The Long Celebration Volume V

The days upon days of freely flowing wine, of great company and great music were just about starting to show in our slightly drooping demeanours. Sunday of last week, however, still had to be marked in style.

La Sumpetta marked the day (her birthday) by hurling herself from atop a waterfall in aid of charity.

Here at Millbrooker Towers, we took things a tad more sedately as we wished Mrs The Millbrooker a very happy 6th birthday.

Seen above, Trickers (who'd arrived only a few minutes before) and the Wizzers of Soz in a slinky celebratory dressing gown outfit.

Almost as soon as Milly and Trickers arrived for their fleeting visit, the Millbrooker Towers sitting room was in use as ceremonial present opening viewing gallery.

The first present out of its wrapping was a CD from The Depitty; the delightfully titled "If I Could Do It All Over Again, I'd Do It All Over You" by Caravan (one of Mrs The Millbrooker's favourite ensembles).

Many other unwrappable things got unwrapped before present opening was done whereupon it was time for the next chapter of the day's activities.

We bade farewell to The High Lord of Southwick who had to return to his homeland to prepare for work the next day and then Milly, Trickers, Mrs The Millbrooker and I pootled gently down to the D&C for one of Russell and Mark's excellent Sunday lunches, kindly sponsored by Milly for her little girl's birthday.

Utterly stuffed with yummy munchings, we attempted to walk some of it off by trogging up the hill to Maker Heights to try and catch the last stragglers of the weekly car boot sale. En-route we took several "official birthday portraits"; the solo ones, sadly, didn't come out very well courtesy of a breezy day and a wraparound skirt. So the approved version has yours truly in it as well.

We soon reached the car boot sale itself, where BathNick and Trickers were awaiting our presence. YarMatt and Intoeverythingsworth pottered about the field in the sunshine...

...and BathNick bought a nice shiny thing from the single remaining stallholder.

Then it was straight to The Random Arms for a glass of something cooling.

It was inside The Random Arms that we met up with Helen, who'd also been car booting and had found what has to be the world's coolest handbag.

The day was rounded off nicely back at Millbrooker Towers, where Dong and Shazzerooneypoos joined us for a glass or two of gentle-juice and a flute of birthday bubbly. And that, Ladies and Germs, was the end of the longest weekend of celebrating that I can remember. It should go down in the annals of Millbrookian legends as a great time had by loads of good people.

Thanks to everyone who worked hard to help make it happen, thanks to Dong for sharing his decade turning celebration with us, and, of course, a very happy birthday (hey - it's only a week late, that's nothing in blog time) to Mrs The Millbrooker.

Now for a well earned rest...mmmm zzzzzzzzz.