Monday.

Yesterday afternoon we picked up a neighbour, Doris, drove to the top of our town, and picked up another friend, Julia, then drove back to Hilary's house, near the Church, where we'd all been invited to Hilary's birthday/scrabble tea. Hilary had got together two tables of four each (family, friends, and neighbours) in adjoining rooms. We had two good games before tea. We could hear peals of laughter from the next room (mainly, I think Eileen and Ann admiring each other's inventive spelling). We congratulated ourselves on being at the quiet and well behaved table (sour grapes of course). Tea was at the dining table, and consisted of sandwiches, biscuits, a sponge cake, and a fine birthdayday cake, which turned out to be one of the cakes Ann had made for the pre Christmas bazaar. Hilary, I remembered, had 'reserved' one of these. She'd kept it, and rearranged the decoration so that it was now a birthday cake (and a jolly good one ,too). Hilary said -"As it was one of Ann's cakes, I knew it would keep till my birthday." After tea we had another game of scrabble, then ran the ladies (and ourselves) home, getting in just before seven. A thoroughly enjoyable afternoon.

This evening, for supper, Ann made a 'five spice' beef casserole, followed by the above pudding. It smelled delicious, and when I asked what it was, Ann said "Well, it's almost a Queen's pudding, except I haven't put a meringue top to it". "What's it called ?" I asked. "I should think it's a Queen Ann's pudding", says Ann. I think the name might stick.
Good night All.