Sunday 26th December 2010

Being the only child of two only children is that as a child we only had 'small' Christmases. There were only ever the six of us, and that seemed big enough. Usually there were enough grumbling and moaning and sleeping for all to go round. And as the years went by as family members passed away Christmas got smaller and smaller, but it always seemed fine enough. The last Christmas I had with Mother back in 2005, after eating dinner, she slept through the afternoon and into the evening and so I went back home.
Then for three years I was at sea, the weather always good enough to be able to work on Christmas Day itself. And with each of those working Christmases I found myself longing to be here in Dover with Jools' family. None more so that in 2008 when I found myself in the Shetlands despite months of promises by my then boss, Kevin, that my name was top of the list for Christmas off.
So, despite the bad stuff that happened last year, I did have that family Christmas, and of course, would have that again this year.



as expected, we did very little on Christmas Eve other than watch the X Files and cook dinner. I had got a load of meat last time i was at the butchers, and so we had the finest piece of steak I have seen along with chips and mushrooms along with a fine bottle of 1993 robust red. It was splendid I have to say.



And so we went to bed early so that we would not be around when Santa came to call.

Christmas day dawned and we were awake; woken as ever by the kittens throwing themselves at our bedroom door. We got up, got dressed and fed the cats, and then opened our gifts to each other, before calling family and friends spreading greetings around the world.



At half eleven, we load up the car with gifts and head to Tony's, for a family meal and all the usual Christmas malarkey. We sat in the conservatory as Tony prepared the meal; chatting about family, doubly so as Uncle Terry's passing a couple of weeks before. Drinks were passed around as the final guests arrived, and at twenty past two we sat down to a fine festive meal with all the trimmings.

Once we had finished the meal, and others had dessert, we moved the tables out of the living room, exchanged gifts and then proceeded to open what we had been given.



It was then nearly six, and we made our excuses and left; driving home along the deserted streets back home. Where once I got out of the car, my knee began to hurt; I mean really, really hurt. I had had some pain there for a few days, but just a nagging pain that could be ignored. But this was pain that made me limp and give a sharp intake of breath as I climbed just one step.

I managed it up the stairs and took to bed taking a handful of painkillers before falling into a fitful sleep.

This morning the pain is not so bad, but is still there when I climb just the one step; and so we shall take things gently today, and me rest my leg. Just as well there is a festival of sport on from lunchtime.



The one brightspot was waking this morning, turning on the radio and finding Australia all out for 98, and England approaching that score with all 10 wickets remaining. In the end, England finished on 157 for 0, and as complete a domination of a single day's play as I can remember. On a cautionary note, there are still four days to go, but surely this is a match England can't lose from this position.

Stranger things have happened.......

Merry Crimbo.......