Tuesday 3 February 2015

Celebrating 60

What can I say ?





Celebrating 60 has been pretty good so far, and it is another 5 days before my actual birthday.

By last Friday I had received a number of interesting gifts:


from the staff at Overgate !


from Treena
from Annie




















Saturday started with  a bit of a surprise, being told that I would not be working in the shop on my birthday next week, as I would be in Berlin, courtesy of Mark ( who has sorted out the rather magnificent looking hotel, opposite the Brandenburg Gates, and Jess and Matty who have organised the flights ). I suspect there will be a blog from Berlin !




Next, Jess and I went to get our hair done....and considering I had no hair at all just a little while ago, I was quite amazed when my hairdresser ( another Mark....Mark Riley, in Huddersfield) told me he was going to put my hair up...surely it wasn't long enough. Apparently it was.



Jess and I , leaving the hairdressers, with our "up dos"
After much fiddling around with photos for the walls, and feather arranging for the table centres, we set off, and then got the room at the hotel ready.




The staff at the hotel were great, and Jess, Matty, Mark, Jan and I soon had the room looking as we wanted it.



Jess created a time line of my hair styles, from 1957..aged 2, until 2015.
So, we got ready.....and then it all began.






Wonderful live music from Georgia Harrup, who was part of "Team Tom" in last season's "The Voice".




Incredible cake by Rachel Mary Shaw,www.maryshawsbakery.co.uk,


Rachel Mary Shaw and Josh....cake makers 

Lots of family, friends from way way back, neighbours, and friends from each stage of my various careers ! ( Teaching, Education Administration, Nursing and from the Overgate Hospice shop )


with Lesley and Martine,  who I worked with on the gynaey ward in Halifax

with Izzie and Liam, just before things got going


Clark, clearly recognising that the prosecco was not real champagne.


Another of Jessie's ideas...fun with a frame.... ( Carole with Liam and Izzie)

Mark, toasting me.....and mentioning the wonderful NHS  and the blogging community who have been such a support to me during the last couple of years. ( I should have toasted him, for being such an amazing support aswell ! )
I particularly asked for no gifts, but suggested people might like to donate to the Hospice instead. The collection buckets contained £500 by the end of the evening. I was thrilled with people's generosity.

...and I think, a good night was had by all.


I cant quite work out what is happening with arms in this photo of Jess.

Janice and nurses

Janice with oldest friends....started school with Jan in 1959, Graham...first serious boyfriend from 1970

Treena from Overgate, me and Martine...crazy nurse.

with Jess.....and Matt, and Melody in the red trousers just on the edge of the picture.....my first house mate when I began teaching all those years ago.

and finally......Mark and I, dancing the night away.

24 comments:

  1. Lovely, lovely, lovely... just posted wish I could have been there to celebrate with you! And have a wonderful time in Germany... I rather think you will. Axxx

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    1. Thanks Annie. It was a lovely lovely lovely night. I had a big grin on my face for hours....and I never stopped dancing, except when I was talking to all the brilliant people who were there to celebrate with me. I hope your trip to Scotland goes/went well.....I've lost track of when you were going. Jxxx

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    2. We're off on Friday - just three more sleeps - and rather excited to be travelling with my daughter! I think we're going to have a great time! Axxx

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  2. My goodness! Congratulations and happy happy birthday! What a wonderful bunch of family and friends so happy to be celebrating your special day. And, Janice, you so deserve it!!!

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    1. Thanks so much...we did have a wonderful time !

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  3. What a splendid time you all had and your haven't even reached the big day yet! You look gorgeous and very, very, happy. Love Jess's idea of the frame, I couldn't work it out at first until Carole put her arm around it, and what a fun idea to show all your different hair styles, probably showing lots of different colours down the years.
    Have a wonderful 60th birthday when it arrives and a great time in Berlin.

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    1. How about doing a post sometime showing all your different hairstyles over the years?

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    2. Thanks Rosemary. The frame idea was really fun, I think I can see how Jessie's creative skills have developed in her first term and a half as a reception teacher ! The hair time line was her idea too......and you never know I might get around to that blog, as all the photos are in date order now ! Jx

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  4. Janice, for 60 you look absolutely stunning!

    So many memories, and wonderful family and friends who want to celebrate with you. I shall be toasting you with some Swiss sparkles.

    Have a fantastic time in Berlin and a very happy birthday xxx

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    1. Thanks Gaynor. We had a really good time...and yes, Berlin is still to come. I am looking forward to that too !

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  5. Dear Janice, this is absolutely wonderful, Happy Happy Birthday to you, and continued fantastic celebrations in Berlin. You look so gorgeous, and happy in your silver dress (jealous!) Love all the little extras in your party, the frame, the feathers, and especially the lineup of hair styles. Continued good health and happiness to you. xxx

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    1. I loved my dress Patricia...too tight, too short...just what every 60 year old should wear !

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  6. Have a lovely birthday - I love your Art Deco dress and cake!
    And I hope you follow the advice in the Jenny Joseph book! I've been doing just that for - ahem - a little while now.

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    1. The cake was a real surprise... Jess had liaised with the cake maker...it was wonderful to eat as well as to look at.

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  7. You look wonderful...and so many smiles!

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    1. I'm still smiling ....and intend to carry on for sometime yet . Jx

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  8. It has been an absolute delight celebrating your upcoming birthday through your photos and words, Janice. Your hairdo through the years is way too fun and I think I might "steal" your framing efforts for an event that is coming up in the next year. Keep celebrating, Janice - we own our years. :)

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    1. The first idea was to put the frame somewhere so people could arrange themselves behind it and take photos with a camera, carefully arranged on a tripod. Then we discovered it was much more fun for people to hold it and decide how they wanted to use it. it was hilarious. I am loving getting older ...its brilliant x

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  9. You look amazing. The glamourous hairstyle and dress is obviously you. Hope they get another outing soon.

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    1. I'm rather pleased that the dress came in a sale....it was actually half price ( still too much !! ) but I have thought that it is very unlikely it will get worn again in the next few years....I quite fancy having another go at putting my hair up though.

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  10. A selection of photos to treasure.The frame idea was brilliant.Celebrate well in Berlin.I have sent you a squirrel card to the hospice shop.

    A blog on your hairstyle choice would be interesting.You are a brave one - Mark Riley gave up on me in the end saying I didn't know what I was missing by sticking to the same style!

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  11. What a wonderful happy celebration and how lovely that your birthday has lasted more than one day. Have a lovely time in Berlin. Lots of Love xx

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  12. Looking great at 60! And, if my calculations are correct, I think today might be the big day. Whichever day it is/was, Many Happy Returns. Looks like a super evening and I hope Berlin has been a ball. Sorry not to have visited for a while. Have been so busy that keeping up my own blog is hard work.

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  13. What a fantastic way to celebrate your 60th, Janice, and you look absolutely wonderful. I love all the clever special touches and add my voice to the chorus requesting a 'hairstyles through the years' post. :-)

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