Surprises and Fashion Faux Pas

To kick start Kirsty’s 30th birthday I’d planned a few surprises. The great thing about surprises is that I get to enjoy them as well.
Kirsty regularly gets nicknamed Mrs Beeton, so it seemed fitting to take her to the new Gilbert Scott restaurant in the magnificently renovated Renaissance Hotel at Kings Cross. It serves up a traditional British menu, with several quirky and tasty takes on the Beeton cookbook. The meal was almost spoiled when Kirsty spotted a snail and chicken pie on the menu. Luckily, there were other options available, which played less to her muluscophobia.
We had the Beeton spiced spatch cocked chicken with bubble and squeak, and the halibut with jerusalem artichokes and scotch bonnet mushrooms. Marvellous! The best dish was the dessert: ginger bread pudding with pear ice cream and toffee sauce with a little birthday message from the chef (see top picture).
Back home, while Kirsty was indoors preparing for the party, I was outdoors lighting the fire and getting the next surprise ready. I think what followed surprised us all, myself included. What had been described us a pet and family friendly firework display, turned into a squealing, screeching, spark flying monster that lasted about 2 minutes and had us terrified. We were very pleased that the ghetto garden and the car was still intact.
We also had some brilliant fashion faux pas (F. F. P.) surprises at the party, including Joe dressed in his finest shell suite, Ben’s metallic high shine jeans, Kirsty’s tangerine face, Camilla’s pink ski pants, Rosie’s curtain dress, and my embroidered tank top. Also, where would F. F. P.’s be without a nod to the 80′s.
Here’s to surprises and F. F. P.’s!

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