In the style of Captain Oates, I am going to start this weekend with the words “I’m just going outside, I may be some time”.
We are holding our annual barbecue tomorrow, and have invited the world, their dog, and their children. Okay - maybe 30 adults and about 10 children. Fingers crossed the weather stays good for us, and a great time is had by all.
Tomorrow morning will be filled with last minute shopping for bread, beer and rope (to make a swing) before getting my apron on and lighting the fires. We usually start cooking at about 3pm for the kids, and keep going until we run out of food and/or beer (some years this has been the early hours).
Among the various things going on around the garden will be swing ball, hoopla, throwing horseshoes, boule, girls trying to wiggle a hoola-hoop, and men failing to juggle with clubs we bought the other day.
I’ll be cooking, and W will be catching up with friends, family and colleagues that descend on us. She has been amazing this week - working all hours to get the house and garden ready, and going on numerous shopping trips for garden lights, and so on.
It’s probably a very a good job we don’t add up the cost of this each year. We do end up with about twenty bottles of wine though, and fantastic memories to carry forward for the next year.
If you’re coming then I’ll look forward to seeing you tomorrow. I’ll be the chef with the camera and the beer in his hand fighting the Australians and South Africans who will try to take over (as evidenced by the photo from last year - above).