Christmases Away From Home

Christmases Away From Home

I love Christmas. Yes, it's busy, there is a lot to do, but I usually start early with Christmas cards and letter writing (I have a very long list!) and it's worth making the effort at least once a year, to keep in touch with folks we know and love.

In the old days (i.e., when I first came back to England, and when Wendy was very young), we used to eat Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve. We always dressed up; Wendy's dad wore a DJ and Wendy and I wore long dresses. Having got all the cooking done and the turkey eaten and enjoyed on December 24th, it meant Christmas Day was a very gentle, easy time, which we could relax into and be peaceful, and enjoy the true spirit of Christmas. Every year, Wendy's Dad made a short sound cine film of Wendy singing the carols she had learned at school. Wendy was in the choir, and there was a concert at the end of term, so on Christmas Day it was our family tradition that we would gather round the piano, I'd play that year's selection of carols, Wendy would sing, and Bob would film it. 

As time rolled on though - and especially in more recent times, with Mum getting older, but before she fell and broke her ankle in 2011 - it became more of an effort to do things the same way each Christmas. In any case, traditions are fine, but sometimes need to be amended and adapted to different situations. 

In 2004, I read an advertisement for Christmas at The Four Pillars Hotel in Witney, Oxfordshire, and my goodness, the idea of someone else taking responsibility for all the preparations, cooking and entertaining, really appealed! The whole family agreed we should try it, so I went ahead and make the reservation.

It was a really lovely arrangement, as the Christmas package covered four nights. On arrival on December 23, the guests were greeted by the Manager with tea in the lounge, a welcoming sherry and carols with members of the local Church, followed by dinner. Starting the Christmas break on 23 December was such a good idea, as it meant you had plenty of time to "settle in" and there was no rush to dive straight into the festivities, which began on Christmas Eve.

During the day on 24 December, we used to walk to the village of Ducklington, where there was a charming duckpond, complete with ducks. This pleased me very much. I love ducks, and have fond memories from my childhood visits back to England, buying "six penn'orth of stale bread" and feeding the ducks in Grange-over-Sands. Those ducks got to know me, and would come up quacking, and pecking at my trouser legs, until they got their share of crumbs. To this day I cannot eat a dish of duck......

We also drove into Witney to look round the shops - it was nice, and Wendy found a lovely shoe shop which suited her style perfectly.  

At this point, even though she was in a lot of pain with her hip and her knee, Mum was still able walk. When we went into Witney, we took a folding wheelchair chair with us and put it together when we reached the village.  Al was a willing assistant for Mum, pushing her along until she found somewhere she wanted to visit. If she was wheeled up to the door of a shop, it wasn't such an effort for her to stand up, go in and look around and she really liked that.

Al pushing Great Grandma around Witney

We were given a programme of events - everyone was welcome to join in as many or as few as they liked. The staff were so well organised, enthusiastic and helpful, it was so relaxing to be carried along on the gentle swell with people who knew how to take care of the guests and entertain them.

On Christmas Eve there was dinner and dancing, with everyone dressed up for the occasion. Later on, there was also a midnight service at the local Church, with so many worshippers in the congregation, it was full to overflowing; everyone was made welcome.

On Christmas morning, every guest found a stocking attached to the outside door handle - the staff had been busy! After breakfast, we opened all our presents we had brought with us from home; depending on the weather, we went for a stroll - it was bliss not to have to do anything, but just "be" until lunch time, when all the guests gathered for a grand Christmas dinner.

Lilian, the Restaurant Manager, was a very charming young man from France; he realised Mum had trouble walking, so he personally collected her from her room and took Mum on his arm, bringing her into the dining room. Mum was thrilled to bits at the attention! and Father Christmas came to every table with gifts.

In the evening, there were games; and if anyone was inclined to visit the spa, you could relax in the pool or the jacuzzi. Wendy and I had a go at learning to swim - I still think it's miraculous when I get my feet off the bottom of the pool for a couple of seconds. I am always in the shallow end! and thank goodness for the buoyant lengths of foam to hold on to, giving me confidence.

On Boxing Day, there was a buffet lunch, followed by more games, bingo, a casino, "horse" racing in the lounge and, in the evening, another dinner dance where guests were invited to wear fancy dress. It was great fun.

 People who work in hospitality, catering and hotels are usually hard at work when everyone else is concentrating on enjoying themselves; I never forget that they also have homes to go to, and would like to celebrate the festivities with their own families, but at the Four Pillars, the staff enveloped everyone in a feeling of being part of a happy crowd. They were enthusiastic and helpful, and nothing was too much trouble.

The only other time I recall being away from home at Christmas time was one year when we were on board ship - we were either sailing back home to the UK or going back to East Africa. I was 7, and at the time I remember thinking, "Well, I know there are funnels on this ship - but how is Father Christmas going to manage to climb down one of them?!" It didn't destroy the magic, though.

On 27 December, it was time for us to leave for home. The Christmas break had provided us with a truly Merry Christmas, and if you take the analogy of the railway advertisement slogan, "Let The Train Take The Strain," for us it was more that "The Four Pillars Hotel Really Rang Our Bell!"

We had had a marvellous time; in fact, we had enjoyed it so much, we went back in 2005, 2006 and 2007!