Hi all - it's now into Day 3 of the Great 60th Birthday Celebrations!! I'm glad these don't come around often, we're not party people and it's been a bit heavy going, yesterday was a particularly LONG day.....survived it though - just!
As I type, Tom is snoozing in bed. I was too until half an hour ago. So you'll have maybe seen on FB that Tony and Kelly (at the farm) organised (with Donna's help apparently) the full shenanigans yesterday! We were picked up at 10.30 and taken to the Stadium of Light, champagne reception, tour of the stadium, three course lunch (all paid for, plus all drinks). Tom was taken on to the pitch just before kick-off for photos (we'd already had some taken together earlier) and then watch the match (poor game and result but hey ho) us girls watched some of it in the warm) and then picked up again shortly before 8pm after more drinks, cakes and baked goods, and dropped off at home just before 9! What a long day, but fun! I had a bit of a panic attack just before we left and again as we were waiting to be picked up to come home, but that's another story.....
Friday we were at Redworth Hall for an overnight stay and three course meal, again paid for! We relaxed around the pool and Jacuzzi for a couple of hours and then again in our room till our meal.
And then today we went to The Mining Exhibition at Bishop Auckland - it's been highly recommended by a few people and it was certainly very emotive! I'm still struggling to get my head around the fact that Tom himself worked in such conditions, did you know pit ponies were only brought out of the pits as recently as 1976?? The little video at the end showing an 8 year old boy alone in the pitch dark working as a trapper boy, opening and closing a door for ventilation, was pitiful and made us both well up
Very good art works too, really impressive.
So - I think for the time being, we have done with celebrating being 60!
Back to work tomorrow.....