40 years, plus 60 years...

Last night was Emma's parent's - Brenda & Tim's - 40th wedding anniversary party, and Brenda's 60th birthday party... all rolled into one!

Family travelled up to Cramlington (North East England for the geographically-challenged) from near and far (even Spain and Sicily... not to mention us from London), and gathered into a beautifully decorated school hall.

Great food, good friends and conversations, sister-Nicola's well-prepared through-the-decades soundtrack for the evening, and some "top drawer" entertainment. Ha ha.

This pic is of Tim 'telling stories' (*ahem*). A few minutes earlier their 'grown up children' - Aaron, Matthew, Emma and Nicola (initials, A.M.E.N. - now there's a story!) - performed a couple of amazing hip-hop/rap things that Matthew had written.

The first was Matthew's moving tribute to his 'Mam & Dad'... the second was a bit more fun, not to mention 'informative';
"...working out the time between the wedding and the birth,
it doesn't take Einstein to figure what went first!"
Ha ha! Everyone loved them. (If I ever work out how to upload video footage, I'll post them on here too!)

Our girls, and various other children, were entertained late into the evening by distant-relative, Lucy Gray (thanks Lucy!). And that was after Megan had kicked off the evening with a poem she'd written;

"My Poem - Your Special Day.

So, Grandma, Grandpa, your special day,
Not to mention Grandma's birthday,
At your party with family and friends,
Who'll stick by your side right up till the end,
We've all come from near and far,
Some by train, some by car,
It's so exciting, now we're here,
It's the best party of the year,
So, as this poem stops it's run,
Let's all go and have some fun!"

Brenda, Tim, we wish you many congratulations, and many more years! You inspire me and encourage me. Emma and I have just passed our sixteenth wedding anniversary... I look forward to many, many more years to come.

And girls, you looked beautiful. :o)