Happy Birthday, Mark Luke. I should say that Mr Luke and I share the same birthday. Which is tomorrow. Although, once more, I should say that I stopped having birthdays quite a few years ago.

Mark is a very nice bloke, by the way. But we have an annual ritual where we both try to sent the first happy birthday text. And he’s won the past three years’ competition. I’m aiming to stay awake until 00:01 this evening in an attempt to sent the first happy birthday text. Me resolution is strong and I have Gin (a birthday present from my youngest child) to help me stay awake.

I need assistance in staying awake because my second in command had booked a table at the Painted Elephant in town. Where we had very nice, and overly filling, food. We both had pea and mint soup as a starter and I must say that I’d happily have had a second bowl for a main course. My childhood memories of gloopy home made soup have now been dispelled.

Everything else was lovely too. My second in command had a new take on chilli (I don’t recall the name of the dish) and I had Turkish Delight, a spicy lentil dish (in an aubergine with the best ever roast potatoes).

I’d wanted to go there since it opened, so my second in command gets a lot of points for booking tonight. There will be multiple return visits.

Oh, I shall send you a link to this at midnight; happy birthday Mark.