Christmas day
Christmas Day started with Beth sitting on the end of our bed and excitedly delving into her Christmas stocking.
This done, everyone congregated downstairs to have breakfast, mainly of scrambled eggs, toast and smoked salmon. Then to the living room for a strange interlude of people wearing the strange animal faces that Lorraine had been given as a Secret Santa present. This preceded the opening of presents, with Beth taking centre stage as Christmas elf. My main Christmas present had already arrived, and was my study armchair, but Lorraine bought me the perfect cushion to go with it. Mum got me a small statue of a howling wolf, which I liked very much, and Maureen and Pat had searched hard to get me a scarf like the one I liked so much but lost. Sternly admonished this time not to lose it.
Then much shifting of tables and chairs to get things ready for Christmas dinner, before Lorraine, Beth and Maureen went to Beth's room to peel Brussels Sprouts, drink secret proscecco and orange juice while watching The Snowman. My splinter group of Pat, Mum and Mas accompanied me to the Preston Park Tavern for a quick pre-lunch sharpener. A cheery and busy lunchtime in there, with lots of children. The man who entered in one of those xmas jumpers that have flashing Christmas lights on them seemed to capture the moment.
The streets almost dead as we walked home, where we found Janet and Ken had just arrived. I joined Betty and Lorraine for final fixings and carving the turkey. An lovely Christmas meal with the girls having pulled out all the stops to provide a panoply of vegetables, pigs in blankets, varieties of stuffings, homemade gravy and so on. Followed some time later by Christmas pudding and a lovely tarte citron that Betty had made.
The rest of afternoon and evening given over to drinking and chatting. Really pleased to see Janet and Ken join us. Ken on good form throughout the afternoon. Watched an animated film about dragons and inappropriately-horned vikings. Then some of us managed to plunder a cheese board before bed.
Below a selection of strange faces, Lorraine, Beth and Maureen sneaking away to watch the snowman, Mum and Mas and Pat in the pub, and everyone captured at the table (having eaten heartily)
This done, everyone congregated downstairs to have breakfast, mainly of scrambled eggs, toast and smoked salmon. Then to the living room for a strange interlude of people wearing the strange animal faces that Lorraine had been given as a Secret Santa present. This preceded the opening of presents, with Beth taking centre stage as Christmas elf. My main Christmas present had already arrived, and was my study armchair, but Lorraine bought me the perfect cushion to go with it. Mum got me a small statue of a howling wolf, which I liked very much, and Maureen and Pat had searched hard to get me a scarf like the one I liked so much but lost. Sternly admonished this time not to lose it.
Then much shifting of tables and chairs to get things ready for Christmas dinner, before Lorraine, Beth and Maureen went to Beth's room to peel Brussels Sprouts, drink secret proscecco and orange juice while watching The Snowman. My splinter group of Pat, Mum and Mas accompanied me to the Preston Park Tavern for a quick pre-lunch sharpener. A cheery and busy lunchtime in there, with lots of children. The man who entered in one of those xmas jumpers that have flashing Christmas lights on them seemed to capture the moment.
The streets almost dead as we walked home, where we found Janet and Ken had just arrived. I joined Betty and Lorraine for final fixings and carving the turkey. An lovely Christmas meal with the girls having pulled out all the stops to provide a panoply of vegetables, pigs in blankets, varieties of stuffings, homemade gravy and so on. Followed some time later by Christmas pudding and a lovely tarte citron that Betty had made.
The rest of afternoon and evening given over to drinking and chatting. Really pleased to see Janet and Ken join us. Ken on good form throughout the afternoon. Watched an animated film about dragons and inappropriately-horned vikings. Then some of us managed to plunder a cheese board before bed.
Below a selection of strange faces, Lorraine, Beth and Maureen sneaking away to watch the snowman, Mum and Mas and Pat in the pub, and everyone captured at the table (having eaten heartily)
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