0 No present anniversary

Today is our wedding anniversary and we share it with Gordon Brown's anniversary of becoming prime minister. After yesterday's by-election in Henley-on-Thames I imagine that he is having a black and blue day. I shall be glad when he shuffles off the stage and we no longer have to share our anniversary with him. We are not the only couple celebrating our wedding anniversary today. There were several dedications on the Ken Bruce Show on Radio Two this morning. Some had been married longer than us, others not as long. We have been married for seventeen years. I looked it up to see where we stood in the paper,silver and gold stakes. There is no traditional present for seventeen years. In this house that phrase is better re-arranged to the tradition is no present. Last weekend my husband talked about going out for a meal for our anniversary but has not bothered to book anything. So rather than go hungry I have planned to cook the meal myself.