Yes, I know, it’s hard to believe that Anne-Laure is another year older. It seems only yesterday we were wishing our French amie a “Very Hoppy Birthday”. Here she is a year ago, young, single, happy and free.

A year on and it’s all “my boyfriend this…” and “my boyfriend that…”, sighs and groans as her aging muscles and joints fail on her, and claims that she has to go to bed at 9pm because she’s too tired to cope.

All kidding aside, we had a great meal at the Dog Inn in Wingham. Even though it was her birthday, and she was already the centre of attention, Anne-Laure had to up the ante and shine the spotlight squarely on herself by spilling her wine rather spectacularly over the most of the table (and what didn’t hit the table went straight into Dave’s lap). She maintained it was an accident and that she felt terrible about it, but we secretly all know that it was an attention-seeking ploy.

Anne-Laure, the birthday girl

Her friend Juliette…

…and Juliette’s husband, Dave

Aude’s rather daring Tarte Tatin with flambeed Calvados

Has her birthday wish come true?

The gang outside the pub

The gang outside the pub