It was my birthday yesterday and I’ve had such a lovely time. Mainly because my Birthday seems to have gone on for such a long time, starting with being presented with an absolutely lovely cake made by Cynthia on Thursday along with a card everyone had signed.

I was absolutely stunned to be given something so beautiful it completely took my breath away. Cynthia has made the rose and petals completely out of sugar, isn’t she clever, I could never do anything as fine as that. Perhaps we should ask her to do a workshop on sugar crafting!

And then Noelle stepped forward with these beautiful roses from her garden.

Oh the scent of these roses was so strong, they were unbelievable. My Mum, Dad and Auntie were waiting for me after knitting and they were seriously impressed with this rose, it took them back to bygone days when one could smell the strong heady scent of roses on a warm summers evening. Noelle has told me this climbing rose is called Etoile de Hollande and it was a great favourite of her parents whilst they were based in Mauritius during her childhood. I shall be buying some come the Autumn, both Mother and Auntie have put it on their shopping lists too. It doesn’t escape me that my rose on the cake seems to be modeled after these roses – which still makes me giggle with delight.

And then already laden down with cake and roses Diane gave me these beautiful flowers.

Aren’t they beautiful, a lovely snapshot of vibrant summer flowers, they really brighten up my living room and I know they will last a very long time. When it was time to go I struggled to get out of the door, its a good job I had a posse of helpers waiting for me to help get them home.

Hubby and I were trying to keep the cake until Tuesday but by Friday evening our resolve had worn thin, as the cake wouldn’t stop calling to us from the fridge and we managed to enjoy two slices of it (one on Friday and one on Saturday) with cream And strawberries before the boys radars kicked in and they realised the cake had been started.. You can guess the rest…

Hubby was intending to take me to the V & A Quilts:1700 – 2010 on my birthday but on Saturday evening we decided against using the train on Tuesday and that we would travel down by car on Sunday. Hubby loves to drive around in London, its where he learned to drive and took his driving test, it holds no fear to him. He’s marvelous actually, apart from the fact that he throws the car around Hyde Park Corner like a racing driver, (whilst his wife hangs on for grim death) I sit there and say… “Can we go to so and so?” and he blinks and possibly blinks twice and says “Yep” and we are on our way, he doesn’t need to check a map, or think very much, he just knows where he is and how to get to where he, or his wife wants to be. But basically maps are like circuits and that is something he is a genius in.

We arrived at the V & A shortly after 10:00 a.m. Just walking into the main entrance of the V & A is an experience in itself. Not forgetting the wonderful architecture of the building itself you are met with this,

an 11 metre high, blown glass chandelier by Dale Chihuly.

I didn’t take any photographs, if you click on the link above it will take you to the quilts on the V & A site where you can open them up to have a better look at them. Without going into all of the details about the quilts because I could be here forever, if you do get to go, take them up on the offer of their ipod guide, you do get so much more out of the exhibition with this.

I was not disappointed with my birthday treat, the quilts were wonderful to look at and I am so very glad that I was able to see them. We had tea in the The Morris cafe, (absolutely stunning you will have to google it if you want to see it,) whilst a beautifully dressed gentleman played the grand piano placed in the corner of the room. The last time I had such a treat was in Poland nineteen years ago.

The only place that I wanted to go to in London was Liberty’s to look at fabrics and scissors, so we took a taxi from the V & A having parked our trusty steed extremely close to the V & A and being reluctant to move it, not least because there would not be parking around Liberty’s. It was a wise decision.

I’m still not quite sure what was happening in Regent Street.

There was a street festival about Spain, it was rammed. You struggled to walk a few paces without bumping into someone, thousands upon thousands of people were there. I just wish I’d had more time to enjoy it but Liberty’s was calling and we were on Sunday shopping hours.

We looked around Liberty’s but we didn’t find anything that I wanted (shocking isn’t it!) apart from a couple of squares of felt that I have plans for. When we got back to the car hubby took me on a quick trip around London, most of my photographs failed because he is driving at speed and I am no photographer but we managed to take a few.

The road through Hyde Park was open (sadly the roads to Buckingham Palace are closed on a Sunday) and we saw

The Serpentine.

Next stop was Bayswater Road, on our first wedding anniversary we walked along the Bayswater Road on a Sunday to choose a piece of art to keep. As usual there were some lovely artists,

it is easy to while away a Sunday afternoon, we must do it again soon.

and in no particular order as my mental map of London had long since disappeared as hubby whizzed us around.

I saw Marble Arch and,

Nelson.

(Next time I will try to photograph him before it is becoming dark)

It was most definitely time for supper then, so we headed to China town.

We walked around the restaurants for a while when instinct and the delightful smells coming from one particular restaurant told us to try it – that and the many awards it had won so carefully displayed on its window. Fungshing was an absolute delight, from the moment we walked in we were made to feel very welcome. The menu was very interesting and there are many dishes that I would like to go back and try, this may become our home from home favourite restaurant. Although the menu was not as lengthy as some Chinese restaurants you come across, you felt that what they did, they did well. The wine list was Very interesting and it almost made hubby howl with despair that we didn’t live nearer so that he could indulge himself a little. We shared some crispy Peking duck and then had eels in black bean, a huge platter of scallops which I’d asked to be cooked with ginger and spring onion which was no problem to them at all, and beef in oyster sauce. It was all very good. I saw a huge lobster being taken to another party, it looked extremely pretty and is on my food I may order next time I go list.

All too soon it was time to go home.

Monday came with a trip to my twin sister for a coffee morning/birthday party where on collecting me for the trip out Mum and Dad gave me these beautiful flowers.

and when Tuesday (the birthday itself) arrived I was absolutely shattered. Hubby came home with this from the shops..

More birthday cake, Yippee!

Later in the day we mooched around The Mailbox in Birmingham, I bought towels which were nicely priced but extremely high quality and we admired the canals. Had a bite to eat at our favourite Chinese restaurant (two Chinese meals in three days – eek!)

And came home to find this…

More Cake!!!

This is the year of the birthday cake this is.,

Mum had made it for me and carefully delivered it to son no.2 who on pain of death was told to place it in the fridge and not to touch.

Rest assured Mum it was in perfect condition when I came home. Thank you xxx