Last night will go down as ‘ the most dancey one’ John and I have had since Rosie died .It was a Monday and I was a bit jaded after a full on day at work .Plus I’d had a few too many of Holly,Izzy and Stu’s brandy jellies the night before – not to mention the fizz, the tiramisu and the carol singing …oh and then Bradley .I know Ellie didn’t even get close ,but she looked the best -her dress and shoes were lovely .I just feel so proud and emotional when I see her . She has made people so aware of Achrondroplasia . God knows what Jane would say – (I think she would say I’m mad writing all this emotional stuff ,but secretly be proud of her too ). …Anyway, it was ‘The Ealing Soup-kitchen Christmas party’ and John and I were on the team that hosted it , at the back of St Paul’s Church ( Not the big one in London , with the big dome ) .So I shot home , picked up Florence’s ,home-made(?) stuffing , other bits, then we shot to Waitrose ,to pick up the 12 roast chickens they had donated . The room looked lovely -red and white gingham tablecloths, ivy ,candles, gold crackers , bowls of nuts etc .It was the first party I’ve been to where the guests were queuing outside the door at 5pm ( party started at 6.30 ) .The temperature in the kitchen reached 90 ( I don’t actually know that ,but it felt like it ), and then it was full on ….homemade leek& potato soup with grated cheese, bacon and chopped pepper on top , french bread & butter , roast chicken, pots, chipolatas , glazed carrots, minted peas ,Flo’s stuffing, gravy , hot chocolate brownies, ice-cream ,tea ,coffee ( one woman only drinks tea with 2 spoons of coffee in it in – not to be recommended) .Then the entertainmnet- a choir, carol-singing,song sheets, pass-the-parcel and finally ,Smashy & Nicey on the disco .We were all up .John requested PSY’s -Dance Gangnam Style and everyone went crazy .The last song was ‘Feed the World’ ,which was a bit ironic really, but we all belted it out .
The whole evening passed without incident ,if you don’t count one guest getting a bit lary and turning the air blue and trying to pick a fight, another throwing up just outside the church and one set of songsheets catching light . At ten o clock we shut shop , cleared up, picked out all the empty cans of Tenants Extra from the bushes , went home …and had a stiff drink !