birthday cake – derrickjknight

An Akash Birthday

In 2008, Emily chose to celebrate her birthday at the Akash restaurant at 500A Edgware Road. Of the several posts that have featured this, my favourite over four decades, https://derrickjknight.com/2012/10/31/curry-a-biography/ places this gem in perspective.

I had remembered this splendid family occasion when speaking on the phone to Heidi yesterday. This morning I received a Facebook message containing two of

my daughter-in-law’s photographs of the event. Both focus on Emily and Oliver. The first includes Majid, the manager; Cath and Amy in the background, and my hand in the foreground. Majid had produced the splendid cake.

Today the weather was wet, windy, and decidedly dingy.

During a slight lull in rainfall Jackie photographed the crab apples because she doesn’t know how long they will last before the blackbirds have finished them off.

Immediately after lunch, peering through the rain-spattered windscreen, we drove to Pennington to deliver an acceptance letter for his decorating quote to Nick Hayter, and to make a booking at The Wheel Inn for Thursday evening.

Much against my better judgement, I allowed my Chauffeuse to cajole me into photographing waves from the clifftop at Milford on Sea. In order for me to disembark without the gusting winds tearing the passenger side door from my grip, Jackie needed to leave her own comfortable seat to hold my door. This was only fair, really. My cheeks were then pierced by ice cold driven needles. These were the rain, not the eponymous appendages to the Isle of Wight, because

the Isle, its Needles, and the lighthouse, as can be seen from these two pictures, had gone AWOL.

It is true that I couldn’t see what I was doing, but I know I was pointing my lens to where the island used to be.

I managed to photograph more waves

and rocks before I sank back into the Modus

and focussed more easily on empty benches through the front window.

Although it lacks the horns, Jackie’s beef pie would definitely be appreciated by the Dandy comic’s Desperate Dan. Packed with tender steak, succulent onions and firm chestnut mushrooms the Culinary Queen’s speciality is what we enjoyed for tonight’s dinner. This was served with tasty boiled potatoes; crunchy carrots; cabbage and green beans, with which she finished the Sauvignon Blanc and I drank more of the Barbera D’Asti.

Cake And Limousine

This morning I scanned another couple of sets of prints from my archives for which I cannot find the negatives.

The first six are from Oliver’s birthday party of 23rd December, 2000, held at Lindum House. Alice sits bemused in her high chair while her gleeful brother, an avid Arsenal fan, admires his football pitch cake.

Emily, Jessica, Sam, Michael, and Louisa also joined the group.

Encouraged by Grannie Jess, the birthday boy gathered his puff to aim for goal before turning it on the candles.

Five months later, on 24th May, 2001, Louisa celebrated her birthday in stretch limousine style

with her friends in Newark. Naturally there was a bar on board. Jessica joined the group for the last shot, before the girls made their royal progress round the town.

Jackie spent most of today clearing beds, planting bulbs, and heavily pruning, Later I cleared up some of the refuse.

When not cocking his head in conversation with his adoptive Mum

Nugget is quite at home in his all day breakfast bowl.

Now, “Where’s Nugget?” (39)

This evening we dined on Jackie’s classic cottage pie; roasted butternut squash and parsnips; with crisp broccoli. The Culinary Queen drank Hoegaarden and I finished the Malbec.

Second Milestone Of 1992

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I was born when my mother was nineteen. Later in the year she reached her twentieth birthday, and on 2nd of October 1992, her three score years and ten.

Today I scanned some colour negatives from 4th of October 1992 made at Mum’s 70th birthday party.

Two little girls in the form of Louisa and Danni clung to their Grandma for the present opening. Jacqueline stands by in the first picture; Elizabeth is in the background of the second; and Chris appears to be showing his Mum where to go.

Here, Jessica and Jacqueline watch the birthday girl open my present.

Che was Mum’s first great-grandchild. His father, James, uncle, Mark, and cousins, Jack junior and Sam look on with awe as she unwraps a print I produced from a photograph I had taken at her previous birthday party when Louisa and Danni were introduced to the latest family member,

who was also shown his earlier image.

Here are Elizabeth,

and James in individual shots;

and Becky doing a passable imitation of Stan Laurel.

Sam, Adam, Jessica, and Danni look on

while the children’s grandmother prepares to slay her cake.

This morning, Ann of Kitchen Makers visited to measure up for a quotation for a new kitchen.

Immediately after lunch I set off for Luci’s in Clapham. We will check over documents this evening; I will stay overnight; and the next day we will sign probate paperwork for Wolf’s will.

First Milestone Of 1992

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I reached my half century in July 1992.

The first celebration, for a group of friends based in London, took place in Michael and Heidi’s garden at Tanfield Road in Croydon.

Among others they included Carole,

and Steve.

The next event was held at our home in Newark. Friends included Mike Craven,

Giles, and quite a few more.

Louisa, and Sam were in attendance.

So was I.

