For my 50th birthday Saboohi told me that she was taking me away to a cottage in Devon, how lovely...just the 3 of us Saboohi, myself and the gorgeous Lilia. Perfect. When we arrived at the beautiful Beaconsfield House just outside Bideford Saboohi took me in to see our “cottage” and then insisted that we rush over to main house for a tour that started promptly at 4 pm. “Has someone famous lived here?” I enquired “No I don’t think so” Saboohi replied. I thought it a little odd at that point that there would be a formal tour of the house but I just went along with it....I’m on holiday! As we entered through the main door we walked into a huge hallway, it looked beautiful. “There is no-one here!” I observed. “Are you sure there is a tour?” At this point Saboohi was wandering in and out of the rooms as if it was her own home while I felt a little more inhibited about being there with no host around. “say hello” said Saboohi. “Who to? There’s no-one here??” I replied. Now I was starting to worry about Saboohi’s sanity and starting to feel uncomfortable about being in this grand house with Saboohi ferreting around as though she was going to run off with the silver at any moment. “Let’s go out into the Garden, perhaps the tour has started” she suggested. Phew, I was out of there like a shot. As we walked to the back of the house I saw a group of people loitering underneath some trees and thought, a long last we have found the group! It took me some moments to realise that I knew all of these people standing under the trees and that Saboohi had hired the whole house along with the 5 extra cottages and 25 acres of woodland so that she could give me a surprise 50th Birthday Weekend with my friends. The most wonderful surprise and gift anyone has ever given me, it was fabulous.
Everything was planned to perfection by Saboohi. Carly-Ann Wright a former colleague of ours from Carshalton College, came along to do all the cooking for us and boy she did a great job, home cooked lasagne, trifles, cakes etc etc. Cooking for 15 to 20 people would scare me to death but she did a fabulous job. On my Birthday we had a celebration dinner in the evening, 5 courses (poor Carly) and a live Jazz Band followed by a disco. All planned to perfection of course.
We spent 3 days relaxing, eating, drinking, chatting together and waling the dogs around the 25 aces of private land. Everyone who has a dog was invited to bring them along and all together there were about 8 dogs in residence. They all got on so well and of course Lilia was the boss! It was lovely to see her at home in the big house running up to the bedroom to rest when she wanted to and then out into the woods to explore a little. She had a ball.
On our second day at the house we had a team of masseurs arrive to give us all a treatment (massage, facial, reflexology etc), very indulgent and such a treat. The weather was wonderful for the whole 3 days (best of 2011) and so the hot tub and swimming pool in the garden became a gathering place during the day. How lucky were we.
This was a birthday that I will never forget .
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