Debbie’s mmmpphhg! Birthday
13th August 2011
The 10th August saw the passing of yet another year in Debs’ life but thanks to the Conservative Government’s increase on tax she can still say she is 21 + VAT. At this rate of augmentation a DVD will cost about seventy quid next year.
The day being midweek she settled for a barbecue on the Saturday which allowed me to go over and get back Sunday night in time to take a party of New Zealanders around the Somme on the Monday. The pre-wedding function had turned out to be a damp one with everybody clustered in the safety of the house whilst Anton and Nigel weathered the storm under the awning as they worked away on the food.
Anton and Debs prepare a meal for a few friends with the underlying allowance for there being enough extra food in case the Brigade of Guards turn up feeling peckish.
Food had been marinading for days in secret sauces which tasted really good on the kebabs and only removed some of mother’s fingerprints whilst she was skewering wee tiny bits of pineapple onto various items of either fish or meat.
Click on the thumbnail for a larger version
There were meat pies, salads, burgers, sausages, extra heavy on the garlic potatoes, plus a scattering of things that I had taken over. It would appear that you can’t get decent taboulé or céleri râpé in Britain and garlic and pork terrine just doesn’t make it to the shelves of your local Sainsbury’s.
Then there were the cakes and yet more strawberries. I think it took me at least twenty minutes to de-stalk a tray of strawberries ready for eating. Then we had the buckets of beer to go with it all. By a cunning piece of sleight of hand the good stuff was in my glacière (Though Barrie found the Leffe).
Guests arrived carrying gifts (if they wanted to get over the threshold that is) and although we did not get the sunshine that we had hoped for, it didn’t rain either and was probably the more comfortable for the lower temperatures.
Peter and Lauren towered over their adversaries in Oliver and Brandon whilst playing badminton and although he played with a great deal of ardour much of Oliver’s game consisted of throwing the shuttlecock into the air and have it hit him on the head.
Ditto !
Like most barbecues the two main hosts didn’t get to eat a great deal, Deb’s who in theory was the honoured guest had to be chased into relax mode and forced to drink beer and wine. Alex took over for a wee while at the hot stand and demonstrated that he can char perfectly good meat with the best of them. If it isn’t black and crunchy enough to be a danger to dentures then it isn’t cooked properly.
Same again, like
The rest of us ran about and washed and cleaned plates and glasses whilst nattering here and there with everybody. Now and then there would be a cry of ‘wife’ from Alex which would have Hannah instantly dawdling to his side to find out what he could do for her.
Ally and Lauren had prepared a DVD of the wedding so people who had not been there to see Alex and Hannah tie the knot took the opportunity to be entertained by their antics.
It began to get a wee bit chilly as the evening drew in and coffee and tea appeared on the menu. The guests began to depart but not before having given us a hand to clear up (well trained friends) and the family settled down to a gathering in the front room before Nigel decided that it was time for him to take his brood back to Peterborough.
I think that we have decided that Alex and Peter are coming over to France to go Bungy Jumping sometime in the future. I have a nasty feeling that this means I will have to do an eleventh jump.
Posted : 19 August 2011
