More Christmas stuff.

So, just after one we headed out laden with boxes and bags of our gifts, loaded the car and headed off to pick up Jools' brother and his children and drove to Dad's.

Coming from a small family, sharing dinner with 11 others was an interesting thought. Tony had supplied plenty of chairs, and a tablefull of drinks chilling in the air outside. We sat round chatting, and some us opening gifts and drinking occasionally.

Tony had done most of the cooking, and most had already been done, and being kept warm in a hostess trolley, with just the vegetables and gravy to make and cook. Just after three we sat down round one large table in the living room, more wine and beer. We had chicken, beef and ham, with lots of roast potatoes, sprouts (the Devil's food, carrots, sweet potatoes and a huge jug of gravy. Those with large appetites had seconds of meat and potatoes.

We passed on dessert, sherry trifle, and soon enough decided to head home to slumber and relax. We got home just before 6, just in time to see Dr Who, and then on BBC see James May build the world's longest model railway, and try to run a train between Barnstaple to Bideford. He almost succeeded, but burnt out the motor on the last train still working at three in the morning 3 miles short of it's destination.

In truth I had not slept well on Christmas Eve, and so we went to bed at nine and soon were in the arms of sleep.