away in a manger

Dear Marianne,

OK what's going on? That's the fifth night of storms and gale(ish)force winds we've had, not to mention the Tornado up Town. Helen - fellow chocolate factory worker and generous soup sharer - told us that her 92 year old Mother had called from Dorset to ask, "Is everything alright on that side of the country?" We laughed, but it is a bit weird, the world's trying to cope with its untimely death, and it's difficult to watch.

We are none of us able to do much about it, some of us aren't even trying very hard, but it's not really within our power is it? Yes the four by four drivers (with the exception of those who need the actual power of a 4x4)are all selfish wankers who care more about how they look on the road than what they are doing to the air. Yes I throw away my plastic bottles because there isn't anywhere nearby for me to recycle them, and yes we all use too much water, air, oil, heat, food, etc.etc.etc. But it would take only the commitment of the big economic powers to change the way they run their countries and the world would keep spinning for a while longer.

But they wont and they don't and so here we are with gales and floods and the middle and upper classes unable to find suitable skiing conditions, i.e. snow. I've never really understood skiing, it seems like an awfully difficult, cold and painful pastime, but I like to know its going on, and that the no chin brigade are in their rightful place at the right time of year.

However, not even the end of the world or the snowless slopes of the snow slopes, could spoil my enjoyment of the childrens' Nativity plays. Yes I had two!
Mike's Nativity was yesterday, actually his was three and a half years ago, I'm talking about Jesus. the audience was huge (thirty I think), it consisted not only of Mothers but Fathers, not only grandparents but two great grandparents. We all waved nervously and anxiously at our nervous and anxious children and then the nerves went and they relaxed into that semi-indifferent state that only pre-school children can reach. Despite the staring out of the window, nose picking and absent minded scratching of body bits the show was funny and sweet in equal measure.

After much waving and getting out of seats to greet parents, the show began with a couple of counting songs to get the children in the mood. The first was about disappearing Robins (contemporary song I think) and the other about melting snowmen (not a contemporary song perhaps). Mike went wobbly quite quickly, refusing at first to be a snowman and then just as all the snowmen hats had been handed out, deciding he did want to be one after all. But nobody could hear him. I was there with big sister Becky and Grandma, and whilst Grandma and I have had years of practice watching such things, so managing to keep our anxiety buried, Becky, who is a relative novice, was unable to contain herself and blurted out, "Mike wants to be a snowman!" and so justice was done, hurrah for big sisters.

The Nativity was great, narrated and to be honest, pretty much acted by Patti and the other "Aunties" who run the Nursery. There were about ten angels who brought the good news to Mary and then the shepherds, Mary really wasn't that bovvered, the shepherds were singing Away in a Manger when they were told, so I am not sure they got the message. Patti was heroic, dragging small giggling children (wearing tea towels and stripey material), from Donkey to Inn keeper to stable and manger, all the time hunched over trying and failing to make herself small. Mike was an angel, but not a happy one, although he did get quite close to the manger, so the photos will look impressive.

The play ended with a sweet rendition of Away in a Manger and a violent version of We Wish you a Merry Christmas. It seems to be a Christmas tradition that children sing, We WISH you a Merry Christmas! with as much malice and arm swinging/punching as they can muster.
Then it was chocolate father christmas lollies all round and a queue of parents and grandparents to sign the petition to Save our Nurseries. "I took you and Nick to the House of Commons when you were two, to save our nurseries", Mum said to me as we waited our turn; that was forty years ago and we're still at it.

St James Infant School Nativity provided high class entertainment all round, excellent singing, choreography, acting and narrating. This is the least I have learned to expect from this better class of school. The Nativity clothes provided by parents told the story of a how very well heeled this place is. Obviously there were the obligatory tea towels, all new, unless some mothers have secrets about washing those things that I don't know. But the shepherds, who were dressed as modern day farmers, all checks and rustic, were almost to a girl and boy, sporting tweed flat caps. Now how many people do you know who have those - apparently I know quite a few. All the outfits were very smart - the angels, the shepherds, the wise men, Joseph and Mary (although once again Mary was in danger of being garrotted by the safety pin under her neck.

Anna's class were given the animal gig, half were sheep and the other half were cows, Anna was a cow. She got really carried away with it all and so did I, and instead of supplying just white t shirt and black trousers I made black cow-like shapes and sewed them on. The response from my friends and my Mother was one of amazement and I have to say mockery, I think it was a bit of a shock to them all that I could and would do this, but one can't hide one's light forever...
Anyway the patches looked great, the cows and sheep danced and sang "It's a Baby" in chavvy accents that made it sound like "It's a buy-bee" and the parents cheered and clapped and cried.

Christmas, with it's carols and presents, its trees and tea towel sponsored nativity plays, it's presents, sparkly decorations, chocolate money and it's presents has convinced Anna that there must be a God after all, or at least a Jesus. I hope she's right we could do with a bit of divine intervention and quite soon please, because Saint Nicholas is going to find it almost impossible to park his sleigh on the roof and get himself down the chimney if that wind keeps blowing.

Rx