Saturday December 25, 1982

 Christmas Day

My first Christmas Day away from my parents. Up at 9:30 drinking tea. I inspected the Christmas tree. Not good. It has no lights since they fused several nights ago. A very disappointing specimen. Presents and wrapping paper everywhere, like 'Sale of the Century' (a dreadfully low TV programme designed for the old and greedy). Phoned Mum.

Chilland Barn.

To Chilland Barn for drinks with Freddie and Avril Hargreaves. I'm jealous of the house. Bessie became merry on the wine. At 1:30 we returned for lunch which Ally and I helped to organise. Bessie does get herself in a fluster. The full works. Poor baby Matthew wailed throughout and consequently Gill was absent for most of the meal. Our plates were piled high. It is Graham's theory that you are not greedy if you manage to eat everything, and only become so when when food is left on the plate. We had the pudding in the sitting room after The Queen, who talked about Frobisher and Drake and the Falklands and, for the first time in many years, from Windsor Castle. We all dropped off to sleep beneath our paper hats and our snores drowned out the TV which was awful anyway. Graham and Gill went to the Rectory for 5. We watched Agatha Christie's 'Death on the Nile'. Felt sproggy, no doubt caused by the burning logs. Bed by 1am.

-=-