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When my kids were growing up, a tradition was established - I can't remember how - that whoever was the birthday girl or boy (child or adult) got to choose dinner.

When they were younger, the kids came up with some bizarre choices, but they were honoured. I remember my daughter insisting that dinner was to be raw, grated carrot. That's all. That's what we ate (although I think perhaps the adults topped up after she went to bed.)

One year, I chose what would come to be called fine dining in one of London's top restaurants at the time, sadly no more. The kids were impressed and behaved immaculately. But the best thing was seeing, at a another table, a couple of people they had seen on television. Stars!

Later, their choices blossomed into Italian and Chinese restaurants (we were never fast food eaters, but if they had chosen that we would have had it). Then onto seafood restaurants. French, Spanish. Indian, of course. We were in the UK.

It was interesting to see their tastes develop. Now they both have their own families and have maintained the "tradition". One of my granddaughters, who is now working in Australia, recently told my my daughter, her mother, that she wants to come back for her birthday just to have a Thai meal in one particular restaurant. She would have to pass Thailand!

My grandson, my son's youngest, requested bananas and cornflakes for his birthday dinner this year. Guess what they ate!

When my kids were growing up, a tradition was established - I can't remember how - that whoever was the birthday girl or boy (child or adult) got to choose dinner.

When they were younger, the kids came up with some bizarre choices, but they were honoured. I remember my daughter insisting that dinner was to be raw, grated carrot. That's all. That's what we ate (although I think perhaps the adults topped up after she went to bed.)

One year, I chose what what would come to be called fine dining in one of London's top restaurants. They were impressed and behaved immaculately. But the best thing was seeing, at a another table, a couple of people they had seen on television. Stars!

Later, their choices blossomed into Italian and Chinese restaurants (we were never fast food eaters, but if they had chosen that we would have had it). Then onto seafood restaurants. French, Spanish. Indian, of course. We were in the UK.

It was interesting to see their tastes develop. Now they both have their own families and have maintained the "tradition". One of my granddaughters, who is now working in Australia, recently told my my daughter, her mother, that she wants to come back for her birthday just to have a Thai meal in one particular restaurant.

My grandson, my son's youngest, requested bananas and cornflakes for his birthday dinner this year. Guess what they ate!