Sunday is the cycling club’s Christmas dinner at Appley Manor and I arrange to meet Chris, a colleague from school, for a short brisk cycle ride to hopefully help stimulate an appetite.
It is bitterly cold but I dress warmly with lots of layers. We meet at 11.15 and head towards Ryde, avoiding the sea front where the wind chill is just too unpleasant to tolerate. The ride does me good and though I am a little breathless from the cold, I cope well with the hills. We arrive on time back at the Manor where Chris’ husband Rob has saved us seats.
There is a party atmosphere with elongated balloons like mini sidewinder missiles that we send across from table to table. On one table they gather several balloons together and launch them in a single screeching volley in our direction. Of course we have no option but to retaliate in kind.
Two of the male organisers perform their annual party piece for us . This year they do a novel rendering of “There’s a Hole in my Bucket”. The costumes are interesting. Dreadlocks, faces smeared with blackening and a set of authentic looking cardboard breasts. Trouble is Henry keeps thinking he’s Liza and despite the simplicity of the ‘script’ the two of them mess it up completely. The results are hilarious.
It is great to feel a sense of normality once more and to forget about illness and treatments for a few brief hours. The meal is tasty and I am pleased that I am able to enjoy it. It’s the first social occasion I have been to since July!
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