EVERYONE LOVES A PARTY!!!

Over the past few years we have renewed friendships that we made when we were at school both primary and as it was then secondary school. Connecting up on Facebook, love it or hate it like most things in the world today it does have it's good and bad points.  and I suppose we all can choose what we read or not. I won't go down that road apart from saying the friends who come from the village I grew up in have reminded me of the school parties we had when christmas came around
Framfield Church of England primary school, being attached to the church always had a  carol service, we would get very excited and be lined up in pairs to walk from the school to the church and then if we were lucky get to read passages of the bible with familiar carols between each reading. I can't ever remember being chosen to read probably not good enough, what I do remember though was loudly singing " While shepherds washed their socks by night, all seated on the ground, a bar of sunlight came down" etc etc or maybe " We three kings of Orient are, one in a Taxi one in a car" I won't go on. Watching our grandchildren when they were at school showed us how much things move on and now schools put on lavish productions of the Advent story, of course now with a multicultural flavour. But as usual I digress,so back to school in Framfield, each year we would have a party whoopee, preceded by a trip to the Hippodrome in  Brighton to see the latest Pantomime, It could have been "Jack and the beanstalk,Cinderella,Puss in Boots" we didn't much care we had a ride on a coach and 2 hours of fun and magic. Oh no you didn't Oh yes we did!!!! with a top star singing and acting the fool not forgetting the sing a long time. Wonderful happy memories and it didn't end there, when we got back to the village there was a party to end the day, sandwich spread, cheese, shippams paste sandwiches along with orange squash, crackers and paper hats all topped of with a plate of cakes, I remember meringues with cream as big as well, well a football!!!, maybe I exaggerate a bit,this was all finished off with a visit from Santa and a present for everyone. We all love a party.

Dagmara made some opening remarks

Prizes were awarded. Strangely after this Dagmara dissapeared.
I WONDER WHERE SHE WENT????

Bringing this blog back to reality, Friday (18th) was the last day of school and it just had to be party time. Children were given the morning off and dinner was scheduled for  14.30 and at the appointed time the lunch bell was rung and we all enjoyed our christmas dinner, believe me there wasn't  a lot left over, it was very simple but very tasty.
Some parents had come along with their children and were waiting in the school hall for a concert performed by teachers and children, with each class coming up with a sketch, song or something else.Dagmara the school principal made some introductory remarks and some prizes were given out, and then the fun began

A song from one classe

This is Father Christmas, not to be confused with Santa.

Youngsters doing a very nice waltz

Sometimes we are able to follow the plot other times we just enjoy the antics the children come up with. When the performances were over all of the children assembled on the stage for one last song as it finished there was a terrible banging on the entrance door,someone was dispatched to find out who it could be, well there was no one there at which point a loud banging on another door was heard again no one there, who could it be????? a third time BANG BANG BANG!!!!! and a third time no one there, strange very strange. A teacher suggested that the children might have some idea who was playing tricks on us all and called for the children to shout as loud as they could to get this mysterious visitor,well with stamping feet and the loudest shout you will never guess what happened.             
                                                      behind all the children on the stage a knocking was heard on the hall windows and there he was waiting to come in, he didn't come down the chimney he didn't come through the door, how Santa came through the window 20ft up is and still will be a complete mystery and who said christmas magic was dead.

Santa came in by the wind

A party piece for Santa.

After Santa had talked with the children and played games it was time to distribute gifts and again each class had a party piece for Santa performed  in exchange for a large sack of gifts.
There is no escape if you want a present from Santa everyone teachers included  must entertain him, so we [that is, Valerie and I ] sang him a song.called "It must be Santa"
All to soon it was time for Santa to hitch up the reindeer and head off into the night, his little helpers had brought his sleigh round to the school entrance so I am glad to say he left safely by a more conventional route, Maybe just maybe if you look out in the coming evening you may see him heading in your direction,but only if you  have been good.
Party time was over all the children and parents headed home in cars or the school bus and the teachers all enjoyed a well earned rest in the staff room.[with nibbles and a little drink  of course]

A smile after our performance, more relief really.

As we leave you with 2016 looming on the horizon Valerie and I would like to wish you all a very happy christmas and a God blessed new year.