Quintin Jardine's blog

Mia was born one year ago yesterday. Since then she has come to dominate our lives, and enrich them beyond expression. I have a whole album of pics from her first birthday party, but they will stay private, for I have given up posting any images of children on the internet, such is the nature of our world. Suffice it to say that the day was hectic, fractious, noisy, hilarious and joyous all rolled into one.

From it all, one single moment stands out and will live with me forever. I am Mia’s maternal granny’s second husband, and the first, Harry, my friend before and since, is still around. He’s been in Ventallo, where the golden family live, for the last couple of weeks. In consequence, Mia has got used to Avi Q walking her in L’Escala and to Grandpa Harry walking her in Ventallo. Yesterday, as the official party hour neared, he and I were ordered to take the lamb, the blessed child, for a walk in her pram, in the hope that she might sleep for a little. We did, she cool in her shaded pram, Harry and I exposed to 90 degree heat and catching shadows as best we could. We walked her round the village, until we reached the playground where we decided to stop  and rest under a tree. At that point, La Mietta, who had not closed a single eye, far less tripped into the land of nod, was able to eyeball us both. So transparent was her expression that I will swear until the end of time that the thought going through her mind was, ‘How the hell did these two get into the same picture?’