A Tentative Top Five (Cecilia Peartree)

First of all, I must emphasise that I don't see the Christmas season through rose-coloured spectacles at all. I've had some bad experiences in past Decembers, including family members being taken ill, dogs biting people and trains home being seriously delayed. Christmas Day itself is often an ordeal, mostly because of the pressure of trying to make everything perfect, or at least bearable, for everyone. This top five is an attempt to remember the good aspects of the festivities by challenging myself to dredge up five jewels out of the surrounding sludge.

Top of the pops (or the season's diamond, for any Bridgerton viewers who might be reading this) is an event from many years ago. This was a children's party organised at my father's workplace, a college of technology, for the children of the staff. I am not really a party person generally, but I do have fond memories of this one - in my recollection we went to at least three of them over the years, so we had the chance to add a sense of anticipation to the fun. I suppose there must have been party games, but I remember two things above all else: the amazing food - all the sugar we could eat and drink, in various forms - and the black and white movies we watched after eating. Someone had sourced Charlie Chaplin and Laurel and Hardy films to show on an old-fashioned projector, which was probably used for teaching during the rest of the year.

When I was telling my sister-in-law about the party recently, she said I had probably enjoyed the food even more because of having lived during my early years with post-war rationing, particularly of sweets. This is very likely true! We didn't have a television for years after almost everyone else did, either, which must be why I still remember the movies.

In second place, which surprises me when I think about it in its context, is the time I co-wrote and directed a version of 'A Christmas Carol' which our local children's drama group put on just before Christmas one year. The context was that two of my close family members had died during the year leading up to this production, and yet the work involved in it somehow lifted my spirits. My son played the ghost of Jacob Marley, to whom we gave a bigger role than he has in the story, as a kind of narrator who observed many of the scenes. When we ran out of actors, I also had to play a small part as the 'boy' who fetches the turkey for Scrooge on Christmas Day. For once I didn't even forget my lines. I don't think it was quite as epic as the Muppets' version, but when I played back a video recording one of the parents had made at one performance, quite a few of the lines were rendered inaudible by his laughter.

Next comes the time my sons and I took my grandson, then aged three or so, out to lunch and then to a pantomime, where we sat in the front row. The whole experience was fun, from the moment my older son, his son sitting on his shoulders, greeted my younger son and me at the bus stop, with my grandson shouting 'he's behind you' as we approached. I think he liked sitting in the front row and being close to the action, especially when some of the actors moved down into the audience.

Fourth on my list is probably the occasion when, for the first time ever, we went out to a restaurant for our Christmas meal. I think that must have been the same year as 'A Christmas Carol' because the reason we did so was that there was nobody left in the family capable of cooking for a festive occasion! We chose to go out to a Chinese buffet, which was hectic and jolly, and which at that time was quite a novelty. I do, however, advise against sampling the chocolate fountain at any similar places.

Fifth is a memory from only last year, which I suppose is quite encouraging. My son, who lives with me, planned to go to London for a few days between Christmas and New Year - which has reminded me of another occasion when I did the same with both my sons, and we had a lot of fun then too - and because I was slightly nervous about being alone in the house, as I had broken my hip earlier in the year and for quite a long time afterwards I was over-cautious about going down stairs in case I fell, I invited a friend who lives alone to spend a couple of days with me. I used the lure of theatre tickets, and we really enjoyed the Christmas show at a local theatre and the meal out which followed. We already have our theatre tickets for the 30th of December this year, so if the trains are flaky or anything she can always stay over again too.

I am posting this almost on the deadline for my 5th December slot, and the reason for that is that I've been trying very hard to finish and publish the 28th book in my cosy/quirky mystery series. Here's the latest cover design.

Death at the Pavilion