Christmas with a difference

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My son lives three miles from me, where we were scheduled for Christmas Dinner, now he's in Tier 4, so as Basil would say Turkeys off!
We’re the ones who were expecting visitors for Christmas Day but now plunged into Tier 4. The food we have in already together with that on non-refundable order should keep us going until at least the new year.
 
So, following the tier 4 anouncement , and local restrictions me and madame Renault will spend Christmas on our own...then at 7:30pm, she will leave the house to work a night shift as a nurse. Ho hum...bah humbug!!
 
We were due to spend Christmas in Glasgow with the widowed mother-in-law; booking.com sorted a b&b for us in Tebay, Cumbria just off the M6 for the evening of the 22nd. Thankfully I had until this evening to cancel without a fee.

I'd even found a butcher with a goose available in Newton Mearns!

Oh well, at least the airmatic leak and the four wheel alignment have been resolved.

Since it'll be us four, I may eye up a cheeky beef wellington... if I can't get my hands on a cheeky goose!
 
Its just me, elaine my wife and the cats for christmas this year, although most of it will be spent with the cats as elaine is a nurse and is working christmas day, the crappy bit is next christmas is also her weekend on so she will be working that 1 too!
 
Well this virus has upset most peoples plans,we were going to my sons for christmas day staying the night and coming back Boxing day,but they are tier 4 now,we are in tier 2 people around here are obeying the rules,we were expecting people to come on Wednesday for lunch they are in Tier 2 as well not sure what the rules are for that but suspect that will not happen,so we have loads of food,lots of veg are in a bin outside no room in the fridge,we hedged our bets and got a frozen turkey crown just in case,so our xmas dinner is assured ,finished the last bit of DIY on the new front driveway so it is feet up time and get the booze out,been on the wagon for a month so will go at it both hands :banana:
 
We were due to have Christmas dinner with my son and family, so grandkids will be disappointed, not say the missus! We do have a Turkey joint down in the permafrost of the freezer. At least the church services are being streamed.
 
We had planned to drive 95 miles to spend Christmas with my son and grandson in York as we haven't seen them for 6 months. This Christmas relaxation of the rules was the only way I could legally visit and as we are likely to be locked down after Christmas until the spring, I'm still going but will now have to drive there and back in the same day. My local area currently has zero cases and his area in York is way below the national average at 40 per 100,000 so I have no concerns even if the numbers rise a little in the next 4 days. The only thing that might stop me would be snow on the M62.
 
Yes we’re in tier 4 now in Guildford. Not surprised at all though to be honest. I went into town yesterday to pick something up and aborted, almost everybody showing no adherence to the rules; no social distancing, loads of young teens wearing masks round their necks jumping all over each other...crazy! Really disappointed with people actually, a complete lack of thought.
My neighbours have steadfastly ignored all the rules all year. Constant visits from multiple groups of family members from all over he place.

Rules don't apply to that lot. "Cos it's fam-ly. Innit?"

Selfish f-ers.
 
My oddest Christmas was right here in the UK, I had spent month or so working in an Arab state staying on my own in a hotel and working with the 'locals' , so no Ex-Pat activity etc.

I got back to the UK on 23rd December and After 6 weeks or so of ZERO Christmas being forced on me by TV/Radio , retailers etc it was a bit of a shock to the system. It was the lack of build up then BAM ! It was obviously no more than the last year but it seemed intense at the time.

I soon got into the Christmas spirit though 🍷...in fact on the aircraft home as soon as the doors were closed !
 
I/we adore Christmas, love seeing people, love my family. But I’m more than happy to not see anyone for as long as it takes. I REALLY feel sorry for people who live alone but I really can’t see the issue with a couple staying home and having Christmas diner. Yes it’d be nice to see family but at the cost of intensifying/prolonging the situation?
 
