Boxing Day Confessions from a Bus Shelter

"I have a confession to make," she said.
"Oh?” What?" I asked her "Are you married?”
"Not that I remember" she replied "I would hope if I were I wouldn’t be standing in a bus shelter kissing another man”
It was Boxing Day and we were on our way to the “Grapes”. And the reason we were on our way there was because they showed live football in the bar and United were playing Liverpool.
I was a Man Utd fan and it was an important match.
Well to be honest it was always an important match when we played Liverpool.
She could have been married for all I knew. I hadn’t known her long and we’d only had our first date on Christmas Eve and so there was a lot I didn’t know about her.
Her name was Billi Ridgway and she was new to the village, her family had moved in to the house next door to my parents, two weeks before Christmas from somewhere in Cheshire.
I liked the look of her from the first minute and asked her out but it took me almost 2 weeks before I wore her down.
So we were on our way to the pub on Boxing Day when we stopped for an intimate interlude in the bus shelter.
It was kind of an instant attraction thing, certainly for me, and since the first attraction had gradually deepened and now I was head over heels in love with her.
"What then?"
"I’ve been dreading saying this” she said
I was really worried now I wasn’t sure I wanted to know.
Billi took a deep breath and I braced myself
“I’m a Liverpool supporter” she said and closed her eyes and grimaced
It took a moment for the full implications of her statement to sink in.
“I think I would have preferred it if you were married” I said
She moved close in to me and asked
“Do you mean you would prefer a married woman to be in love with you rather than a Liverpool supporter?”
“She loved me” I said to myself and I wasn’t sure if that shocked me more than the fact she supported Liverpool.
"I'm sorry," she said "Not much of a Christmas present for my new boyfriend I’m afraid"
She couldn't have been more wrong. It was the perfect Christmas
present.
Billi Ridgeway loved me.

Christmas Movie Reviews # 2

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER - A CAROL CHRISTMAS (2003)

An enjoyable and humorous reworking of Charles Dickens well spun yarn of redemption.
This retelling of the story is of an ego-maniacal driven and heartless TV talk show host, Carol Cartman (Tori Spelling) who is determined to destroy the festive fun in the studio.
However on Christmas Eve she is visited by the ghost of her Aunt Marla (Dinah Manoff).
The story unfolds much as you might expect from then on but the late Gary Coleman is a quite excellent Ghost of Christmas Past and William Shatner steals the show as the Ghost of Christmas Present.
The use of the Star Trek tele-porter effect when he "moved" Carol from one location to another was quite inspired.
There are also very credible performances from Nina Siemaszko as ill-used assistant Roberta and Michael Landes as Roberta’s love interest Jimmy.

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER - 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS EVE

This is a “Groundhog Day” style Christmas Tale.
Calvin Carter (Steven Weber), is a very successful business executive who has it all, but he blatantly neglects all those closest to him.
But on Christmas Eve, all that changes when a large sign on his office building falls on him. He awakes in what appears to be a hospital bed, attended to by Angie (Molly Shannon), a nurse who soon lets him know he has 12 days (12 chances) to get his act together and achieve the "perfect" Christmas Eve.
As each subsequent Christmas Eve slips by he succeeds only in making perfect Christmas Eve’s for himself.
Finally he is told in no uncertain terms that if he doesn’t figure out what he is doing wrong there will be dire consequences.

