When it comes to Christmas, Judy Broadbent, 65, believes it’s out with the old and in with the new
Years ago, I fell out of love with Christmas. I remember thinking, why do I go to all this trouble to be left feeling exhausted and in need of a holiday? Don’t get me wrong, the joy when my four kids were small was fantastic. I loved it all, from dressing the tree and writing cards, to the early Christmas Day mornings when ‘Santa had been’ – to 2 January when I was tired but happy, having made wonderful memories.
THE PIVOTAL MOMENT
But I have always felt Christmas is overrated and what put me off it entirely was one particular episode. We lived in a lovely house and the dining room table was set for 12 people. The locally reared turkey cooking in the Aga smelt fabulous and the thrill of Christmas and all it entailed ran through me. The house was full of family and overnight visitors and there was a lovely atmosphere. The booze was flowing freely, champagne, sherry and vodka in abundance. Guests were seated around the table wearing those daft paper hats and pulling Christmas crackers. Seated across from me was a family friend. I remember thinking, why am I seated across the table from him? I realised that the joke was on me as he displayed a mouth full of sprouts while talking about his new incontinence pads that leaked. As he spat pieces of masticated sprout in my direction, his ill-fitting dentures wobbled against his shrunken gums. I felt queasy but smiled politely and passed him a napkin at the precise moment he broke wind and laughed aloud, blaming it on the sprouts! That was it. Christmas Day had suddenly lost its allure.
Years later, I can look back and laugh at the memory. I’m single now, my children have all flown the nest and my Christmas Day is very different, having dispensed with
