Yesterday afternoon I went to my first Christmas meal of this season. I can’t say first of the year, because that goes to our work’s meal in January. Unlike the last couple of year’s, when we have been bowling, work arranged a meal for us yesterday. On arrival, we chose Christmas presents at random out of a bag. On opening mine, I got a Homer Simpson Soap-on-a-Rope. I didn’t know you could still get soap-on-a-rope. Others got socks, deodorant, chocolates, nuts and bodywash. Hmm, I could have got better, I could have got worse.

Needless to say, we ordered what we were going to eat some time ago and couldn’t remember when the hotel staff were bringing the food around. Luckily the organiser had the original list. I had:

• Apple and Parsnip soup.
• Roast Turkey, potatoes, sausage, stuffing, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower and of course sprouts.
• Christmas Pudding.

I hadn’t had apple and parsnip soup before, but it was really nice, although the parsnip was the dominant taste. The sprouts had a rock-like texture to them; I’m sure they had seen boiling water at some time. All in all a good meal though.