60th birthday meal - Puglian party

Trito, Puglia, Italy. Sunday 23-September-12.

I am pleased to say the party at Truddhi went better than I could have hoped for. It was fab, brill, super. I had a wonderful time and so, if I may make so bold, did all my guests. I always say the secret of a good do is to get lots of sociable people, put them together and let them get on with it.

The most common feedback I got was, "What a nice person X is. I had a really good chat with them". It seems like all my friends like all my other friends but then as one kindly said "I suppose we get the friends we deserve" which I took as a great compliment.

The other comment was "How lucky you are with the weather" - it was a wonderfully sunny Sunday.



The food was excellent and has its own blog post http://blog.mmenterprises.co.uk/2012/10/60th-birthday-meal-puglian-meal.html. Many thanks to Mino and his team for putting together a superb feast.



After the meal it was time for cutting the cake. We actually had two cakes because it turned out that it was also Geraldine's 60th birthday that very day. She'd kept that quiet but had let slip the night before so we had a second cake.



After the cake and another glass of prosecco it was time for dancing Italian style. The first woman, with a broom, chooses a man who chooses a second lady who chooses a second man who chooses the third woman. They dance round in a circle then each man picks a lady and the odd woman out has to dance with the broom - awww. Then she starts the next round and off we go again. Simple fun.



It was dark by the time we finished and Mino kindly gave us a lift home - I might have staggered a bit if I'd had to walk. Hic!

Loads more photos at 20120923-puglia-60th-party, a set on Flickr.

Time to start planning the 70th!

60th birthday meal - Puglian meal

Trito, Puglia, Italy. Sunday 23-September-12.

This is the excellent menu that Mino put together for my 60th birthday party at Truddhi.

01 deep fried sweet olives, cheese and tomato, and burattina


02 skewer of octopus, new potatoes and slighly smoked pancetta with a pan fried king prawn, drizzled with a citronette sauce


03 cream of fava beans and cavatelli with seafood and zucchini sauce


04 stuffed aubergine


05 tenderloin of pork on a roast potato medallion finished with a salad of tossed red onion and yellow pepper, cherry tomatoes, grapes, extra virgin olive oil and vin cotto


06 fresh fruit


07 cake


20120923-puglia-60th-meal, a set on Flickr.

Hertford College Gaudy

Oxford, England. Friday 21-September-12.

Every 10 years or so my old Alma Mater, Hertford College, Oxford holds a Gaudy (reunion dinner) for graduates from my year and the two following years (71, 72, 73). I missed those circa 1982 and 1992 because I did not know they held such events but went to the one in 2002.

I did hesitate as it fell between my actual 60th birthday on the Thursday and flying out to Italy on the Saturday but then thought, "what the heck!" Who knows how many more I can make and who am I to refuse free food and booze. Black tie so I took my DJ in to work, changed and headed off to the train from Paddington in full get up.

At the Oxford station taxi rank another man in black tie approached me asking if I was heading for the Hertford Gaudy; I was so we shared a taxi.  En route he whipped his bow tie out of a pocket and tied a perfect bow first time - bastard! I do it once a year and take 15 minutes of re-tries to tie a lop-sided windmill :-( Turns out he was in the diplomatic service and clearly had many opportunities to practice his bow-tie tying skills.


Hertford College Hall

The meal was fine and I met up with a number of physicists from my year but no other chemists (nor the biochemists) - poor show! They kindly sat me next to my old tutor, Keith McLaughlan. I forbore to tell him how my years at Oxford had not been the happiest of my life (traditional British understatement).



The speeches from high table by a contemporary described a fun packed and blissful college experience. Personally I would make a wax doll of those years and stick pins in it. Fortunately life got better after that.

The speeches rambled on so I missed my chosen train and ended up tip-toeing in at one in the morning. I fell into a sound sleep so awoke refreshed and ready for the trip to Italy for the next 60th birthday party...

60th birthday meal - siblings and partners

Putney, London. Thursday 20-September-12

When it came to my actual birthday there was really only one choice - a meal with my siblings and their partners at our favourite Italian (Puglian) restaurant, Enoteca Turi.


Sarah (SIL), Mark (me), Jane (sis), Ian (bro), Mary (SWMBO), Pete (BIL)

I took the day off work and popped down to Farnham to visit Mum and Dad for lunch. Then back up to London to change into a suit (or gussy up as I believe the Americanism is) and off to Putney.



Mary had popped over to Enoteca Turi earlier in the week to choose the wines - the Conterno Barolo 1996 was the red selection. I have not even dared to enquire its price, possibly more than the rest of the meal put together.



Fantastic food as always, loads of chat (I am very lucky in my choice of siblings :-) and home on the 270 bus. A most excellent way to celebrate my 60th birthday.

Thames Path 04 - Hampton Court to Staines

Sunday 16-September-12.

Surprisingly not hung over from the previous day's barbecue and the Marc Bolan celebration concert, we leapt out of bed for a bacon butty breakfast with Bob and Lynn who stayed over. Packed and off to the train to Hampton Court. We joined the others picking up the same train from Clapham Junction.


Bob, Mark (me), Lynn, Pete, Andrea, John, some passing old bat, Allan (out of shot), Mary (taking photo).

By now we have left urban long behind and the walk is all countryside. At the halfway mark we crossed the river using the passenger ferry which you have to summon from the other side by ringing the bell.

Shortly after that it was time for the obligatory pub lunch.

Mary found a very useful description of this leg (and the rest) at http://www.thames-path.org.uk/thames_hampton_court_staines.html which is just as well as I forgot both the map and the book.

Keeping up our usual pace of three and a bit miles per hour we did four hours walking which made for a very pleasant Sunday stroll. Up next a shorter leg to Windsor - only 8 miles - unless we go gung-ho for a serious yomp to Bourne End - 19 miles in total. Watch this space...

20120916-thames-path-04, a set on Flickr.

Distance this leg 20.7 km
Previous legs 74.7 km
Total so far 105.4 km