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER - THE CHRISTMAS GIFT

George Billings (John Denver) is a successful New York City architect and his boss Thomas A. Renfield (Edward Winter) sends him on a business trip to look over a small Colorado town that he has earmarked for a possible real estate development.
One year earlier, at Christmastime, George’s beloved wife had died so what was meant to be a joyous season is a time of painful memories for George and his seven year old daughter Alexandra (Gennie James).
George decided he would take his daughter with him on the trip for a Christmas vacation and when he and Alex arrived in the small charming hamlet of Georgetown, they discovered that it was a place where everyone, from the very oldest inhabitant to the very youngest child, believed in Santa Clause.
It doesn’t take long for George and Alex to fall under the towns spell, or for George to do the same with the hamlets lovely postmistress Susan McMillan (Jane Kaczmarek).
Unfortunately, on the strength of George's glowing reports, his boss Renfield proceeds with plans to transform the town into a modern ski resort.
Soon everyone, Susan and Alex included turns against George, despite the fact he had already lost his job for protesting against it.
However he wins the inhabitants of the mystical Colorado town back with his daring plan to thwart Renfield and preserve Georgetown's old fashioned charm.
And just to make the whole tale even more special Santa pitches in with a few "miracles" of his own.
But Pat Corley as Taxi Driver Bud Sawyer and the ever reliable Mary Wickes as Henrietta are the icing on the very festive Christmas cake

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER - MR ST NICK

King Nicholas XX (Charles Durning) is ready to retire and pass the throne to his son, Nick St Nicholas (Kelsey Grammer).
But Nick fails to turn up for the rehearsal of his coronation, preferring instead his lavish Florida seaside lifestyle and his sexy girlfriend.
So he falls out with his father and is enticed into portraying a fictitious Santa Claus for a charity (Mr.SaintNick.com) by Heidi (Elaine Hendrix) and Hector (Luis Garcia).
His only remaining link to the North Pole is his butler Jasper (Brian Bedford) who then hires a new cook, Lorena (Ana Ortiz) who will prove to be Nick’s salvation.
While Nick begins to fall in love with Heidi and asks her to marry him, he is totally unaware that Hector and Heidi are transferring the charity's money into their own account in the Cayman Islands and leaving Nick as the patsy.
Only a miracle can save Christmas with the help of Queen Carlotta (Katherine Helmond).

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER - ANNIE CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN

Santa's daughter Annie (Maria Thayer) is to take her first trip away from the North Pole during the Christmas season.
The hope is she will find adventure and love in sunny California.
Annie arrives in Los Angeles and becomes friends with Lucy (Vivica A. Fox), the owner of the Candy Cane Inn and her daughter, Mia (Nay Nay Kirby).
Very soon she finds a job at Wonderland Toys and is persuaded to direct the Christmas Pageant at Mia’s School.
Wonderland Toy’s is an old fashioned Toy store selling old-fashioned toys in a digital world and the owner, Ted (Sam Page) is struggling to stay in business
All the while this is going on a plot hatched at the North Pole to have her fall in love with an unemployed actor named Dean so that her Uncle Chester can take over the business.
But Annie soon realizes that she wants Ted's business to thrive because she has feelings for this Christmas traditionalist.

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER - THE GATHERING (1977 TV MOVIE)

When Adam Thornton (Ed Asner) learns that he only has a little time left to live, he decides that he wants to make peace with his family.
However that was easier said than done, due mainly to his stubborn nature, but walking out on his wife didn’t help nor did his estrangement with his youngest son after an argument.
When his doctor told him it wasn’t good for him to travel it wss suggested that he invite the whole family to spend Christmas with him.
Although most of them accept, Adam's attempts at reconciliation prove far from easy.

The Gathering is a wonderful holiday treat with just the right balance of sentimentality and saccharin.
Ed Asner is perfect as the estranged husband and father but Maureen Stapleton is simply brilliant as Kate and is by far the best of a very strong cast.

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER - DEAR SECRET SANTA

Beverly Hills workaholic banker Jennifer (Tatyana Ali) returns home to her small Northern California home town just before Christmas, after her dad, Ted (Bill Cobbs), falls badly while putting up Christmas decorations.
Much to her father’s annoyance Jenny moves into her old room to look after him.
And while she’s at home, Jenny begins getting romantic Christmas cards from an unknown admirer, who turns out to be her old next door neighbour and the unrealized love of her life, Jack (Lamorne Morris).
Which would be perfect but for one small problem, Jack died in a car accident three years earlier.

