24 - 30 Dec: XMAS!

Sat - Shock in morning.  Phone rings at 6:15am - its Jon, we panic thinking something is wrong, then he bursts into the bedroom.  He came home for Xmas as a surprise - how fantastic, so we are together as a family, unexpectedly.  Nairobi's loss is our gain.

18 (mostly Odells) for lunch drinks and nibbles.  V. tired afterwards so to bed early.

Sun - Xmas day.  At Lulu's behest, we cycled to C&Ls, 36 miles in 2:45 hours.

(I took the Xmas hat off the front of the bike, it does look rather like a codpiece?)  It started nice but then it became greyer and drizzled.  We were cold and feet were numb.  But I enjoyed it.  Thank you Lulu for suggesting and not letting my initial apathy stop us.

While we were on our way, Cherry & Jon enjoyed a Xmas Skype with the Jacksons in New Zealand:

Arrived just as everybody else did, had great day (walk, lunch, sleep, word games, tea, more food) and back home by 11pm.

Mon - Back to C&L's for more eating, walking and drinking.

Tue - Into Harlequin Centre to shop/return M&S stuff.  M&A came in afternoon, went for walk on Common and drink at Rose & Crown, then indian at Sathis with them and Woodland's Marshalls + Graham & Hilda.  All jolly fun.

Wed - Nutcracker at ROH in evening, excellent performance, after dinner at Deuxieme with Lulu & Ellie:

Anyone for champers?

Thu - Took G to Beaconsfield for some shopping/Waitrose.  Watched Dumbed-down Abbey over tea with her, what a hoot with the risable dialogue.  Dinner at Jeremy & Caroline's, 7 gourmet courses.

Fri - Shopping with G&N in Watford.  Oh dear, but we survived.

Lovely evening round at Georgina's for dinner with L&C and S&P.