Welcome to Birthday Train, a first posting in the AirHammer 25th birthday series. As the snazzy title suggests, these videos are about my turning the half century mark and the three key celebration factors involved (including Birthday Train.) The first being a riverside family gathering, the second a trip to eat at the best restaurant in the UK, and third a sozzled night with long lost friends.

First Celebration Factor – Family Gathering (No Videos)

Gift List

Birthday Train reference material – Here is a list of the wonderful presents that were wrapped in paper and presented to me on the historic day this year:

• Johnny Cash Book – From love of my life
• Family Guy Blue Harvest DVD – From love of my life
• Reggae Reggae Sauce book – From Sister Becky, Andy and Hendrix
• Reiss Clothing voucher – From Nan and Grandad Cooper
• Bottle of wine – From Nan and Grandad Smith
• Chocolate Sunday Maker – From sister Becky, Andy and Hendrix
• Pair of brown trousers – From Reg and Caroline Ward
• Travel sickness writs bands – From Reg and Caroline Ward
• Black belt – From Nick and Rita (Leather not Karate)
• Creative Vado video camera – From Mother, Father, Besty and Dolly
• Stripe blue shirt – From Mother, Father, Besty and Dolly
• Middle Eastern Sweets – From Nick and Rita
• Meal at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons – From love of my life

Why I was on Birthday Train?

As you can see everyone was super generous and I am eternally grateful that people thought about my candles burning.

Let me now turn my attentions to last item on the list which for the non french speakers reads like total gibberish and utter nonsense, ‘Meal at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons??’

This translate roughly as ‘house of four seasons’ and is Raymond Blanc’s legendary two Michelin star restaurant in Oxford. Raymond Blanc is a personal god to me, like the really old brother I never had. I love him because he is nicer than any other chef and he is so passionate about food it makes everyone want to eat it all up and stuff face.

As you can imagine when Emily (Love of my life) told me she had booked a table I went bananas and started vomiting with excitement!

The video below entitled “Birthday Train” is the first in a series about the experience and shows our journey to the restaurant, because like all the worlds best you have to make a great deal of effort to actually get there. First hoping on the Birthday Train and traveling for an hour to a baron little station where you then have to call a  cab, driving a further 20 minutes right into the Oxford woods, finally reaching an astonishing old manor house.

I think you can see the excitement in my face:

Birthday Train Video

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