80th Birthday celebration suggestions, please. Update.

oldtimer

Full Member
Sep 27, 2005
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Oxfordshire and Pyrenees-Orientales, France
Now, if we did have a thread for the old, this could be posted there. However....

In one month's time, Madame will be 80 years old.

I started thinking about some sort of celebration back in January as we usually mark the decades with something more than the usual family meal and birthday cake with candles but she told me that she didn't want a big party like she had for her 70th when we took over the village pub for the night. Just as well given the current lockdown!

"I'd like to do something I've never done before," she told me. But it's a bit difficult to come up with something new after 58 years of a fairly full life together. A bungee jump was not taken seriously; parachute jump or hang-glider trip considered, but rejected on grounds of her osteoporosis: meal and night at Manoir a Quatre Saisons rejected on grounds of dietary problems: trip up the Norwegian fjords, too expensive; week in Rome, ditto. Some other early ideas such as a hot air balloon trip and a half day tour on the pillion of a chauffeur ridden Harley Davidson with full leathers included got a warmer response as she recalled the course of horse riding lessons she got for her 60th.

All such possibilities are off, obviously and because, of our age, we are self isolating in an effort to avoid doing the one thing she has NOT done before and intends to delay as long as possible!

Given that we are still likely to be stuck at home throughout May, if anyone has any suggestions for making her day special I should really like to hear them. PLEASE!

And in case anyone suggests it, I have already told her that I most certainly do not expect her to do any housework on her birthday- she can leave it till the next day!
 

Paul_B

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 14, 2008
6,404
1,691
Cumbria
If you've got a garden then why not a historical camp? If you've still got your first tent then perhaps repair that and use it. I was thinking of a steam punk style camp out too. Champagne and other luxuries in real glamping style.

Obviously it's hard with social distancing and, if it's not too impolite, at you're age you should be self isolating more than a lot of the population. So you can't go anywhere / do anything far away. It's limited by COVID
 

Chainsaw

Native
Jul 23, 2007
1,389
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57
Central Scotland
We did a this is your life type thing for my mum, red folder with her history in it and encouraged her to tell some stories and add some colour to things, seemed to go well

HTH
 
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lostplanet

Full Member
Aug 18, 2005
2,147
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Kent
I know all of these suggestions are restricted at the moment, but its something to look forward too.......

Does she have a favourite band? a nice celebration on the day of some sort with tickets to a live venue somewhere in the UK with a hotel overnighter?

We took my mum to Creams for an afternoon tea, that was very nice for her and my sister took her to the ritz for a similar thing. shes 70+
sister also took my Dad to ELO concert which he really enjoyed.

something a bit outrageous but tame as well https://www.zipworld.co.uk/adventure/velocity

On a something for the day note , "the range" shops are open, maybe a large picture frame with family phots which you could do together, pick out thte favs.


Hope something comes up for a nice day.
 
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Erbswurst

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Mar 5, 2018
4,079
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Berlin
There is somewhere in southwestern France a grotte which was visited at first via a basket.
Later they made a better entrance, but nowadays they reactivated the basket option. It is necessary to reserve that before, I guess. I think it is somewhere in Perigord.
In between Bergerac, Sarlat la Caneda and Cahors perhaps. The three towns are very nice, by the way.
Unfortunately I can't reach the prospect, where I found it, but if you call the tourist offices, they probably can tell it you.

I don't know if everything will be closed there around. No idea of course in this exceptional times.
 
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Paul_B

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 14, 2008
6,404
1,691
Cumbria
How about postponement and celebrate 81st instead? Big splash and it'll mean more after the lockdown. If you can't do anything then perhaps that.

Due to events my partner's birthday wasn't possible to celebrate on the day so we agreed for a 2 week postponement. Not ideal but pandemic lockdown is a good excuse.
 
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Tengu

Full Member
Jan 10, 2006
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Wiltshire
She is very fortunate to have a Spring holiday and lots of people who can be bothered. i have never had a cake, let alone a fancy day. (beyond a normal treat)
 

Erbswurst

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Mar 5, 2018
4,079
1,774
Berlin
For the 90th that basket, for the 100th a bungee, for the 110 the parachute.

The risk to die young becomes smaller and smaller with the years...

;)
 
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oldtimer

Full Member
Sep 27, 2005
3,315
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Oxfordshire and Pyrenees-Orientales, France
So the big day has arrived. Madame is 80 today. A real story of survival given that she was born prematurely weighing less than a kilogram during an air raid. She has also survived submarine attacks in the Irish Sea, terrorist attacks in Paris, the building of the wall while she was in Berlin, a car crash in Surrey, a hurricane in the Bahamas, an encounter with a bear in the Rockies, mugging in Madrid, a fall in the Pyrenees, a major operation in which part of her liver was removed and a little matter of living with me for 58 years.

Since the lockdown has stymied most of the options for celebrating it, the virtual world has come into its own with a three-day video conference with the grandchildren and their parents this morning. But the real winner was that techno-savvy grandson has set her up with her own website thus fulfilling her wish to go somewhere she's never been before. www.micheletallack.co.uk if anyone is interested.
 

Toddy

Mod
Mod
Jan 21, 2005
39,133
4,810
S. Lanarkshire
Happy Birthday Mrs Oldtimer :) and many more of them too :cool:

Your grandson has made such a really nice website. An interesting read though, very appealing.
I hope you feel inclined to add more to it as well.

M
 
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The puffin squire

Full Member
May 19, 2020
77
62
Kent
Happy birthday and Best wishes, I've been to collioure several times over the years and it truly is wonderful place.

Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk
 

punkrockcaveman

Full Member
Jan 28, 2017
1,457
1,516
yorks
Happy birthday to her! The website is spot on and I really like the art work. The boat building one and the kids on the train one stood out for me :)
 

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