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER - HOLIDAY INN

On Christmas Eve Jim Hardy (Bing Crosby), prepares to give his last performance as part of a musical act popular in the New York City nightlife scene with Ted Hanover (Fred Astaire), and Lila Dixon (Virginia Dale).
After the show he and Lila were going to marry and then retire to a farm in Connecticut.
At the last minute, Lila decides she is not ready to stop performing, and says that she has fallen in love with Ted and plans to stay on as Ted's dancing partner.
Heartbroken Jim follows through with his plan and bids the act and the treacherous pair goodbye.
On Christmas Eve one year later, Jim is back in New York City, farm life had proven more difficult than he expected and he was planning to turn his farm into an entertainment venue instead which will only be open on holidays called "Holiday Inn.
Ted and his agent Danny Reed (Walter Abel) scoff at the plan, but wish him luck.

While ordering flowers for Lila, at the airport flower shop, Danny is accosted by employee Linda Mason (Marjorie Reynolds) who recognizes him as a talent agent.
Danny brushes her off and refers her to Holiday Inn and gives her a pass to Ted's club.
That night, Linda sits with Jim and they spin each other a yarn, he says he owns a big club and she says she’s a celebrity friend of Ted Hanover.

Linda arrives at Holiday Inn on Christmas morning where she meets Jim and they both realised they had been fooling each other the previous evening.
They take to one another immediately as Jim is preparing the place for New Year's Eve, and he sings her his new song, "White Christmas".
In New York City Meanwhile, Ted learns that Lila is leaving him for a Texas millionaire.
He gets completely drunk and turns up at Holiday Inn to talk with Jim but ends up performing a dazzling dance with Linda to great acclaim.
Over the following months Jim and Linda fall in love while Ted tries desperately to find his mystery dance partner.
Jim is determined that he should not and as one Holiday follows another he becomes more and more desperate in his attempt to keep Linda for himself that he ends up pushing her into Ted’s grasp.

He spent a lonely Thanksgiving with the Inn closed and was deeply depressed, Linda was in California with Ted making a movie based on Holiday Inn, unable to eat the turkey dinner prepared for him by his housekeeper Mamie (Louise Beavers).
In the end Mamie begged him to travel to Hollywood to win Linda back by telling her exactly how he felt about her.

Jim arrived at the studio on Christmas Eve, there was just one scene left to film and then Ted was taking Linda away to get married.
Jim confronted Ted in his dressing room the pair of them locked him in a closet but he managed to turn the tables on them and locked Ted and Danny in.

The final scene for the movie featured a faithful recreation of Holiday Inn,
Jim is shown around the set by the director when he is left alone Jim leaves his pipe on the set's piano and hides nearby.
When Linda entered the room she sat at the piano, and performed "White Christmas" but when she noticed the pipe on the piano, her voice faltered, and when she continued Jim's voice joined hers.
Jim appeared from his hiding place and Linda ran to him.
As the director yelled "cut" Ted and Danny burst onto the set, but they are too late.

On New Year's Eve, at Holiday Inn, Ted is reunited with Lila and they reprise their partnership.
While Jim and Linda prepare to stay together and run the Inn.

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER - THE CHRISTMAS SHOES

This is the perfect merging of two separate stories that together make a third.
In the first, a young music teacher, Maggie Andrews (Kimberly Williams), discovers she is dying of a heart condition.
When it becomes obvious there is no hope, her son Nathan (Max Morrow) decides he wants to get a pair of Christmas shoes for her before she dies.
In the second one, ambitious workaholic lawyer Robert Layton (Rob Lowe) and his wife Kate (Maria del Mar) find they are slowly drifting apart.
During the run up to Christmas she baulks at his constant nagging for her to return to work and she decides to take over from Maggie with the school choir and declines a job in Robert's firm.
Things come to a head when Robert's mother passes away, which forces him to reconsider things and his and Nathan's paths cross on Christmas Eve as Robert tries to get a present for his daughter and Nathan finds he doesn’t have enough money for his mum’s Christmas shoes.

