any bright ideas ?

nina I know what you mean about the snow.
Christmas 2011 we went on the QM2 to New York and even though we didn't have to embark till 2pm, I was so anxious about snow/leaves on the line that we travelled to Southampton the day before and stayed in the Premier Inn. If necessary we could have walked to the quay - even with my large selection of posh frocks

We celebrated our Ruby anniversary 3 months late as it was the only time we could get all the family together plus friends and I don't think we lost out at all. Plan for something you really want to do and then look at the best time of year to do it would be my suggestion. You can always do a special meal on the actual day.

Yes! It sounds like a good excuse reason to have two celebrations!

Can you have too many celebrations Ella? No, don't think so, any excuse

Depends on your budget, I suppose. I would not be deterred by the sort of snow we get in the South-East in an average January!! (Maybe youlive in the north of Scotland, but even there,disruptions are usually quickly dealt with. So I am being more optimisitc that janeainsworth! What would you LIKE to do? I had the inestimable pleasure of being at a long and tedious Year 11 parents' evening on my 60th birthday. I felt like telling some of the stroppier parents that too!!

You are more likely to be inconvenienced by leaves on the line than snow on the tracks in London!

i do not know where you live but what about an evening at a theatre followed by a night or two in a hotel? They are not all mindblowingly expensive.

Embrace the snow. Get on one of those party trains from Paris to a ski resort. If you book with Eurostar through from where you live they will get you there. My DH is 70 in a couple of years in Jan. he always complains that people have had enough of celebrations by the time his birthday comes along that it is a damp squib. I am looking at a hotel at the top of a mountain with spa and swimming pool .

My birthday is in January too - 7th - so not a good time for celebrations, especially with a family full of teachers and DGC at school in various parts of the country. So my 65th (60th at school, *gracesmum!) was transferred to the spring bank holiday; the weather was lovely, everyone couldmake it and I so enjoyed it!

I have never forgotten returning from a January. Inference in San Diego to a depressing, cold grey Heathrow. Horrible let down!

I agree that you should 'embrace the snow' ..why not book a trip to Iceland or Norway or the Orkneys to try to see the Northern Lights?

how about this?

brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! How about the tropics?

Theatre and hotel was the plan.

Trouble is we are 10miles from a main line station. So even if trains are running we have no guarantee of getting there. I guess I'm a pessimist
I think I'll just have to share my celebrations with DH. His is April.

Aka I think that's where a friend of DD got married.

Nina, you ARE being pessimistic!! There is no reason to assume we will get heavy snow in January (OK it's not unusual, but the country needn't grind to a halt the way it so often does.) Allow yourselves an extra day so that you can set off in the middle of the day when there is most likelihood that there won't be any problems - and ENJOY your birthday! And if the Cockbridge to Tomintoul road is closed I am sure Mrs MacKay will be out there with her shovel at the ready

I agree, do it. My daughter's birthday is in January and we used to drive from Kent to Brighton to take her to see Holiday on Ice, up to London to see shows and ballets and I don't think we ever had to cancel. Has there been a travel problem on your date, is that why you are worried? There was often snow, but never bad enough that a pair of walking boots and change of shoes couldn't handle it. You're only 60 once and it is your day. My birthday is two weeks before OH's and it never feels the same to me if we don't do something on my own day, so the alternative would be a really posh meal out for now, and a trip later on. My family are already planning awful things for my 60th which is a few years away, my husband's preferred railway modelling weekend seems almost preferable to a 'surprise' party. Not much of a surprise if they are already hinting at it. I definitely think I shall be going abroad just to esape the horror.

Or live up to your name and take off for a cruise round the Greek isles for Xmas and New year .

What about a luxury spa hotel break somewhere close by for your birthday and see your area from a visitors point if view - then go further afield with DH in April.