So I was very honoured to be invited to Gillian's 70th party at her home and quite unprepared for the table heaving with food at four in the afternoon. But enormously glad I had decided not to eat lunch.
After a few glasses of 'fizz' served in Marie Antionette champagne glasses, so called because they were fashioned in the shape of her breasts, we were ushered to the dining room to eat:
1. Mushroom vol au vents
2. Quiche Lorraine
3. Sausages
4. Cheese puffs
5. Scones with cream and jam
6. Cucumber sandwiches (with the crusts off)
7. Gateaux (made by my golfing partner, Paul)
8. Chocolate cake
9. Iced cupcakes
10. Truffles
And then back to the living room for more glasses of fizz.
These Big 0 birthday parties have been so successful, that Teresa suggested Big 5 birthdays should also be celebrated as there was a danger that a year or two might pass without a Big 0. On-the-spot research showed that two of those present would celebrate a big 0 in 2010. Mahri thought she might be celebrating hers in either 2011 or 2012 but as she stopped counting after 40 she'd need to double-check her birth certificate.
Jean had also recently celebrated a Big 0 so we signed hand made cards (the ladies in the village don't believe in shop bought) for her and Gillian and then each was given a bouquet of flowers and they were asked to sing. Jean, who last Sunday sang in the choir at Blair Castle's Christmas carols, led the way with We Wish You a Merry Christmas.
Whilst I had not attended Blair Castle's carols, I had coincidentally been there last Saturday with my visiting friends Kathy and Christine who I had flatted with in my college days. It is a rather eccentric looking edifice, built in the 19th century, but quite fascinating.
On arrival, we headed straight to the ballroom and were given glasses of hot mulled wine to warm ourselves in front of the log fires. We were also given 'Elves at Blair Castle - A story of Christmas' to read. Thirteen elves were dotted around the Castle and it was our task to spot each one and write down their names. At the end we would be able to answer the question: "What carol did the children sing on Christmas Day".
My suspicion that this activity was meant for the under-12s was confirmed when we were also provided with crayons to colour in elf drawings, but nevertheless Kathy was determined we would complete the task.
The elves were to be found dangling from a chandelier, perched on a piano, peering at ancestral portraits and posed amongst the hundreds of stag heads the lined the corridors. Kathy diligently spotted each elf and then worked out that their initials spelled Away in a Manger.
Christine is the intellectual looking one on the left; Kathy is the other one, whose preferred leisure activities include stalking Santa's little helpers:
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