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER - HITCHED FOR THE HOLIDAYS

Rob Marino (Joey Lawrence) is a commitment-phobe so when he breaks up with his girlfriend before Thanksgiving, his big Italian family criticized him for his inability to keep a relationship through the holidays.
Desperate to prove them all wrong and also to fulfil his grandmother's (Paula Shaw) dying wish to see him happy and in love, Rob goes online and finds Julie (Emily Hampshire).
She is another single New Yorker who's meddling Jewish mom (Marilu Henner), who constantly tries to entangle her with unsuitable partners, drove her to seek a temporary boyfriend.
Rob and Julie agree to pose as a couple through the holidays to get their families off their backs.
Things get complicated when Rob's Catholic clan and Julie's Jewish family get too involved.
But as Christmas comes ever closer they discover their fake feelings may be a little too real.

Christmas Poem Selection # 7

ARE YOU WEARING IT FOR A REASON?

Are you wearing it for a reason?
That outfit for the Christmas season
Yes it does come around very soon
But you do realise that it’s only June

TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS # 13

Twas the night before Christmas
And all thru the dwelling
the fragrances of Christmas
Was all we were smelling

IT’S ALL DOWN TO YOU

It’s all down to you
You are the number one
Thanks for everything
For another job well done
You’re the best of the best
Happy Christmas Mum

WITHOUT SANTA’S LITTLE HELPER

Without Santa’s little helper
Christmas would be very hard
I don’t think I could do Christmas
Without my credit card

A WINTER BLUNDERLAND

Door bells ring, are you listening,
In the street, snow is glistening,
Out in the night,
There’s a hideous sight
Your mother in her winter underwear

WHAT DO YOU CALL A BLIND REINDEER?

What do you call a blind reindeer?
During the governments austere stance
“Fit for work and no longer eligible
For any disability allowance”

CHRISTMAS SWEATER

My sister in law
Fills a sweater well
I think she’s rather hot
The truth to tell

For Christmas
I bought for her
A button fronted
Lambs wool sweater

I want to see her in it
I just can’t wait
She has a figure
To really fascinate

It has ten buttons
It’ll be a tight fit
Very figure hugging
That’s how I like it

She has breasts
Quite first rate
She has curves
That really titillate

She has a figure
To really fascinate
Of the ten buttons
She’ll only fasten eight

MERRY CHRISTMAS HO HO HO

Merry Christmas Ho Ho Ho
Is Santa’s motto
And Santa thought that
He’d won the lotto
When he scored big
With three girls so hot-o
They were doing things
In Santa’s grotto
That Santa’s and Elves
Should definitely not-o
But merry Christmas
Ho Ho Ho is his motto

ITS NOT THAT I’M ANTI SOCIAL

I won’t come to the pub
Thank you all the same
Not in celebration
No thanks I will refrain

I will go to church
Thank you all the same
To celebrate the day
That the Lord came

UP AT THE CRACK OF DAWN

Don’t worry that the little ones
Will be up at the crack of dawn
It is worth it to see the simple joy
In their eyes on Christmas morn

SOMETHING MAGICAL IS HAPPENING

Something magical is happening
Can you feel it?
Something special is on its way
You all love it

Christmas is coming and hearts
Are full to brimming
Because Christmas is abiding love
With all the trimmings

ARE YOU WEARING A CHRISTMAS SWEATER?

Are you wearing a Christmas sweater?
Well this season just keeps on getting better
It’s not that I like novelty knitwear
But I can ogle your chest and you won’t care

SO YOU THINK THAT YOU ARE CLAUSTROPHOBIC

So you think that you are Claustrophobic
Well I doubt that is a phobia of yours
As I should tell you that Claustrophobia
Is definitely not a fear of Santa Claus

AFTER A LONG FLIGHT ON THE SLEIGH

After a long flight on the sleigh
Listening to Sleigh bells jingle
It wasn’t milk and cookies
That made Santa’s taste buds tingle
It was the thought of Mrs. Claus’s
Freshly made Crisp Cringle

THERE WAS A MEXICAN SHEPHERD

There was a Mexican shepherd
Who once worked for my dad
And every Christmas time
He wished us Fleece Navidad

Christmas Poem Selection # 6

ARE YOU WEARING ELFISH EARS?

