a factory producing and packing Goya perfumes and cosmetics from 1946 to 1985.

Those you who grew up in the UK in the 1970s probably remember Aqua Manda, I certainly do; apparently the fragrance has recently been relaunched.

  

Birthday Girl.

My mum cuts through all the crap that's talked about age.

She lives alone, drives her car, maintains her home and garden (she has just planted the plum tree I bought for her birthday), has plenty of friends and interests, goes out more than I do, and is completely independent. She's lucky to be healthy, it's true, but her curiosity about the world and the interest she takes in life and the people around her help to keep her that way, I'm sure.

While some people whine about getting old (when they are merely in their 40s or 50s), I want to point to my mum and say, look, she's 90 and she's not moaning; now bloody well get on with it!

The boys in their white shirts (Alan, Owen and Gary);
the girls looking gorgeous (Mum, Claudia, Nina and Samara);
and some fabulous food at Gilbey's restaurant.

My lovely niece, Samara. Supermodel.

I thought I should add a photo (pinched from her Facebook page) of my other beautiful niece, Leala, who couldn't be there (having had a better offer of a trip to St. Lucia - I know, tough choice, but she had to go!)

(Clockwise, from the left)
Me, Alan, Belinda, Samara, Simon, Sabena, Gary, Owen, Rhonie, Nina, Claudia.

I got all my sisters with me. 

The restaurant asked us all to sign the personalised menu sheet and then laminated it for Mum; we're laughing because Gary said it looked as though she was showing off a swimming certificate.

So that was my weekend.

How was yours?
I'm going to catch up with all of you now and find out the gossip!

xxxxx