O.K confession time. Yes, I am 42 (I was 36 for way too long).. Do I care? No. In fact I think that life is all the better for it, but I am always wary of seeming smug. Just when you’re thinking life is burbling along, out of the blue comes an event that you really were not expecting. In my case it was a bicycle accident, which occurred during lockdown on a deserted country path. My small son who was riding shotgun extended a foot at the wrong moment. He was fine, I was left with a very broken jaw and a few teeth short of a picnic. So I am very wary of smug. However, overall I have to say, life for this forty year old is pretty good.

I was born in December, terribly near to the 25th. Every year I am absolutely determined that even if Christmas is but a short week away, I will have a party. I make sure that all my friends are notified several weeks in advance of the impending day, because of course, the best way to celebrate is with friends and family, which is how memories are made. One of the best things about turning forty, is that you don’t have to get totally wasted, because goodness I did that last year, so I can save myself the bother.

Being a party girl, I like to extend the day to about a week. That way I can share the love with different people. My mum and I usually have lunch together. My husband is duty bound to sort out a dinner, and then there is a gathering of friends, who I seem to have shared a lot of life with. Clearly I made sure that Indytute experiences and birthdays go together like candles and cake. Here’s some 40th birthday gift ideas to make the day special…..

Tea and cocktails might seem an obvious choice, but I do like to ring the changes, which is where Colonel Saab comes into his own. The tiered ‘charlie’ overflows with an eclectic mix of Indian and continental treats, and as a December baby the chandeliers always bring joy on a gloomy day. We live around the corner from the Secret Hackney Dining Experience, but ssshhhh, I can’t tell you anymore, the location is secret, but it’s makes for a pretty special night.  Another favourite experience in London of mine is racing round London in a Classic Mini Cooper or wobbling around markets on a vintage bicycle.   Toodle Pip.