Are you wearing elfish ears?
It’s a very interesting feature
Though more appropriate
On a woodland creature
And not really suitable
For one in your position
You are let me remind you
The leader of the opposition

SAD CHRISTMAS

There is a pain in my chest
Where my heart used to be
There are tears in my eyes
That are blinding me
Let the season pass
Without my participation
Christmas won't be merry
Is my sad anticipation

CHRISTMAS SURPRISE

She likes surprises
And at Christmas even more
So I do what I can
To give her surprises galore

Each year it gets harder
But I do what I can
This year I will tell her
I haven’t always been a man

THE SALVATION ARMY BELLS

The sound of Christmas really tells
In the ring of the Salvation Army bells
Calling out into the dark
Calling out to the heart
Ringing out in the throng
Singing out a heralding song
Give a little, not a lot
Give a little for their lot
They have little, but are not less
Give your coins and let them bless
A tale of generosity tells
In the ring of the Salvation Army’s bells

THE GLAD THE MAD AND THE BAD

Well it’s that time of year again
The time when we feign gladness
When we all get caught up
In the annual collective madness
The time of year when we pretend
The world is not full of badness

THE GIFT OF GIVING

Gift giving
Is in itself a gift
Get it right
And watch spirits lift
Get it wrong
And they’ll be miffed
And undoubtedly
You’ll get short shrift
It isn’t in every one
Not everyone is able
So be warned
As you wrap and label
That a turkey
May not be confined to the table

CHRISTMAS SPIRIT

Christmas spirit,
No matter what you might think
Doesn’t come in a bottle
It isn’t a drink
It cannot be supped
But can be consumed
But its presence
Cannot be presumed
It must be cherished
Where it is found
Respectfully nurtured
And then spread around

THE BEST CHRISTMAS ACTOR OF ALL TIME # 2

The best Christmas actor of all time
Will this one isn’t actually very
But she sounds like she should be
And so the winner is Holly Berry

CHRISTMAS FERN

Christmas ferns
Abundant and evergreen
With Pinnate leaves
In lance-shaped fronds
Dense clusters of
Featherlike leaflets
In wide display
Decorate the
Christmas landscape
Of North America

ARE YOU WEARING A CHRISTMAS HAT?

Are you wearing a Christmas Hat?
Sitting so perfectly on your head
A gorgeous little tit for tat
White trimmed and crimson red
LET’S RAISE A GLASS TO MUM # 1

Let’s raise a glass to Mum
And I speak for us all when I say
You have triumphed once again
In your quiet efficient way
You have managed to conjure up
Another perfect Christmas day

ON A STILL CLEAR NIGHT

The shepherds rested in the firelight
When they were woken on a still clear night
By heavens choir hastening them
To go forth unto Bethlehem
The heavenly choir
Sang of Gods desire
To give the world his son
His one and only one
The choir continued to sing
And announced the birth of a king

MERRY, MERRY

The doctor scratches his head
And is almost struck dumb
Why did Santa Claus have
A mince pie stuck up his bum
The only answer was
On a pie he must have sat
So the doctor said
“I’ll give you some cream to put on that”

A WINTER WONDERLAND

My bell rings, are you listening,
On your face, your lips are glistening,
A beautiful sight,
I’ll be happy tonight,
Rummaging in your winter underwear

OLIVE THE 10TH REINDEER

Olive the other reindeer,
Used to laugh and call him names
She never let poor Rudolph
Join in any reindeer games
So he planted drugs in her stall
And got her chucked off the team

Christmas Poem Selection # 5

ARE YOU WEARING A BUNCH OF MISTLETOE?

Are you wearing a bunch of mistletoe?
Well you certainly mean business
Isn’t that overkill? “Less is more” after all
But you know what you’re doing I guess
Are you aiming at a particular beau?
Do you have a target in mind?
Or are you more indiscriminate
Scattergun like or something of the kind
Oh so there is an object of your affections
Is it perhaps someone that I know?
It’s someone I know very well indeed?
I still don’t know the identity of your beau
It’s me? I’m the one you desire?
You want to kiss me beneath the mistletoe?

