Marks and Spencer

If you say the words Pork Pies today, to any of my extended family ,they will all laugh. We are rather inundated with them. 

For 6 weeks now my  visits to Beverley have been a menage a trois . My mother, the Marks and Spencer food to Order Catalogue,and myself. Aged parent had read the food catalogue and savouring every word and detail had made her first list of food  by the second week of April. Every Tuesday we have sat together and pruned , honed, extended and varied the list. Three weeks ago we had managed to write a sizeable order and wait for grandson in M and S to see  to the order for her, to pay for it and do all the paperwork. 

I now know by heart the pictures of every sandwich, roll, fillings, cake and tarte au citrons in the book. I have had to listen to suggestions  from young family members

• wanting to know why sushi had not been ordered,
• telling me that no one these days eats sausage rolls
• asking me to remember everyone likes profiteroles
• hoping we have actually ordered enough food for 15 adults, 5 children and 2 infants

 Aged parent was not open to suggestion in any form , the first time round that is. After weeks of drip, drip, drip suggestions, she did eventually agree to Indian style chicken kebabs to liven up the Party Food Selection x2 -all sausage rolls, mini quiches, and pork pies and sandwiches.
 But Oh dear! Beverley M and S did not do the salads aged parent wanted. They will be easy to do I said, beetroot salad, bean salad, coleslaw and potato salad are the work of an hour. And they were.

The Day it Dawned. The Family arrived from all corners of the known parts of England. Special Godson and I put out all the food under the gazebos. We had to do it so quickly as small children were magnetized to the tables as soon as they spied us casually taking shrink wrap from kebabs. We tried to offer carrot sticks to keep them going, but they had spotted the party eggs. We forgot to use the doilies, and to put the sausage rolls on the specially bought disposable foil mock silver platters.

3 year old Reuben managed his usual grace

'Thank you ,God! for our lovely lunch'

It was a truly wonderful family gathering. We are grateful to M and S for their food to go service.

Thank you Mummy for having us all round for lunch to celebrate your 90th birthday! Thank you Beverley Abbeyfields for all your support! Thank you God for families who may get together .

BUT pork pies-we have all had  ENOUGH OF THEM.