Artistry

Braque was a bit sniffy about the soft furnishings and stomped out during coffee but I was glad we'd invited him to do the stockings. I think maybe Matisse would have felt more at home. Perhaps we'll invite him next year.

In extras: the more conventional Christmas Day walk sunset picture, from the top of Troopers Hill in Bristol. That was a good climb after our communally-prepared biggest lunch of the year (even without pudding which we'd agreed no-one need bother to organise).

We managed to have a bash at various games from tiddlywinks (that's going back to the charity shop) via my childhood's 'What's My Word' (much enjoyed) and a game in which we all drowned ourselves by being too greedy claiming underwater treasure (more practice needed), to Unlocked (great fun but a design flaw in that the cards can be used only once).

The Oxford contingent, stuffed full of Christmas cake, stollen and mince pies (what was that about no pudding?) set off home at 9.30 pm and we were happy to find empty roads, no drunk drivers and no ice. We got back in good time to prepare for our very own Cinderella moment at midnight when we metamorphosed from moderately approachable Tier 2 people to untouchable Tier 4 people. Fairly painless and just a slight judder. Though that might have been all the dried fruit.