THE TREE OF EVERGREEN

A top the tree of evergreen
See the star of Christmas sit
While scattered on its boughs
The coloured lights are lit

On the branches baubles hang
Glorious globes of glass delight
Candy canes and little gifts
And silver tinsel twinkling bright

And below the tree of evergreen
Adorned in festive dress
Sits the pile of Christmas gifts
Awaited with eagerness

I WOULD GIVE TO YOU ON CHRISTMAS MORNING

I would give to you
On Christmas morning
The gift of love
Contained within my heart
So I could deliver it
And to show good faith
I would wrap it in my soul
Then you would have the best of me
For with no heart and soul
I am but an empty shell
So I would give you that as well
And then you would have all of me

CHRISTMAS IS A GIFT

Christmas is a gift
A gift to the world
Of infinite grace
A special gift
Of redemption for all
Don’t cast it aside

CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS

Celebrate Christmas
With Christ, in his house
With his love in your heart
You can’t celebrate him
In a pub, or in gluttony and avarice
At the shopping mall

LONELY THIS CHRISTMAS

I want you with me at Christmas
I want you to be at home
And I know it’s not possible
But I just don’t want to be alone

MISSING YOU

We want you home at Christmas
We want you to spend it with us
But we understand the reason why
And we promise to try not to cry
We will spend Christmas on our own
Until you come marching safely home

THE CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS

When first you hear
A seasonal refrain
You know its time
To climb the ladder again
Up to the attic
Amongst the dust
To find the box
That is a must.
Where your heart will lift
At its very sight
And when in hand
You’ll grip it tight
Such is its precious nature
A box of magic
Of which its loss
Would be so tragic
For so special are
The boxes contents
Because this box
Contains the ornaments
That will grace the tree
And each trinket and angel
Every bell and bauble
Has a special tale to tell
For every ornament
That hangs upon the tree
Holds its own
Christmas memory

CHAVS CHRISTMAS # 4

So we could go Christmas shopping
I kept the kids home from school today
Because if I’d gone on my own
I’d have gotten the wrong sizes, so hey

THE BEST CHRISTMAS ACTOR OF ALL TIME # 1

The best Christmas actor of all time
Is a character actor so sublime
And there can only be one winner
And that would be Yule Brynner

JW ADVENT CALENDAR # 2

You can now buy a Jehovah’s Witness
Advent calendar
I’ve never seen one before
I don’t know what message is inside
Because for some reason
You can’t open a single door

CHRISTINGLE MINGLE

It is the season that makes my senses tingle
The time of year when the sleigh bells jingle
And we come together for the Christingle mingle
When the Clauses and the Grinch’s intermingle
And happy clappy’s and traditionalists comingle
As we celebrate the service of Christingle

OH SANTA CLAUS THE BELLS THE BELLS ARE CALLING

Oh Santa Claus the bells the bells are calling
From town to town, where goodwill doth abide
The summers gone, the autumn leaves have fallen
We’re near, we’re near another Christmas tide

So come ye back to us on Christmas Evening
When all the land is hushed and white with snow
And we will leave your milk and cookies
Oh Santa Claus, you know we love you so

HER WASSAIL

She would sing for her supper
And wail for her wassail
To get her turkey dinner
And a pint of Christmas ale

ARE YOU WEARING A CHRISTMAS TOP?

