Vic's birthday

I’d just walked through the door and crashed on the sofa after a Friday cut short in favour of after-work beers with the gang when my phone rang. It was my darling host Mummy, who I hadn’t heard from in ages, inviting me down to Cottesloe for a spontaneous birthday gathering. I walked straight out the door and arrived on the beach ten minutes later to find Vic, John, Denai and Tassos (the Greek couple who moved into my old room) and Jane chilling out on blankets on the big grassy bank overlooking the ocean. Jane is an old friend of the Billinghams on holiday from, you’ve guessed it, Cornwall! She lives in Lanivet, just 15 minutes away from my house. Catriona turned up soon after and it turned into quite the reunion. Vic is looking incredible for 59!

I can’t believe I’ve never been to Cottesloe in the evening before; it’s so beautiful! It had been such a hot day and the beach was packed with people enjoying the more bearable temperature as sunset approached. You could make out the lights of Rottnest Island on the horizon and some huge cruise ships passed by, lighting up the surface of the water. John went to the fish and chip shop and brought us back some dee-fried delights, which we ate straight out of the paper with ginger beer. As it started to get dark, the fir trees over our heads came alive with the deafening sound of parrots squawking; Australia is like a zoo. After dinner, we walked along to the end of the spit and dipped our toes in the water. Heaven!

 Before we knew it, it was 9 o clock and time to go home. It was great to catch up with my old hosts and we have plans for Monday afternoon; they’re spending the public holiday at the yacht club playing with the catamaran, windsurfer and paddle boards, followed by a barbecue. Sounds like the perfect post-work activity! Jamie will be back from Cambodia by then and, as much as I enjoy chatting to his parents, it’ll be nice to have another young person around and I can’t wait to hear of his adventures in Asia!