A Choir of Angels

Today is my Mum’s 75^th Birthday, not that you would know that was her age from looking at her!

My Mum had organised to celebrate her birthday morning with a gathering of her closest friends at a tearoom on Hadrian’s Wall called St Oswalds, near Heavenfield. http://www.roman-britain.org/places/heavenfield.htm

Lucy and I were invited too and thoroughly enjoyed the morning with all the ladies. 

At one point the ladies decided to all sing Happy Birthday, and the other unsuspecting Hadrian’s Wall trail walkers who were sheltering from the rain, enjoying refreshments – all joined in.

Several of the ladies “choir” are actually members of a real choir – and it was certainly a memorable rendition of Happy Birthday.

Long ago in the planning stages of Lucy and Mark’s wedding, Lucy told her Gran that she would love to have her Gran’s friends come to join us at the Abbey for the wedding service. And we have organised to send out a special invitation nearer the time.

Almost all of this delightful community of my Mum’s friends have know of me and Lucy for all our lives and have been through every stage of our lives– discussed over many cups of tea and coffee over the past approaching 50 years. There is a very special feeling when you realise you are part of this kind of fellowship. They have supported and loved us both through my Mum.

Here are a couple of photos from my Mum's birthdays, when Lucy was three and then when she was 15!

I  love all three of these photographs. They show such a connection between a Grandma and her Grand daughter. We have such special times together. And we do enjoy and appreciate them all.

So when we heard the choir of angels singing Happy Birthday (Very appropriate being near Heavenfield) Lucy and I went round the groups afterwards making sure they all know they are all welcome to come to the Abbey in November. Our “Auntie” Sylvia – (not our real Auntie but a lovely lady who lived on the estate where we grew up in Acomb) even commented when she left that they would have to get together for a few choir practices! Such fun..