When you just want to get on a plane

When I get pictures like this that just came in early for my birthday (Saturday), I just want to get on a plane and head straight for Durban to get a hug in person. Real phew stuff I can tell you. Still, we will be with them all in April - counting the days.

75 Years Young

Yesterday was Mark's mom's 75th birthday, and we celebrated in style with a fabulous family luncheon. Julie & Ed, Ashleigh & Liam travelled down from Oxford, and Rose cooked up a gastronomacious delight. It was a fun day.

Happy Birthday, mother.

Happy Birthday Google

Today is the official 9th birthday of Google - congratulations! It is amazing how fast and how far widespread Google Inc. has become in less than a decade. I wonder what they will do for the big birthday next year? Buy Microsoft? Launch Google OS? Start a global mobile phone company?

More Birthday Celebrating

This massive celebrating of Rose's 50th hit day ten with (what Mark hopes, and what his bank insists is the last of) another fine meal out - this time with daughters Julie and Ashleigh, and their boyfriends - Ed and Liam. We ate Chinese, at a place called Opium Den ( I think) in Oxford, near the central bus station. Been there before, perhaps a year ago, when we were but tourists passing through. And so we finally got to meet Liam.

Southampton Celebration

Drove to Southampton after lunch on Saturday, to meet up with Mark's Aunt and Uncle from Joburg. They were about to embark on a cruise to the Baltic and back, and it was a great opportunity to see them again and also celebrate Rose's birthday, again! We stayed in a very neat and immaculate B & B called The Argyle, and had a delicious Italian meal at a restaurant near the harbour. This morning, after a yummy breakfast we drove home to meet Mark's brother Paul, coming through for a flying visit on his way to Europe on business.

Night at the Circus

One Century Between Us - Mark & Rose enjoying Smart's Circus

Our house is perhaps 300 meters as the crow flies (actually it is as the seagull flies here in Worthing) from Holmfield Park, the venue of the visiting circus. All week we have been able to hear the circus band playing during the shows. Part of celebrating Rose's 50th birthday, was going to the circus - and so we walked there, got the candy floss and the popcorn, and had a really fun evening. Our ringside seats were the best, and we were as close as you could get to the action without being in the ring.

Photos taken with circus permission (we paid £1.00 for a camera ticket)

Rosie hits the big time

17 August 1957

Umtali, Rhodesia

Rosemary Jane Taylor

Cutie, Sweetheart...more on her special day later

Celebration Continues

Mark with his favourite dessert - Rose's Pavlova

To wrap up a week a week of fun things to celebrate my birthday, Julie & Ed, and Ashleigh, came down from Oxford to spend the weekend with us in Worthing. Rose put together a magnificent meal around a Salmon Mousse starter, roast leg of New Zealand lamb, and Pavlova for dessert. Add lots of laughter, some excellent Shiraz compliments of my Uncle and Aunt (Dale & Yvonne) in Johannesburg, and it was a family memory to treasure. What was missing of course was the presence of Michelle, Jason, Rhys and Matt ... which would have made it 100% perfect. It has been a fabulous week, and I have been made to feel very special by all my family.

Ash, Rose, Ed, Julie

Hollywood Stars

Old man and younger wife at Planet Hollywood, Piccadilly Circus, London

Rose surprised me with a trip into London, some live theatre (The 39 Steps at The Criterion) and supper at Planet Hollywood after the show. It was a lovely, long day. We walked up and down Regent Street, spending time in the Wedgewood and Swaroskvy Crystal shops (for Rose) and Hamelys Toy Store (for me).

Piccadilly Circus last night

On the Tube, heading home

Great Cabin Crew on Emirates

Cabin Crew onboard Emirates Air from Joburg to Dubai 08 March 2007

Here is a picture of the cabin crew who fussed over me on my birthday. It all started when I cheekily asked one of them if I might have a better seat seeing it was my birthday (I was secretly hoping for much bigger seat, sleeper chair ... but the senior stewardess explained to me it was worth more than her job to do that). They found me a great bulkhead seat with lots of legroom but the entertainment screen would not stay up. Neither did the one in the seat next to that one. So they moved me right to the back of the plane, and made sure I was well taken care of. The cake and coffee in a previous picture came from First Class, and they giggled as they did their best to write 'Happy 50th Birthday' from sachets of strawberry jam. And when they suddenly all gathered around and sang happy birthday in whispers, I was grinning from ear to ear. Thanks again EK, it was fun.

Birthday in the air

I was very surprised when the cabin crew of my Emirates flight between Joburg and Dubai gathered around my seat, presented me with a decorated cake, and sang happy birthday to me. It was very sweet of them all, and made me love flying Emirates even more! The photo above is a scan of the instant photo they took at the time.