We were soooo lucky, the weather was lovely all day Saturday. He and I were a brilliant tag team with the housework, shopping and baking that needed doing, in preparation for our guests of the evening (we only clean when we have people round, the rest of the time we live in our own muck and shuffle stuff back and forth as necessary).

The fridge was full to bursting and then everybody arrived with more food! I couldn't believe it. As a result we still have the rolls we bought and all our sausages too.

The cake which was supposed to be hubbys birthday cake went horribly wrong, one layer crumbled to pieces, the butter icing looked like water icing, but the lemon sponge was lovely.

Everyone arrived and I lit the BBQ, the wind picked up and it kept blowing out. Then it dawned on us that we'd finally run out of gas!!! Shock horror, embarrasment.

12 hungry people and no means of cooking fresh meat. So, we were lucky we found a petrol station that does gas bottles, and took ours up for a swop. Then we were cooking. Twas a good night, friends huddled around a table in the garden, hubby eventually cooking by torch light, and everyone stuffed to the gills.

It was about 10pm when we made our way indoors to gossip for another couple hours. Nobody had room for pudding or crisps, until I opened the bag of funsize Cadburys chocolates and everybody dived in.

Nothing better than a room full of familiar faces, gassing about familiar and new topics on a full belly.

It sure was a good (if alcohol fuelled) night.