Birthday Party and Tree Lighting

Today was Rhiannon's birthday and we had 12 girls over after school for a couple of hours of birthday partying.

Making Christmas baubles: Jemima, Savannah, Agnes, Sophie, Iris, Oriel, Sophie, Neve, Willow, Holly and Rhiannon

We laid out food to eat and gingerbread cookies to decorate on the breakfast bar and counter, and just let the girls potter around as they wanted while Rhodri and I kept a low profile in the background. Then we turned the music up and the lights down and had a dance party for a bit.

Then we turned the lights up and gathered round the table to sing Happy Birthday and cut up the pavlova cake. It was a tasty meringue and cream and fresh fruit cake that everyone was quite pleased with. We didn't even try to fit seats around the table so just let the girls sit wherever they wanted to for their cake eating.

After that, we mobilized shoes and coats and torches (flashlights), and all headed down the road for the Christmas tree lighting event at the village hall. Everyone was really pumped by then so were happily singing carols at the tops of their voices.

So then the Tree Lighting was an epic event in its own right! This was our 5th year going to it, and each year is so charming with warm heartfilled corny funniness and the strange and wonderful feeling one gets when large groups of people are all singing together. The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear!

Warren was the MC (as usual), and a spokes person from a local charity gave a little talk about how they (the Children's Peanut Ward in East Grinstead hospital) had used the money raised from our Tree lighting event last year to buy an iPad for the kids to use to help keep their minds occupied during the unpleasant parts of their hospital stays. So sweet. Then the school sang a few songs and the Danehill Hand Bell Ringers performed a few songs while the audience hummed or sang along. The final performers were "John the Fish and his assistant Charlie Chuckles" who are local teenage boys with a comedic musical act. Charlie played the keyboard, sang and also played some alto sax while the Fish told festive jokes and sang. They also led the audience in the final carols and got everyone really pumped up on Christmas spirit. Charlie Chuckles playing keyboard and singing "Hallelujah" while the whole audience sang along with the chorus of hallelujah brought tears to my eyes with the intimacy and warmth of the room.

When the show was over and the lights came up, free mince pies and cider was served to everyone but I had to race off to a local Ladies Christmas dinner up at the Red Lion. Anyway, it was a great evening.