"There's nothing sadder in this world than to awake Christmas morning and not be a child"

Erma Bombeck

(photo courtesy of Mamma Bear's Attic)

At the beginning of December, we are all aware that the season of advent begins.  Although many children now associate the word 'Advent' with that lovely ripping sound of  foil packaging when they break open the windows on their chocolate calendars  (and I must confess that I've been joining them with my own child-chosen Disney version), we shouldn't forget that the word advent means "coming" ( from the Latin word adventus); and as the name suggests it is the time of preparation for the coming feast of Christmas (or The Mass of Christ) on the 25th December.   

Perhaps this message should be sent to our local retailers who started their 'extended' advent the first week of November.

As a small child, during this endless wait for Christmas, my sister and I would be dutifully despatched to my grandmother's house a few doors away to perform a duty of great honour and secrecy.   We were sent to make the Christmas Puddings using an old family recipe.  The secret recipe was scribbled onto a piece of yellowing, slightly sticky paper and tucked into Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management.  Now did you know that Christmas puddings should be made with 13 ingredients to represent Jesus and his Disciples?  Or that every member of the family should take turns to stir the pudding with a wooden spoon from east to west, in honour of the Wise Men?  I aim to educate! However, I can recall that at least two of granny's 'secret' ingredients were alcohol-based, so I shall leave it to you theologians to decide which disciples were represented by Guinness and Sherry?    I can also recall that my earliest maths lesson included: if it is one shot for the pot - and two for granny - how many millilitres of sherry will it take before granny gets giggly?  Many thanks to the BBC for this delightful picture (left) and memories of bygone Christmases.

Also, as I mentioned the Summer Solstice earlier this year I felt it would be befitting at the end of the year to mention the Pagan celebration, the Winter Solstice (also known as Yule).   Did you know that the Winter Solstice is actually one of the oldest winter celebrations in the world?  It celebrates the shortest day and longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.  The Celts believed that the sun stood still for 12 days in the middle of winter, so during this time of darkness they lit a log (Yule Log) on the first day of the solstice and burned it throughout the night as a symbol of hope and belief that the sun would return.   Oak trees were regarded as sacred and their winter fruit (albeit hemi-parasitic and poisonous) was a symbol of life in the dark winter months, so the Druids cut the mistletoe that grew on the oak tree and offered it as a blessing. 

As I have grown and matured somewhat, I'm beginning to find history and ancient folklore quite fascinating.  It is almost a startling revelation to my 'nonchalant inner-teenage' to discover that what we are now - is  due to what has gone on beforehand.  The thought of Roman Christmases, with rugged men dressed as women and decorating their homes with greenery and hand-crafted candles is quite delightful during this age of commercialism.  At secondary school I confess that I chose Geography over, (what I referred to at the time) "Dead as a Dodo History".  Not only did I have hopes of travelling, but it also helped that the Geography teacher was 20 years younger and told more jokes in class.  I was terribly shallow!  So as I sit here tucking into a mince pie (rather than a Celtic-descended Chocolate Yule log), I'm happy to update you on our Living History Theatre Project taking place in Portchester. 

I had the pleasure to work with Solent People's Theatre during December conducting drama workshops with the year 10 students at Portchester Community School.  Once I had been politely reminded to take the lens cover off of my borrowed video recorder by a very kind student, I set about recording the journey from student selection to production.  The first of these workshops was conducted during History. The facilitator based the sessions upon The Wall Street Crash.  This was cleverly related to the Credit Crunch of 2008 and how students may now be living through a significant period of history.  They explored how their stories of the 2008 Credit Crunch may actually be of interest to future generations.  The second workshop during English, explored the Willy Russell play, Blood Brothers.   As well as being delightfully interactive and thought provoking (including an interactive voting exercise in assembly), I was amazed to see how many students were eager to take on the onerous task of 'extra-curricular history' for our Community Play.  This selective task group of 15 year olds will begin work in January looking at testimonials from local residents who lived as teenagers through a certain period of history in Portchester.  This will form the basis for D-Day, Discos and Downloads.   Watch out for more exciting developments as the play begins to take shape in the New Year with lots more community involvement from all generations by springtime 2009. 

