Celebrations

This week Alexandra turned 60, so with Becky the babysitter in place at Maria and Lol's, the 4 of us jumped in the car to Uckfield in West Sussex to surprise Alexandra at the country hotel she and Dad had checked into that afternoon. We were a poor second however to her grand-children, Callum and Cassie, who Dad had flown down from Scotland that day for the main surprise. We had a few drinks and canapes and a game of croquet on the lawn before a wonderful dinner. On Friday we drove to stunning Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk for the civil ceremony of Godfather Rick and Justin. We dropped the kids off with a friendly babysitter for the day and then raced to the registry office in the grounds of the amazing ruined abbey. It was a very moving ceremony with Rick and Justin exchanging heartfelt vows in front of a supportive crowd of close family and friends. We then all piled into a mini bus to be taken to Easter Wood, Justin's very own 50-acre wood. The boys had transformed a central area around the old folly into a beautiful dinner venue for 30. We were seated in a beautiful Indian tent decorated with wild flowers and fairy lights with views at sun set through the wood where deer were strolling. It was stunning. The food and wine were impeccable as were the speeches and great company. It was a magical night and one the boys were quite rightly proud of. It was fantastic to meet Rick's parents and brother for the first time, the latter who had flown in from NZ for the occasion. On Saturday, I awoke feeling much like Princess Margaret after a night on the cans with Boris Yeltsin. Luckily our gorgeous hotel, The Angel, serves up a brilliant breakfast featuring Suffolk bacon and ham that hit the spot. We then piled the kids into the car for a day out at Historic Lavenham, Britain's best kept medieval village. Like driving through the middle of an episode of Angelina Ballerina, each street is exquisite. National Trust membership at the ready, we spent a happy few hours looking around the Guildhall, with Scarlett eagerly clutching her questionnaire, clipboard and pen and following the kid's trail. Then it was back to The Angel for a big family sleep before the second part of the wedding, the evening disco and supper in the barn of Justin's sister Caroline. The kids were brilliant and were still on the dancefloor busting their moves to Beyonce and Lady Gaga at 11pm. It was a quiet carload that I drove back to the hotel, before we all fell into bed at midnight. Scarlett described it as 'the best night of my life'. As ever, I have taken photos of all of this but can't yet upload them until our container arrives with our imac in it. It is due 4 weeks early and we are hoping to be in the house by late August. Onwards.