Happy Birthday old friend!

Today Jon and I travelled south to celebrate the 60th birthday of one of our oldest friends.

It wasn't an early start, and we managed a lie in until almost 9 o'clock. Then after a leisurely breakfast we set off for Hoddesdon, taking in a few stops on the way. Beginning with an allotment stop to feed the chicken, then petrol before stopping properly at Fakenham Garden centre. It's somewhere we have wanted to check out, and today it was perfect for coffee. The drive from there to Hoddesdon wasn't without its diversions but we got there by 3pm. Mum and Rod had only got back from their Caribbean cruise early this morning and were pretty jet lagged, crashed out in the arm chairs.

We had a couple of hours catch up with them, before heading to Bexley Heath where a surprise meal had been arranged for our friend Martin.

It was touch and go but everyone who was expected, managed to get to the restaurant before Martin and Bev arrived. Their daughter Jade had done a fantastic job of tracking down old friends, and coordinating it all. Martin was our 'Best Man' at our wedding 34 years ago. This evening it was lovely to meet Martin's sister and brother, for the first time- both had travelled far further than us, plus an old friend Chris who Jon and Martin originally met back in the 80s in a gym in Ware. They started training together back then, and became friends. But it has probably been 30 years since we have seen Chris, so it was lovely for Jon to catch up with them both.

The meal was lovely, and the evening went far too quickly, helped along with several gin and tonics and lots of chatter. Rounded off, much to Martin's embarrassment with a chorus of piped 'happy birthday' music via the Indian restaurant's loud speakers, to accompany a huge birthday cake organised by Jade.

Now we are heading back to Hoddesdon and hoping for a few hours sleep, before heading home tomorrow.