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Seeing as my 50th birthday was nearly one month ago now, it's about time I took the time to tell you all about the incredible presents which G gave me.

This post has taken quite a bit of time to assemble, but no where near the amount of time it took G to assemble the gifts.

It all started with a large box.

It's all just a bit of fun G said to me.

Nestled inside amongst a lot of shredded paper were the presents.

They were all tagged and had to be opened in a specific order as G had bought gifts representing (mostly each 21st July) from 1968 when I was born until my 16th birthday in 1984.

1968- the song which was No 1 in charts on the day I was born. Des O'Connor and I Pretend.

The Sunday Times Magazine, printed with my birth date. I love the photo on the front and hope to get this framed.

1969- when the world was glued to the TV and radio listening for updates on the moon landing I was having my first birthday. I now have a copy of the Daily Telegraph from when I was one. As you may know we like a good jigsaw here and this one we will save and be doing on the 50th anniversary of the moon landing next year.

1970- Number one on my 2nd birthday was In the Summertime

and where better to spend it than the beach so we have a night away to look forward to!

1971- A bit of glam rock with T-Rex at number 1 on my 3rd birthday

and just look at the main article highlight in this paper printed on my birthday!!

1972- He was bound to show up sooner or later, number one on my 4th birthday was Donny Osmond.

1973- G chose to go with number 1 in the album chart for this year because of the David Essex link and so I now have a copy of That'll Be The Day along with the Look In magazine also showing the date of my 5th birthday.

1974- I cried so much when I opened this Simplicity dressmaking pattern book. Although it isn't from 1974 it's what this represents which is so important to me.
When we were little my 2 sisters and I would spend hours upon hours cutting up old editions of these catalogues. We would use these 'cut outs' to play beauty contests with. So many memories. G said this took such a long time to track down as they are quite hard to find. I'm so glad he was able to find this one. A very special gift indeed and I cried an awful lot.

1975- Oh how I loved the Bay City Rollers. G bought this satin scarf off of a lady who stitched it together the night before she went to see them play live back in the 70s. Along with the scarf I also now have the single which was number one on my 7th birthday and the July edition of the Rollers magazine.
I should also mention here that later on in the day I found out that my sister's are taking me to see the band play live! The only original member of the Rollers in the band these days is Les but I don't mind about that, I'm just so excited!

1976- More David Essex, let's face it, you can never have too much! 

1977- When I was little and given money to spend on holiday I would always buy as many of these magazines as I could.

Debbie, Bunty, Mandy and Judy. I would read them over and over again and try and copy the illustrations.

I can even remember the smell of the paper.

Again there was more tears as they evoked so many happy times from my childhood.

 1978- I loved Grease from the very first second I saw it on the screen at the cinema. As well as You're The One That I Want, number one on my 10th birthday, G bought me this picture of Sandy and Danny singing that song surrounded by original film cells from the movie.
Plus very soon we are both off to a Sing Along A Grease Movie night. G said he wouldn't mind if I wanted to take a friend, but he's the one that I want so he's coming with me!

1979- a copy of the Radio Times for 21st July 1979 would have cost you 14p. What a bargain.

1980- the gift for1980 is so unusual. This badge was bought by someone who went to the 1980 Moscow Olympics as a souvenir. This was the year the USA boycotted the games.

1981- My love for Shaky had taken a hold by this time. He was Number 1 with Green Door on my 13th birthday.

G bought the badge from a chap whose job it was to promote Shaky's album.

1982- The newspaper headline from my birthday this year is one we would much rather forget.

The Number 1 album is one which I heard played many, many times as it was a firm favourite of T's, my best friend at school.

1983- Wham and Smash Hits. Staples of this time in my teenage years. Wham takes me right back in an instant to Monday nights dancing at the Top Rank. I couldn't ask for a better Number 1 album.

1984- Here we finish off with a Jackie Magazine published on my 16th birthday

and these two items of clothing which actually belonged to me and I used to wear!
Apparently G consulted my sisters and T, my best friend from school, to help him in his gift quest. During a conversation with T she told him that during the early 90s I had lent her this pink jacket and trousers as she and a friend were going to a 1980s fancy dress party. Her friend was a similiar size to me but had nothing suitable to wear. T has kept them since then, always meaning to give them back but just never getting round to it. The jacket is from Etam and the trousers from Chelsea Girl. The jacket still fits but the trousers go nowhere near me!
When I unwrapped these clothes I remembered them instantly although I hadn't seen them for near on 30 years. Again they bought memories, and the tears, flooding back.

As if these gifts weren't enough there was still one more. The final item in the box was a sheet of paper which had a crossword printed on it.
Solving the clues revealed that G had arranged for me to go and visit my lovely friend S in Virginia after first spending time in Washington.
Cue more tears.
I didn't want to appear ungrateful but how could I go on a trip alone to such a beautiful part of the USA, steeped in so much history, when I knew G would love it all too. I couldn't envisage returning and saying 'I've seen this and that' and 'we went here and there' and therefore not having shared memories of all these places.
S has been incredibly generous and said the invitation is open to me, G and S should that work better for us and for a time which suits us all.
At the moment I'm not sure of the who, how and when as we have had so many things going on and we have only been back a week from a really fabulous holiday in Belgium, but plans will be made you can be sure of that.