Story Archive

Birthday Bashed

Alex Nash, 5, of Torpoint, Cornwall, England, was invited to his classmate’s birthday party over Christmas break, and his dad Derek accepted. Later, however, Derek realized that the party conflicted with a day trip with Alex’s grandparents. “By this time we did not have a contact number, email or an address to let [the boy’s mother] know,” Derek said. “So on the day of the party we asked Alex what he wanted to do; he chose to be with his grandparents.” Alex’s mom, Tanya Walsh, tried to apologize to Julie Lawrence, who hosted the party, for the no-show when school resumed, but didn’t see her. “But on January 15 she looked in Alex’s school bag and found a brown envelope,” Derek said. “It was an invoice for £15.95 (US$24) for a child’s party ‘no show fee’.” Derek visited Lawrence, and told her he wouldn’t be paying the bill. “I would have sympathized with her about the cost of Alex not showing up,” Derek said. “But I just can’t believe the way she has gone around it.” Lawrence has threatened the family with legal action to force payment of the bill. (MS/Plymouth Herald) ...This is what happens when adults act like 5-year-olds.