The second Christmas

After a tortuous journey from Manchester to Cambridge due to our wonderful British holiday rail arrangements I have finally arrived – possibly with the world’s heaviest suitcase. At least I didn’t have to decamp into a coach or some other dreadful mode of transport but instead had to take a more convoluted route than the already slightly diverted route I'd planned. However, fortunately D and MC were happy to pick me up from Kettering instead. A place I don’t know the whereabouts of, but was convinced was immortalised in the “John Kettering is a weatherman” song until D pointed out I was thinking about John Kettley!

D had prepared for my arrival with a hearty Jamie fish pie. And as I don’t really get the point of prawns, D has had marked the crustacean-free portion with a chive ‘J’. I know I’m very much in the minority here; the world seems to get terribly excited about prawns but I can really take them or leave them. So I feel it is considerate to leave them to those who would truly appreciate them more.

We had a starter of our old favourite M&S's Coquilles St Jacques and mini toad in the holes. There was a certain eagerness to eat this meal as the remaining Christmas presents were to be handed out, divested of their shiny wrappings and oohed and aahed over as soon as the meal was cleared away. Happy second Christmas!