To see the recent press release for D-Day, Discos and Downloads please click here:

Portsmouth News - 2 December 2008

I also had the pleasure this month to meet with the Rights, Respect and Responsibilities (RRR) Group at Portchester Community School to discuss what issues they felt were important about living in Portchester.  Some of these issues were very disturbing for extended services and particularly difficult to address; particularly related to the perceptions of the older generation about young people.  The students had produced a short, quite entertaining film interviewing teenagers about life outside the school gates.  They wanted to show exactly WHAT fifteen and sixteen year old teenagers do in Portchester on a Friday evening and some of the issues surrounding stereotyping and intolerance.

This short film was shown at a meeting the following day with our local Member of Parliament,  Mark Hoban.  At this meeting the RRR group and Student Council representatives joined us to discuss some of their issues...in an often frank, matter-of-fact manner.  They were a real credit to the school; being polite and courteous to our important guests.  Thank you to all of the young people who came to the meeting and offered their valuable, entertaining input and also to Alec Roberts (Deputy Head Teacher) for arranging this opportunity for young people to 'have a voice'.  It just goes to show how consulting with young people often produces some of the most surprising results.

On the other end of the age scale, I am sure that the pictures of me dressed as an angel, whilst clutching a glass of mulled wine at Keepsake Children's Centre will end up on public display during the New Year.  I thought it might be foolhardy to deny all knowledge of consuming this warming beverage whilst on 'work business' when there is the obvious photographic evidence...but in my defence I was lubricating my vocal cords in preparation for narrating the pre-school Nativity Play.   It goes without saying that three and four year olds, dressed in a variety of biblical costumes and creating a touch of magic on the stage at Portchester Community stage, would bring a tear into the eye of any hardened Christmas cynic.  Well done to Bev Wilson and her pre-school team for producing such a beautiful performance, complete with baaing sheep. 

Please note that the 'Extended Services Angel' is available next year for any pre-schools for the price of a mince-pie and a box of tissues.

Also thanks must go to the hard-working Merryfields Children's Centre staff for their adorable 'Living Nativity' at Harrison Primary School.  Despite my teenage son predicting inevitable disaster where goats and children were mixed together - it all went beautifully.  Despite the damp conditions, the Christmas lanterns and the choir from Harrison school brought a warm smile to the parents' faces. 

I shall finish this Christmas blog with some very quick Yuletide reminders.... 

Firstly, please keep popping back to check the News Page as I try and update it as regularly as my diary of appointments and meetings allows.  There are regularly posters and flyers available for you to download and display in your schools and community organisations for signposting to Fareham families. 

Secondly, please could I ask that all of our partners take a chance to not only read the Draft Hampshire Children & Young People's Plan...but also comment upon it.  This will strongly influence how we shall be working in partnership from 2009 - 2012.  Sadly the time-frame for consultation is incredibly short....so please seize the chance over the Christmas break to have a read and have your say.   Links to the draft plan and a more detailed explanation is available on my Resources Page.

Finally, please look out in the New Year for our article in Fareham Today dropping through your letterbox.  It will explain all about Extended Services and Children's Centres in Fareham.  Also a reminder to everyone that our first joint partnership meeting with be held at 10.00am on 20th January 2009 at Fareham Borough Council Civic Offices.  This meeting is open to all of our stakeholders, even if you have not attended our meetings before.

Lastly, have a fantastic Christmas break and I look forward to working with you all next year.  It will be business as usual from Extended Services on 5th January 2009; but please feel free to come and rescue me from beneath a pile of wrapping paper, mince pies and Turkey bones if you do not hear from me early in the New Year.

As an extra gift for members of our partnership for Christmas from your ESCO:

A 'Politically Correct' Christmas Story