Christmas sparkle

Clare and I visited my mother twice today in her care home.

Before lunch my sister and her partner joined us and we opened our presents and shared a bottle of champagne. Helen and Peter then had a for leave for lunch with Peter's folks. Mum is currently too immobile for us to take her out of the care home so she had Christmas lunch there while Clare and I came back to mum's flat for a lunch of pâté and French bread.

We made sure we were back with mum for The Queen's Christmas Broadcast then we watched Alan Titchmarsh's fascinating TV programme about Buckingham Palace's garden.

Now we're back at mum's flat with the rest of Christmas Day to ourselves. A fine piece of sirloin is in the oven, red wine is in our glasses and we're looking forward to University Challenge at 7.15 and Downton Abbey at 9 pm.

Happy Christmas.