My mother has emailed me a wonderful response to my post two days ago on the birthday of Nelson Mandela, so I thought I'd share it with you:

On Madiba's 70th birthday, we went to Exclusive Books "Going for a Song" booksale and S and I stood in the front of the shop and sang 11 songs for the 33 books we had chosen for our township library. Our last song was "Happy birthday to you" in honour of Madiba who was then still in prison, and I remember that the whole shop joined in.

On his 80th birthday I took a large chocolate cake to school and the children put 80 candles on it, each child coming up 4 times to add yet another candle. When we lit them all it made so much heat that the icing melted.

This week on his 89th birthday my class and I made a very tall poster with his picture on top, and the children cut out paper candles and stuck them on in ascending rows of 10 candles each. I wrote their names next to candles number 5 and 6, and staff and parents have been coming in and writing their names next to the candle that represents their age. Of course, Madiba outstrips us all!

Why, perhaps she needs to start a blog of her own (hint, hint)!