Are you wearing a Christmas Top?
Well I very much like what I see
Because there isn’t very much of it
And the contents are bursting free

The Avuncular and the Christmas Stocking

Three months had passed since Hannah Castle and I had made love in my room at the Cleddau Bridge Hotel and two days short of three months since she said she wasn’t sure we could be together.
Not that she didn’t love me or enjoy being with me, and I can say without being boastful that it wasn’t because she didn’t enjoy making love with me.
Nor did she think it was a mistake, a moment of madness or because she had drunk too much.
“I don’t regret it for a second” she said as we lay entwined beneath the duvet “I just have doubts”
Hannah just wasn’t sure if she could or should give over her heart, soul and life to a man 12 years older than herself.
I can’t say I wasn’t disappointed and I wasn’t happy about it but I wasn’t angry with her in fact I agreed with her to a point,
And I wanted her to be sure as well.
After all I had no words to convince a 29 year old woman to give her life to a man the wrong side of 40.
And nor would I have wished to use them if they were in my possession.

“I love you Tom but I just have to be certain sure” she said the moment before she drove away.
It was heart-breaking to watch her drive away because I had no such doubts.
For me that first night together was the blissful culmination of eight years of hope and desire.
Not just the love making but to hear my declaration of love returned in word and delicious deed.
It had been pretty much love at first sight for me, but then she was a beautiful sight to behold.
For her it was a more gradual falling and one that she desperately fought against tooth and claw whereas I simply surrendered to her.

Even before our chance meeting at the hotel Hannah had agreed to take a three month secondment in Milford Haven where she could be close to her sister and the twins so she suggested they take that time to think.
And in that time she would either get over me or know for certain sure I was the one.

While she was away I convinced myself almost on a daily basis that it was over and rightly so I thought at times.
If the worst came to the worst I consoled myself with the thought that I would always have the memory of that wonderful weekend when my love for her was finally validated.
In my darkest moments I did question if it was a moment of madness that brought Hannah to my bed.
I was glad for that madness if that’s what it was.
Though if Hannah did resolve that it was a mistake and it was over he would at least have the memory of that wonderful weekend to sustain him forever.
I prefer to think it was fate that brought us together on that wonderful weekend.

I would have liked to have exchanged the occasional text or email with her but Hannah had asked for total separation.
All I could do was throw myself into my work totally and fill my every waking moment with thoughts of anything and everything that wasn’t her.
Impossible of course but if in the unlikely event that I could exclude her from my thoughts I couldn’t stop her invading my dreams.
When I slept I dared to dream, so in the small hours of the sleepless night I resorted to the only thing that prevented me from being driven insane.
I wrote in a diary, I called it a dream diary, it was where I wrote every detail, every thought that filled my troubled sleep nightly, thoughts of love for the girl of my dreams.
The closer the end of the three months got the more intense the dreams became and evermore vivid with each passing day.

It was the day before Christmas Eve when I got the long awaited phone call, I took a deep breath and hit the button.
“Hello, Tom Flood” I said
“Hey Tom” she said
“Hannah?” I asked “God it’s good to hear your voice”
“Ditto” Hannah replied “Where are you?”
“I’m in London” I replied “Are you still in Milford Haven?”
“No I’m back home” she replied “When are you back?”
“Tonight” I replied
“Can we meet?” Hannah asked
“Yes” I said “Have you made a decision?”
“Yes I have” she replied
“And?” I enquired trying to keep the anxiety out of my voice
“I don’t want to say on the phone” she answered “I want to do it face to face”
“Ok” I said not knowing if that meant it would be good or bad
“Come to the house tonight” I said
“What time?” she asked
“Around seven” I replied “Let yourself in if I’m late, you know where the key is”
“Ok, I’ll see you tonight then Tommy” she said
“Ok, bye”

