Sign of the times?

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  • Anonymous
    8th February 2018 at 9:30 am #325455

    Our youngest daughter was 50 yrs old at the end of January and so far she’s had 6 different celebrations with different friends and is planning a huge marquee, hog roast, 150 people garden party in June. Eldest daughter went to Thailand for hers.

    It seems quite common for lavish celebrations for big birthdays now, or has it always been so? I’ve always done something special for Mr. F when he was 50, 60, 65, 70 and 75, not necessarily lavish, but special.

    Did you do something special for any of your “big” birthdays?

    Anonymous
    8th February 2018 at 10:06 am #325493

    For my 50th Anne took us out for a meal at a very posh restaurant just outside of Selby. 60th was at my elder brother’s house in Sheffield. His daughter worked at an old folks home and I finished up with a Zimmer frame,  incontinence pants and joke Japanese sniper spectacles. 70th was a quiet do at our local with the immediate family and two friends.

    8th February 2018 at 10:46 am #325509

    It is surely down to the individual. I enjoy a good p*** up now and again and I celebrate my birthday every year with a party at home, a few snacks and drinks for about thirty people and everybody adds to the reservoir of bottles on arrival. I usually do a cheese and wine party once a year too. The French seem to find this concept a bit alien which considering the choice of both available here surprises me, but at least the wine is cheaper than the cheese here!  :yahoo:

    8th February 2018 at 10:52 am #325512

    I’m way past “celebrating” birthdays.  I’d rather forget them these days.  If I had the money that some people blow on their “celebrations” I would make better use of it than funding a p*ss up for everyone else.

    Anonymous
    8th February 2018 at 10:56 am #325518

    Shapeshifter celebrate every birthday because one day it will be your last one! Non of my “does” has been a pissup and it isn’t necessarily expensive to do!

    8th February 2018 at 11:09 am #325542

    It doesn’t cost a lot to put together a basic party. A few jumbo bags of crisps, peanuts, cheese straws, two or three quiches, biscuits, bread, cheese. A couple of boxes of wine and beer and if you have good friends they will all bring a bottle or two. I would say about the same cost as two people having an evening meal in a decent restaurant with a few drinks.

    Works for me! Enjoy yourself now and again, life is too short.

    8th February 2018 at 11:26 am #325566

    My family love a party so when I was 50 we had a one at my parents house, here in Brittany. My brother, sister-in-law and niece flew over from the UK, we invited all the neighbours and friends. There were fireworks, music & dancing, fairy lights, a marquee on the terrace which was the ‘bar’ and heated sitting area (it was April, so never sure what the weather would be like) enough food and drink to supply the town and 50 cupcakes of varying flavours, made by Mum and myself (actually there were 6 dozen, just in case…..) and we partied until 3am, at which time we had to encourage people to leave.  It was a night to remember.

    A few years earlier, again for my birthday, we invited  quite a few friends for a lunchtime ‘do’. The weather on that occasion was glorious – sunny and very warm- so we decided to move it all outside. We were having lunch (about 20-25 of us) when 2 of  air force jets flew over – they did a circle and came back round  and ‘dipped’ their wings as they flew low over us. It was just like having my very own fly-past, I felt quite honoured. We told our guests it had been especially arranged  :yahoo:

     

    Lippy

    8th February 2018 at 12:55 pm #325645

    We tend to go somewhere for a day out,  nothing too special.

    Anonymous
    8th February 2018 at 1:27 pm #325685

     

    Loving your stories!

    You speaking of your “fly past” Lippy reminded me of a camping holiday we had in Norfolk when our girls were small, there was an airforce base near by and each evening the planes would come over really low, the girls waved to them from on top of the cliff and the pilots would dip their wings in response, can imagine your thrill! Happy memories!

    Shapeshifter As has been said you don’t have to spend a fortune on a celebrations and life is too short to not enjoy some of it besides working. Just taking an hour off and sitting with a special person and a nice meal makes a precious memory.

    The “specials” for Mr. F have included a trip on the Olau line (sadly no more) from Sheerness to Vlissengen and friends who worked for the line (I got reduced tickets!) arranged for him to be invited onto the bridge, which thrilled him to bits – A party in the village hall (I did the catering and everyone brought a bottle) with the villagers invited – a party in the garden, which ended up in the small tractor shed, BBQ and all, as it was tipping it down with gale force winds, all had a whale of a time!

    8th February 2018 at 1:43 pm #325748

    Love the airforce stories!   My husband has his birthday in October , so on previous eventful birthdays , we have had a holiday in Crete, twice and drove   to Spain and Portugal when we lived in France. Recently had a week in Edinburgh, which was nice. Other birthdays usually a nice meal out !

    8th February 2018 at 2:32 pm #325802

    “Just taking an hour off and sitting with a special person and a nice meal makes a precious memory.”

    I do that every day.

    My comment about the cost was prompted by the OP’s description of her daughter’s  6 event extravaganza.

     

    Anonymous
    8th February 2018 at 4:08 pm #325818

    Shapeshifter I perhaps should have made it clear that the 6 celebrations with friends so far were different friends (she has very many friends) that each wanted to treat her to a meal out, so not her own extravagancies, however the open air “do” in June will be (well her husband’s! Bless him)

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