That’ll be a first. My first ever Christmas on my own! In 74 years! What’s going on? Has my wife left me?
[Photo courtesy of Karl Smallman, www.secretserrania.com]
My Christmas History
As a young boy at home in north Devon, Christmas Day was spent at home. In three different houses in Barnstaple and two in Exeter, East Devon. (We moved house a lot, when I was a kid!)
Boxing Day was usually spent with friends or relatives.
When I was a sixth former aged 16, I spent Christmas working as a waiter in a hotel in Newton Abbott, South Devon. It was a temperance hotel, so no alcohol, not even in the gravy nor ladled over the Christmas pud!
I shared a bedroom with a permanent member of staff, who turned out to be a ‘queer’ (this was when homosexuality was still illegal, and the term ‘gay’ was not yet in use). The term ‘queer’ is no longer politically correct, as it was back in the 1960s.
[Photo courtesy of Adobe Stock]
Nothing happened, of course,but it was an eye-opener for this boy who’d led a very sheltered life.
As a university undergraduate and subsequent postgraduate, I always returned home for Christmas.
In my third year I brought my girlfriend down to Devon to meet mum and dad. Dad was smitten with Jeryl, whom I married in 1975, after I had finished my studies and started work as a teacher.
After that we sort of alternated between her parents and mine, until we bought our first house, in Walkden (Greater Manchester) in 1978 and began hosting duties.
We moved to Thelwall, Warrington (Cheshire) in 1980 and more often than not spent Christmas at home, especially after our children were born in 1983 and 1987.
We had bought a timeshare on the Isle of Arran (Scotland). We chose Christmas Week, so for several years we enjoyed a Scottish Island Christmas.
By now both our mums were widows. My mum Vera moved up to Thelwall in 1990 to be near her grandchildren, and Jeryl’s mum Jean lasted until 2000.
Auchrannie Resort, Isle of Arran [Facebook]
In 2001, Jeryl and I bought our first property in Spain, an apartment in Ronda (Málaga), which we named Piso Blanco. In 2003 we bought a second one, a house to renovate. We called that house Casa Blanca. So, we enjoyed a couple of Spanish Christmases.
Piso Blanco, Ronda [Paul Whitelock]
In 2005, af
ter 30 years of marriage, Jeryl and I divorced, I retired early from work, and I spent the next couple of Christmases in North Wales at the house of my new girlfriend Maude.
Minffordd, Bryn-y-Maen, North Wales [Rightmove]
We split up, however, and my dear old mum offered me a home with her back in Thelwall. We spent a couple of Christmases with my brother Simon in Yate (S. Glos) until I met Rita in 2008 in Ronda. Rita is German. We “jumped the broom” in 2010.
Tunstall Villa, Latchford [On the Market]
I had just bought a house in Latchford, Warrington, when I met Rita. I hosted one Christmas there for my two kids, Amy and Tom, their mother Jeryl (my ex-wife), their partners, Paul and Su, and my mum Vera.
Since 2008, Rita and I have celebrated Christmas either at home in Ronda or at Rita’s daughter’s, Katrin, in Germany.
Why “de Rodríguez” in 2024?
[Photo courtesy of Wordpress]
Quite simply because we now have a kitten which we cannot leave. We’re not prepared to put her in a cattery, and we won’t find anyone to house/cat-sit at Christmas.
So, I shall be all on my own-ee-oh; footloose and fancy-free! Yippee!
I’m looking forward to my week alone. There are no Christmas lunches on offer that I am aware of in any local restaurants, so I shall enjoy roasting my own turkey with all the trimmings. Not forgetting my Christmas pud. With flaming brandy, of course!
I shall decorate the house a bit to make it a bit more Christmassy and, if I get any, open my prezzies.
"De Rodriguez" [Photo courtesy of El Mundo]
I can watch “The Great Escape” and “Home Alone” on the telly and go to bed and get up when I want. I can’t wait!
Only 40 days to go till Christmas!
© Only Joe King
[Photo courtesy of Freepik]
Photos:
El Mundo
Facebook
Freepik
Karl Smallman
On the Market
Paul Whitelock
Rightmove
Wordpress
www.secretserrania.com
Links:
... de Rodríguez? - Secret Serrania de Ronda
My week “de Rodríguez” is over
Piso Blanco, Ronda
Sunday – de Rodríguez!
The Building History of a 72-year-old DIY Fan
Tags:
Barnstaple, Boxing Day, Casa Blanca, Christmas Day, Christmas pud, “de Rodríguez, Devon, Exeter, footloose and fancy-free, ‘gay’, German, Germany, “Home Alone”, homosexuality, Isle of Arran, Jean, Jeryl, kitten, Manchester, Newton Abbott, Piso Blanco, politically correct, postgraduate, ‘queer’, Rita, Ronda, Scotland, “The Great Escape”, Thelwall, timeshare, turkey with all the trimmings, undergraduate, Vera, Walkden