Each year I stress about my birthday. Not the actual process of getting older, i've come to terms with that over time. More the idea of having a party and whether people will actually attend.
With Davs, Kat and Sarah
I normally try and organise something grand, invite everyone I have ever met and then spend the whole night clock/door watching and wondering why the person I met in a club five years ago and haven't spoken to all year hasn't come.
This year I decided to be an adult, break with tradition, be kinder to myself and shunned the idea of a large party in favour of a small gathering near my home with some of my favourite people. The brilliant folks at Little Nan's offered me a table and bottomless supper in their Deptford bar. Little Nan's is somewhere i've wanted to go for ages because it has the most kitsch and quirky interior. It didn't disappoint, it was like all the tat in the whole universe had been magnetised to this one point in south London. It was fabulous.
We were given our menus, nestled inside old Viz annuals, and selected our food for the evening. We plumped for one of each of the yummiest options to share; fish finger sandwiches, sausage sandwiches, chicken sandwiches and bean burgers. Then we started to look at our options for bottomless drinks while sipping on glasses of prosecco.
This was fast becoming my favourite birthday in a long time. Here's why:
1. Delicious food
Served on vintage afternoon tea stands and in mismatching cups the food was really yummy. The disco chips, a speciality of the Deptford bar, essentially chips smothered in cheese of different types, were amazing. We were stuffed by the end.
2. Thoughtful touches
The guys at Little Nan's gave me a birthday card and also concocted a vase full of cocktail which I polished off worryingly quickly. Tristan, who created Little Nan's was the most helpful person i've ever dealt with, spending the whole week dealing with me to-ing and fro-ing about whether I wanted this venue or the one in Fitzrovia. The fact that he didn't tell me just to bugger off because he had other things to deal with other than my birthday is testament to him and his patience.
3. Brilliant company
Being a small group allowed us to chat more and my friends from different parts of my life to get to know each other better which I loved. My friend Sarah made me some gorgeous confetti for the table which was really sweet.
I don't think I realised how much I needed this to be a good birthday this year. It's been a difficult year, lots of discomfort physically in social situations and losing a chunk of confidence. To be able to share this evening with lovely people who know me so well and can celebrate the highs and lows of my 36 years on this planet with me is exactly what I needed. I am one happy birthday girl.
'A true friend never gets in your way unless you happen to be going down.' Arnold H Glasgow
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