It's my Mummy's birthday today. To celebrate, we hosted a birthday lunch for the family. I was up at 7am (and hung over) cooking for nine people, including the fussiest man in the world (Dad)....he thinks rice can only be served as a pudding and pasta is inedible!

So, as a vegetarian I have two stock dishes for them and I alternate between the two - Beef and Oyster Stout pie or fish pie - today it was fish pie. I've never tasted it but I am told by people I trust that it's good - Tuna, Cod, Salmon and Smoked Haddock in a white sauce with capers, mustard and hard-boiled egg, topped with flaky pastry. I also had to cater for the three of us veggies (Me, David and my sister, Jan) and Jan & Simon's two little boys, one of whom was having a bit of a day...if you get my drift!

I worked like a galley slave for six hours preparing the meal, including chocolate mousse ice cream (very sexy indeed), it was demolished over a three-hour leisurely lunch and at twenty past eight I'm still full!!!

With dogs flying round everywhere - children and the whole Alstead family together it was not possible to expect any kind of tranquillity so the camera lies indeed as this pic looks like a nice, calm day whereas the truth is that chaos reigns behind me!