My 70th Birthday

[Derek]

Some of you would have seen this on Facebook.

My 70th Birthday
The day started with me and Liz driving to Battersea around 8.30am to the house I was born in, my intention was to stand at the front door pointing up to the bedroom window for a pic, I noticed a light on in the lounge and thought sod it I'll knock at the door and take it from there.
A guy that I now know called Tom answered in his PJs, I thought this is going to be awkard but it wasn't, I told him I hoped he didn't think I was a weiredo but as I was born there and would it be ok for Liz to take a few pic of me at front of the house pointing up, he said that was fine but did I want to look around the house first, I jumped at the chance and went in, I had forgotten how small them 2up 2 down houses are, the only bath we had was a tin one which came off the outside wall on a Friday night and we took it in turns, also the only toilet was an outside one, boy was it cold.
What a transformation from when I closed the door for the last time in 2002 when Mum died after living there 62 years, the old kitchen is now a down a downstairs shower room, there's a big extention on the back that is now the kitchen, the banister rail is still the original one as it has two small notches on that I did arond 60 years ago, I've told Tom I will send him a few pics of the house from when I was growing up, he told me he had learnt more in the 15 minutes I had been there than the 6 years he had lived there, I told him Kim Wildes Dad dated a neighbour and he would quiet often send a Rolls Royce to pick her up, Patsy Kensit lived around the corner for a few years with her, I think it was her Aunt, also about the shop owner next door and the doctors over the road, the filming of Brannigan with John Wanne when they closed the road off.
Then it was a drive home but not before driving past the house we moved out of 40 years ago ( 7 Grandison Road ) and the first house we lived in when we got married ( 65 Broomwood Road ).
Arriving home it was a quick breakfast then start to get ready for the Birthday bash in The Croham Arm Pub in Croydon, food all done then in to the shower before picking up Warren form the train station so he could drink and not drive.
Off to the pub we went, I drove there Liz was driving home, her first time of driving since her new knee 2 weeks ago.
People started to arrive from 7pm which just about gave us time to lay the food out and the band to tune up, the band started around 8.30pm and more or less played until the end, well done to The 3 Masons, their whole playlist was choosen by me and went down a treat with people singing and dancing straight from the off until the end, including our 3 year old Great Granddaughter.
Thanks to all those that came along and thanks for the gifts, I think it's going to take me a while to drink it all but I'll try.
Thanks to our Scott Carter and Karen for the holiday in Majorja, (soon to be had) and a big big thank you to our Jorja Fred Carter for the book that she has made me, it's a bit like a THIS IS YOUR LIFE book with pictures and words from day one with messages from a lot of family and good friends. 3 Birthday cakes and I'm diabetic, what were they thinking off.
What a day and what a night, your only 70 once and I enjoyed every minute of it.

[RobTwin]

Fantastic! Good to hear it (sounds like it) all went to plan!

[Steve]

Brilliant Derek, congratulations and heres to the next 70!

Love the model Charger, looks spot on for your real one!

Cheers and all the best, Steve