.....Happy birthday to ya.......

This is my niece, Rebecca.....today was her 18th birthday.

7.15 The Daughter and I got up, performed ablutions and got ready to travel North for a birthday lunch.

8.20 We called at McD'd for breakfast....sausage, egg and cheese bagel, hash brown and hot chocolate for me.......bacon roll, hash brown and tea for her.

9.20 Arrived in Rochdale to collect the S & H, YH and Charlotte.

9.40 Set off to travel the 121 miles to the venue.....Krimo's restaurant in Hartlepool.

10.20 Stopped at Services so the S & H could get some breakfast.

11.46 Arrived at Hartlepool marina...it was bloody freezing...an icy wind blowing off the North Sea....known locally as a lazy wind.....because it can't be bothered to blow round you so it goes straight through you. A (very) brisk walk along the sea wall....a pause to throw some coins in the monkey (During the Napoleonic wars a French ship sank off Hartlepool. The only survivor was a ship's monkey. The local towns people, never having seen a French man, or heard French spoken, tried the monkey, found it guilty of being a French spy and hanged it!) and made a wish.

12.15 Arrived at Krimo's and ordered drinks. Dad, my Sis and Becca arrived at 12.40.

For the next 2 hours we ate and drank....champagne, starters ( fish cakes for some, koftas for me, pate for Dad, pancakes for others), four of us had enormous lamb shanks, three had chicken....and then birthday cake.

3.10 We left the restaurant, we gave dad, Sis and Becca their Christmas presents and then we set off for the 121 mile journey home. About 40 miles in I began to feel tired....so the S & H took over driving....another 40 miles and he was feeling tired so we stopped at the Services for coffee. After the break the S & H carried on driving to his house....they piled out, with all the gear that a 1 year old requires.....and then I drove the last dozen miles home.

6.10 The daughter and I got home.

We are now both knackered, the Boss has gone to work.....I'm due to go for a beer with D and B in 30 minutes.....and tomorrow I'll be up at 6.30 for work.

It was a really good day....and great to see the family and help Becca celebrate.....but I'll tell you what.....as Danny Glover said in "Lethal Weapon".....I'm getting too old for this sh.......

Das vidanya moy padruga.

p.s. it's true about the monkey....look it up..... a few years ago the local football team's mascot H'Angus the Monkey was the first elected Mayor!)