Naturally, Jessica had made a cake, and I was obliged to blow out the candles. This caused a certain amount of amusement;

then, especially by Jessica

and Louisa,

who offered some assistance, I was eagerly watched as I cut it.

As was her wont, Mum found her way to the washing up.

Jessica kept her company.

I do hope my shirt had been washed between these two parties. This was the first milestone of 1992. The second is to follow.

Shelly and Ron visited to return various cooking pots from the weekend, and I printed a few of the pictures for Shelly and Donna.

Mr Pink’s fish and chips joined our gherkins and pickled onions for dinner this evening. Jackie drank Hoegaarden, and I drank more of the Bordeaux.

“I Buy Dat”

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The weight of traffic through Lyndhurst and on the A27 meant that the journey to Upper Dicker on the way to Poppy’s birthday celebration took 4 hours in contrast to the normal two and a half that the return trip occupied. Fortunately we left home early enough to spend the afternoon there.

When we arrived our granddaughter was occupied with coloured chalks drawing on the paving stones in the garden.

Jackie and I had brought her a couple of ballerina dresses. She liked them both,

but it was the deep red one that she proudly chose to wear on this occasion.

She is very fond of her food, and now needs little assistance, here rendered by Tess, to unwrap a biscuit. She thought her hat complemented that of her mother.

Plenty of balloons testified to the festive occasion.

Becky and Ian gave her a helium filled one that was a great hit. Tess inconspicuously prepared a splendid spread of grilled steaks and various tasty salads. Mat was in charge of beverages, and thought it a good wheeze to offer me a local beer named Old Man brewed by the Long Man Brewery. I enjoyed it.

Poppy’s aunt and uncle also gave her a suitably decorated mirror which she gave several nose prints.

Another of their presents was a battery-operated bubble machine.

She soon got the hang of operating this.

Soon, a sleep was in order, until

Tess’s delicious birthday cake was produced.

Although the birthday girl was persuaded to blow out one candle herself, she needed Ian’s assistance because she was far more interested in prising of the M & Ms and popping them into her mouth.

Matthew told us the story of the blue hat. He and Poppy had visited a charity shop in Emsworth with Becky a few days ago. Spotting the hat, Becky had placed it within Poppy’s line of sight. Her niece grabbed it and tottered off with it to the changing room, from which emanated “I like dat. I buy dat”. Out she came. Her Dad gave her the necessary dosh. Over to the counter she trotted, slapped the money on the wooden surface and said “I buy dat, lady”

Jackie and I needed no further food or drink, other than water, this evening.

Emily’s Party

The Openreach/BT engineer came early this morning. He had established that there was nothing wrong with the cabinet mentioned yesterday, but that our screw terminals were incompatible with broadband. He clipped them and fitted a new phone socket with a built-in filter.
This delayed the start of our journey to Sanderstead for Emily’s 21st birthday lunch. Given that we also encountered a three car collision on the M3 Jackie did very well to drive Flo and me there in time to reach Michael and his family’s home before the birthday granddaughter’s arrival from Nottingham.
While we were waiting with the other party members Alice proudly showed us the excellent birthday cake, made by Heidi, of which she had shared in the decoration. It was good to catch up with them both, with Oliver; and with Heidi’s parents Joan and Werner, and her siblings Cath, Chris and John and their partners and children. John was also celebrating his fiftieth birthday, so he was later given a cake proclaiming that fact. Jackie and I were handed coffee soon after our arrival. Oblivious as to whether or not we had finished it Michael forcibly relieved us of our mugs so we could all drink a bubbly toast on Emily’s arrival with her boyfriend Sam. Splendid party buffet food was provided. After this, all we needed on our return home was a slice of pizza and salad.
Emily’s younger sister took equal delight in the present opening.
Item number 75 in Elizabeth’s ‘Derrick through the ages’ series features me holding Emily who is dressed appropriately for her first Christmas. Naturally I made her a card adorned with this photograph taken by Heidi in 1963. In this picture, her mother stands beside her as Emily holds up my creation. Yes, believe it or not it is the mother on the left.
We left in mid afternoon so the family could get ready for a trip to the theatre to watch ‘Phantom of The Opera’. A nostalgic drink was planned to take place in the De Hems pub on the corner of Macclesfield Street where fifteen year old Michael had been Space Invaders champion. No doubt they will also have a look at the exterior of our old flat at 2 Horse and Dolphin Yard. I suppose it was natural that, when all this was being discussed I was prevailed upon to recount various Soho stories such as ‘Rabbits on the Roof’ and the slashed football. Well, there were some people who hadn’t heard them before, and Emily, Oliver, and Alice never tire of them. Or, I suppose, they may just be humouring me.
On 30th June 2008 Becky sent me a photograph of Flo standing under the street name of our yard. She had taken her daughter on a similar visit back in time.
Mist rose from the fields on our way home, reminding me of the French dawn described in my ‘On The Road’ post.
P.S. The Horse and Dolphin Yard picture has been censored and therefore removed.