Me

Earlier in the week I had a message from ML letting me know they had a spare ticket to the AFC Wimbledon game against Stockport County at the Plough Lane ground, now known as The Cherry Ref stadium. Initially I thought to decline as we are having Mark and Rob for dinner and I know that PY will want help cleaning the house and preparing the food. But he was quite insistent that I take the opportunity so, after a later than hoped for departure from Raynes Park, I joined the crowd walking through Earlsfield at met Jo & Ben just before kick-off.  It was a scrappy match, not helped by the award of a penalty against the home team in the first half that was much disputed.  Brilliant, it was saved and The Dons went on to their first win of 2023. I’m glad I got to witness a home celebration but it wasn’t the most entertaining match I’ve seen.

Jo and Ben gave me a lift home. Mark was staying in Earlsfield to drink with some work colleagues. I used the opportunity to give them their Christmas presents, which was nice. After they’d left, I helped PY with the final stages of the preparation for the evening. Their only stressful food was the whipping of the cream fro desert which seemed to take an age. Everything else looked like it had come together without any issue. 

We had a lovely evening with Mark and Rob. It was an excuse to get out the crackers with our names on them. They’d been purchased for our planned New Year dinner in 2021-2 which ended up being cancelled due to a break out of COVID. My entry from that time says that we spent the New Year at home in the end.  I’m glad we got to use these as I think there were quite expensive for crackers and I am not sure the gifts were worth the extra.  At least PY had some wild flower seeds to plant.