The journey out of London was an absolute mare and consequently I was late and it was nearly 8 o’clock when I drove onto the drive.
Since her phone call my stomach had been in absolute knots and arriving home late didn’t untangle it in the least.
The lights were on in the house so Hannah had let herself in I only hoped she was still there and hadn’t got tired of waiting.
As I sat in the pre-Christmas traffic I tried to ring her to warn her of my delay but my phone died.
So I sat on the drive trying to summon up the courage to go in, I was so desperate to know her answer but equally terrified of what it might be, yes or no.
“Yes” meaning she was sure and she would give all of herself to me unreservedly
Or “No” and we would never be together.
I reran the earlier conversation in my head and tried to read between the lines to find some hidden meaning or some indication as to her decision.
I slowly opened the door and stepped in.
“Hi Hannah” I called “I’m sorry I’m late, traffic was hell”
No answer, she must have got fed up of waiting after all.
“Shit” I exclaimed and took off my coat but as I hung it on the peg in the hall I noticed an unfamiliar coat already hanging there.
“She is here” I said
But where? Where was she exactly?
I hung my coat and walked into the lounge and that’s when I knew.
I knew because I saw the black stockings hanging from the mantel anchored beneath a Christmas candle so I knew where to find her.
And stood on the mantel next to the candle was a Christmas card
I opened it and read the words
“Happy Christmas Tommy
All my love
Hannah”
Beneath her signature there appeared to be an abundance of the obligatory small x’s but on closer examination each kiss was in fact the word “Yes”
And so I had my answer and my dreams were fulfilled.

Christmas Poem Selection # 4

ARE YOU WEARING AN ELF OUTFIT?

Are you wearing an elf outfit?
Does it come with all the kit?
Pixie boots and a floppy hat
The green tights and all that
If you come to the grotto with me
You can call me Santa and sit on my knee

CHAVS CHRISTMAS # 3

I kept Billie home from school
For Christmas shopping
Doing it during school time
When the malls are empty

TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS # 17

Twas the night before Christmas and all thru the house
Not a creature was stirring not even a louse
But there is a reason and here’s the tell
It’s just been fumigated and stank like hell

JW ADVENT CALENDAR # 1

You can now buy a Jehovah’s Witness
Advent calendar
I’ve never seen one before
There are no Christmas messages
It just says Fuck off
Behind every door

WHEN CHRISTMAS WEARS ITS TINSELLED GOWN

When Christmas wears its tinselled gown
Joy fills the streets around the town
We must banish those who wear a frown
As we celebrate the King with the holy crown

CHRISTMAS GATEAU

It is time for me to make
My most special Christmas cake
The only thing you need to start
Is the most joyous open heart
Then add by the pound
All the love that can be found
Humble ingredients like
Thankfulness and Gratitude
Lashings of positive attitude
Laced with Christmas cheer
And a cup of Christmas beer
An abundance of good wishes
With lots of hugs and kisses
Not forgetting laughter and fun
Enough to serve everyone
And to complete my Gateau
I garnish with sprigs of mistletoe

BRANDISHING YOUR MISTLETOE

It’s Christmas Eve so off you go
Start brandishing your mistletoe
March off purposely through the snow
To find yourself a Christmas ho

MISSING EVERYONE

I miss everyone so much, that I fear
I’ll dampen everyone’s Christmas cheer
Then your emailed movie clip appears
And when I’ve wiped away my misty tears
The long miles seem to disappear
And feel more like you are all near
So I put away my lonely fears
Have another glass that cheers
And I’ll see you all on New Years

FILL MY CUP WITH CHEER

Fill my cup with cheer
Dear Lord
But let me be merry
And not drunk
Let me be a companion
And not a burden
Let me be happy
But not foolish
Let me know
When its time to go
And deliver me
Safely to my door

ARE YOU WEARING A CHRISTMAS DRESS?

Are you wearing a Christmas Dress?
The big red ribbon is particularly pleasant
I’m itching to pull at that bow
So when do I get to open my present

MY SISTER WAS AFRAID OF SANTA CLAUS

My sister was afraid of Santa Claus
The thought of him made her sick
The rest of us all loved him to bits
But she was clearly Claus-trophobic

DO YOU KNOW WHAT SANTA BRINGS

Do you know what Santa brings naughty
Boys and girls so they are not excluded?
It’s not coal anymore so don’t think that
It batteries, labelled "toy not included"

WALNUTS IN WINTER

Walnuts in winter
Along with filberts, almonds
And fleshy Brazils

YOUNG LOVERS CUDDLE

Young lovers cuddle
Listening to carols sung
While the Yule log burns

SNOWDROPS IN WINTER

Snowdrops in winter
Mother Nature’s heralds
Of the coming spring