The Festive season

I managed to get myself an invite for Christmas from friends in Hampstead. One advantage of not having a family is you get to choose one to spend Christmas with. I chose a nice one. Although seeing their oldest son being engaged to be married in the summer when I remember him as a baby did make me feel old.

Actually I had spent Christmas Eve with another group of friends in London Fields. And a very inebriated dinner it was. I had meant to be good and leave about 10. In fact we had to get a taxi back gone midnight.

All this was not ideal preparation for walking to Hampstead on Christmas morning (no public transport of course) but at least the walk livened me up a fair bit. Lunch was traditional, followed by games, swapping presents and then a long walk back in the evening. About two hours but it was so mild and quiet it was rather enjoyable in tits own right. I even took a detour up to to Alexandra Palace for the view across London at night.

New Year was less quiet as I had volunteered to host a group of University friends and of course all their offspring. So 16 in all. Took up all my bedrooms and bedding, and all the "kids" (well "second generation" would be a better description now they are all in their teens) slept downstairs in the living room. I thought they would be a bit old to enjoy it all, but far from it the kids seemed to have a great time together. SO here they are forming a tableau. How you get 6 teenagers on a two-seater sofa.