Another parentless but happy Christmas

Since Alice and Nicola arrived to bless our lives Christmas has been more special than it used to be. In the pre-children era, that, BTW, seems like a lifetime ago, Christmas meant meeting up with other parentless friends rather than any type of family celebration.

Of course for many of our best friends Christmas still seems quite bleak. When you haven't got much spare money or any birth family Christmas can feel rather pointless. It becomes quite easy to slip into the role of an outsider looking with ill-concealed envy at other people having fun. For some the safe familiarity of a small council flat can replace looking for human interaction and for others working extra shifts can seem preferable to a chicken leg eaten on your own.

Which is why Ella and I always make the effort to have an Open House for our friends.

Our 2014 Christmas "Open House" was the best ever. As always our husbands Chris and Mark played a crucial, but unglamorous, role. Chris drove the hired minibus to collect our guests from assorted pick-up points in the morning but even more importantly then drove the same people back to their pick-up points late on Christmas evening. Mark had an identical role but used his car for those who couldn't conveniently access the minibus option. They are both total stars! 

This year we used the minibus to pick up people from three different places. Ludlow Park and Ride was a mistake and the town centre would have been more sensible. 

I think that 2014 was the first time ever that all the folk who said they would be coming actually turned up. What made it even better was that everybody also remembered to bring the food they said they would so there was no duplication and no gaps either! Well done everybody. 

Obviously the most important news that we found out during the gossip sessions was that Magda appears to be back in the UK! Grace T saw her from a distance of not more than 10 yards when both of them were waiting at traffic lights - Magda on foot, Grace T in her car. 

Curiously this didn't come as a total surprise to Didi but the two of them are taking things very slowly and carefully which is why her return had been kept a secret! 

Visitors (20) were – 

AC/DC, now a full time model. 

Alice N, she works full time at the Childrens’ Home where many of us lived at different times. She would like to pass the responsibility for the photo archive on to somebody else. Any offers? 

Angel, lives in Childrens’ Home Ville, now a "almost full time" care worker.

Angie D, lives in Childrens’ Home Ville, still a minimum wage slave in retail sector.

Belle S, lives in Childrens’ Home Ville, working part time in a convenience store.

Carly, lives in Childrens’ Home Ville, works in a garden centre.

Didi, live in Gloucester, she is a deputy manager in a hotel.  

Fergie Sings The Blues, lives in Childrens’ Home Ville, working for an undertaker.  

Grace T works in patient therapy in a hospital. She is "as sure as she can be" that she saw Magda in Gloucester in December!! 

Helena P works in a stables.

Mad Lad, lives in Childrens’ Home Ville, a self employer builder.

Peter From Upstairs, lives in Childrens’ Home Ville, works in a hardware shop.

Queen of the World, lives in Childrens’ Home Ville, a mature student.

Red Rose, lives in Childrens’ Home Ville, works in bar/restaurant.  

Simple Not Simon works in an "upmarket pub".

Tiger Not Tim, lives in Childrens’ Home Ville, currently unemployed.

Tom H, lives in Childrens’ Home Ville, works in a garden centre.

Tom T, lives in Childrens’ Home Ville, works in a petrol station.

Twinkle, lives in Childrens’ Home Ville, currently unemployed.

Zulu, lives near Montgomery, works for an optical supplies company.