DM was asked a few weeks ago if he’d take the daughter of some friends to her school prom in the Lurker. Of course he agreed readily – why wouldn’t he want to help? Anyway, what more excuse do you need to get the Lurker out and on the road than a chauffeuring job for a beautiful girl and her date? He had a bit of a shock when he realised that the car’s MOT had run out (it only ever comes out a handful of times a year and hasn’t been out of the garage since last summer) so he had a bit of scurrying around to get it legal before the big day. Today was that “big day”.

I must say the atmosphere in the village was wonderful. It was Daisy’s birthday party so there was a hoard of ten-year-olds chasing around and it was lovely to hear the rousing chorus of “happy birthday to you” from their house. It was Gemma (prom girl)’s sixteenth birthday yesterday and her prom today. We were all waiting outside the house to see her in her ball gown and were not disappointed. She’s a very beautiful young woman and looked stunning in her indigo strapless dress. Very classy. I was on my hands and knees in the road cleaning the heels of her shoes before she got into the car to get rid of the mud from the field where she’d had her photo taken before setting off. We helped her to work out how to get into and out of the beetle in an elegant manner and she had a few practice runs so she was confident she could do it without tripping or otherwise embarrassing herself. She managed it beautifully.

DM drove them down to their school and was shocked at the set-up. For anyone outside the UK, we had no tradition of high school proms until very recently but every school seems to do them now. We were trying to work out when they began and think it’s only been around 20 years or so since they started here. Gemma had a moment of panic before leaving and suddenly said “I don’t want to go” and DM said he could see why – what a lot of pressure! Todd commented to me that we Brits had got a lot to answer for by starting the fireworks thing (I must say I didn’t know we had). Well, all I can say is straight back at ya Todd – I think the American “High School Prom” has crept over our nation like a rash!

This photo is DM, Lurker in the background, waiting for Gemma to emerge from the house all polished and ready to go off. Don’t they both look handsome?