Train to Newcastle on Friday to be met by me
Dad at the Central Station near the big Christmas tree and then drive to the Metro Centre and shopping at Asda to get food and goodies, including the green-covered ‘Merry Xmas Everybody’ by SLADE with Christmas songs on the ‘B’ side (in cohoots with ASDA and Nobby’s Nuts). Then more shopping in Newcastle on Saturday, viewing Fenwick’s Christmas window display (a Geordie tradition) which was of ‘Gulliver’s Travels’ this year. It was nice wandering round town, seeing the old shops and the new places, the kids all dressed as pseudo-goths and me thinking, ‘is this really still the ‘80s?’ and people being really nice despite the crush. But the crowds weren’t really that bad this year.
Christmas Eve saw me receive my special pressie – my back playing up. I don’t know what I did to it, but I woke up that morning and felt ‘ouch’. Perfect timing, not just for Christmas but for the New Year too. I went out for a walk around Greenside to try to ‘open’ it up, and took photos with my new camera. Here's a photo of me with the legendary Cricket Club in the background showing how close it is in staggering terms to me Dad's house. It didn’t really help, but that’s not the point. Derek came over in the afternoon to bring presents and take back presents and have a gossip. We gossiped.
Christmas Day dawned and my back was still a problem, not as bad as it was over the summer. No matter. Drove over to Derek and Tracy’s and then walked round to 'The Jingling Gate' for Christmas dinner (that's the back of my Li'l Bro's head in the photo). Lots of lovely food and, since it was Christmas, I allowed myself some Guinness. The food was lovely even though the service was slow. Then wandered back to the house for a game of ‘Who Wants To Be A Millionnaire’, with us and Tracy’s family split into three teams. Naturally, the McConnell team won, and I won a ‘spot prize’ of a pen radio (which really is a pen and really is a radio). I’m most pleased with my pen radio. Numerous pints of Guinness helped my back.
Boxing Day was a lazy day spent in front of the telly, another grey day. The day after was the trip back to London and home. Luckily I was the only one in a pair of seats until Peterborough so I could wiggle round as much as I needed. Then a train from Kings Cross down to Streatham – home again. It’s so much easier being home with a bad back than being anywhere else – at least I have everything I need within easy staggering distance.What a Christmas.
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