Jez, Miriam and the children were going to the Spa for the rets of the morning. I wanted more time to work on the speech so, between sitting with Mum while having coffee outside looking at the canal, I also reworked some of my words until it was time to head down for the party at 1:30pm.  We bumped into some familyon the stairs on the way down so it was clear guests were arriving.

The party itself was brilliant. The weather, which allowed people to be inside and outside, the catering the choir and the atmosphere was lovely.  So many members of the extended family - and friend s- turned up that it made the whole thing wonderful.  As people started to depart, a large group sat outside in the cool evening light.  I day to remember.

Oh, and the speech went down well. Glad I did it.