I/we adore Christmas, love seeing people, love my family. But I’m more than happy to not see anyone for as long as it takes. I REALLY feel sorry for people who live alone but I really can’t see the issue with a couple staying home and having Christmas diner. Yes it’d be nice to see family but at the cost of intensifying/prolonging the situation?
🙌 I wish everyone thought like you mate. We’d be in a far better situation now.
 
I/we adore Christmas, love seeing people, love my family. But I’m more than happy to not see anyone for as long as it takes. I REALLY feel sorry for people who live alone but I really can’t see the issue with a couple staying home and having Christmas diner. Yes it’d be nice to see family but at the cost of intensifying/prolonging the situation?
We were due to have a couple who are our best friends join us for Christmas dinner, a tradition that we’ve alternated hosts with for the last 20 years. They live just a 15 minute walk away (a longer stagger home) and have been been equally very careful re Covid since the start. We took a while to decide to continue the tradition this year, but in the end we thought it worth it. So I went ahead and ordered and paid for lots of fancy expensive food and drink, with some food still to be collected. Tier 4 means we can now be gluttons on our own - not exactly the most we’ve ever had to suffer!

(The two ladies or gents will have a clandestine meeting in a mutually acceptable wide open public space to exchange secrets (aka pressies) before Friday.)
 
Tier 4 means we can now be gluttons on our own - not exactly the most we’ve ever had to suffer!
And let’s not forget how lucky many of us are to have the technology have to keep in touch with family and friends. Nowhere near as comforting as a Christmas hug but better than a standard phone call. 🥳
 
Unusual Christmas events are common in the armed Forces:-

I was based at Yeovilton Royal Naval Air Station and as was usual, priority for Christmas leave went to married personnel and those with children. To be honest it wasn’t a hardship to remain behind because it was pretty laid back and we enjoyed the novelty of being served Christmas lunch by the officers on the base.

There being no planned flying, just the usual SAR helicopter on standby, our main job was performing security patrols around the airfield perimeter and checking that building were secure.

One very dark night, possibly Boxing Day ( forgive the vagueness but it was in 1973!) we took the land rover to check the bomb dump, which for logical reasons, was at the furthest point from the main buildings.

As the runway and taxiway lights were turned off the resident wildlife was having fun running around the infield area. We foolishly decided to follow a fox unaware of an unmarked open drainage trench and managed to get well and truly stuck in it.

This being the era before mobile phones the only options for getting help was the radio or a long trek across the airfield back to civilisation. Bang on cue it started raining, sleeting would be more accurate, so the trek was abandoned and we called the station duty fire crew on the radio.

We waffled about having a puncture and not having a tool kit and asked if anyone could help. Despite the inevitable ribbing a couple of lads came to rescue us in their sparkling new six-wheeled Range Rover fire truck.

They admitted they enjoyed the chance to give it a speed test down the main runway and had us out of the trench very quickly. A quick trip via the fire station to wash the mud off and we headed back to base. Free drinks for our rescuers next day and loads of Micky taking and all was well.

Our Christmas leave started in January and apparently there were questions about all the tyre tracks at the trench when work resumed but as everyone involved that night was away on two weeks leave the incident was soon forgotten and the AWD fox became part of Yeovilton folklore...
 
And let’s not forget how lucky many of us are to have the technology have to keep in touch with family and friends. Nowhere near as comforting as a Christmas hug but better than a standard phone call. 🥳
Well our Christmas has been well and truly ruined. Being in tier 4 we cannot see the family at all. We normally get together a weekend before Christmas but they cannot travel now. Ok for visual chats with the kids but not so funny when sister in law who we usually have over on Boxing Day is a single 84 year old who does not have the technology so will be on her own over the period. So just normal phone will have to suffice as we are not allowed to create a new family Bubble either.
However we must keep safe for all our sakes but there are so many out there who just do not give a damn and take little, if any, precautions.

Roger
 
Won't be able to see our grandsons on Christmas Day now - and Sue has heard that a workmate tested positive, so as NHS she's just been for a test. Fingers crossed it will be negative or we won't see other grandson and granddaughter :( Still.......

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