Saturday 23rd December, 1989
onight we visited Mac's cousin Kay, Olwen's daughter. It had been raining all day so we didn't go out. We went to Olwen's at Sutton Coldfield and she led us to Kay who lives fairly close. Kay is a very nice girl and her husband, Mike made us very welcome. Her two sons, James and Nicholas, made much of Geoff and told us how much they had liked Neil, how funny and entertaining he was. They all sent their regards to him. We had a very festive supper, talked and listened to music. Mike is an old folkie, like me, and we discussed the folk music of the sixties which we had both preferred to rock. Kay said that she would have recognised Mac but he told me he would not have known her. She was only about fifteen when he left England and that was twenty five years ago. It was a pleasant family night.
Sunday 24th December, 1989
hristmas Eve. We had a drink with our neighbours in the caravan park, who are emigrating to New Zealand tomorrow and have been filling in the time since selling their house here at the van park. After dinner we went to the Macs and then next door to their neighbours, Owen Shutt and his wife Freda who had laid on hospitality. Apparently it is an established custom, Owen and Freda lay it on on Christmas Eve and Mum and Dad do it on New Years Eve. Then we rang Mum and Neil to wish them Merry Christmas. All seems to be well at home. We left the little Christmas tree we bought ( a real pine tree about fifteen inches high growing in a pot and decorated with artificial snow and a couple of baubles) and the presents there. We will return tomorrow as we are having Christmas lunch with them at a pub in Kidderminster.
Monday, 25th December, 1989
erry Christmas! It is fine and sunny. Not very cold. It is very pleasant, in fact. We went to pick up the elders and went to the pub in Kidderminster for Christmas lunch. Adequate meal, I suppose, but the pub was full of boozers and the noise was offputting. Still, not bad. Turkey and lots of veggies, Christmas pud, crackers to pull etc.
The elders loved the photo we gave them. Mac gave me a lovely pewter pill box for my collection. The elders gave us all money, thirty pounds for Mac and me, twenty pounds for Neil and Geoff.
