I had a good time Saturday night: perhaps you were there? Twas ten years and a day after the wedding of Edward Freston Broom to Gail Frances Nelder, which seemed a reasonable excuse for a bash. We tried to get most of the attendees of the original event back together again, and largely succeeded. For people without one of those tea-towels, it's tin for a 10th wedding anniversary. You expect precious stones at this early stage?!

Tell you what: it's a great thing to go to a party where you know everyone in the room 'cos they were all hand-picked. Took me back to our evening do a decade back over at Rat and Poy's place, which was heaving in an extremely sociable sense. Both then and at the weekend there was fine food, free drink and stacks of people you genuinely wanted to speak to. Can't ask for too much more.

While I'm here, love and kisses to Gail, of course, but also to mother-in-law and other family groupies for their hard work prior to the do. I appreciated the marshmallows, and would have consumed a lot more had it not been for a Harry Potter lookalike scoffing the lot. And a big masculine hug to the menfolk for washing up endless glassware on the night.

Tips for a long-term relationship, if I might be so bold:

• master the art of the non-committal grunt
• don't begrudge doing the washing-up
• use a nice deodorant
• buy the biggest bed that'll fit in your bedroom

If You Take Away With You Nothing Else
Among the presents (ta!) were two tins of biscuits from my mum and dad. Except that only one contained any biscuits. The other contained:

1. a tin of smoked sardine fillets "a l'huile de tournesol"
2. a tin of Cawston Vale apple & cherry juice
3. a tin of Canadian candy holding two saTIN soaps
4. a tin of Colron finishing wax
5. a tin of ten Typhoo tea bags
6. a tin of Cromer clotted cream toffee
7. a tin of Japlac metallic finish paint, tin colour
8. a tin whistle, plus sheet music
9. a tenner

Be seeing you!

Ed