It's not very often that my whole family gets together. With demanding lives and growing kids (whose social engagements have inadvertently taken over ours!) these events take a lot of planning. Knowing that very soon my dear mama would be celebrating the grand old age of three score years and ten (70th birthday for the mathematically challenged amongst you!) the pressure was on....
Does she like surprises? No (enough bad experiences of this in the past).
Would she like a big party? No (too much clearing up and an aversion to being the centre of attention). What about a trip away? No (too many children and not enough funds!).
A weekend away with just her daughters? No (she would want to celebrate with the Grandchildren too).
She's a hard one to please, I can tell you!
After many weeks of toing and froing, we decided to treat her to a very special afternoon tea at
Fanny's Farm in Merstham, Surrey. About two years ago, a friend of mine had posted a photo of this place on her Facebook page and the image had stayed with me (and the name, for obvious reasons!).
A booking was made 6 months in advance, for
Fanny's Tree House - a fun place for the children and a bit of 'novelty factor' for the adults. We were allowed to bring our own champagne, along with a birthday cake and the place was ours for 2 hours.
I will allow the pictures to tell the story, as my words probably won't adequately describe this wonderful little 'find'....
There's something very eccentric about this place - little knick-knacks and quirky signs everywhere. If you're looking for a novel way to celebrate an event, you've found the right place.
We had a truly memorable afternoon and I know that my mum's favourite part was having us all together - even if only for the two hours!
