We celebrated the start of the Yuletide Season with a small but lively gathering of friends and members of our Club in the festively decorated Fireside Room of Chelsea Gardens in Surrey. As folks arrived and settled in, the room came alive with animated chatter against a background of cheery holiday music.

Everyone brought goodies to share, and the tea table displayed a spread of enticing items: samosas, pakoras, patties, cheese straws, tartlets, home-made coconut fudge and kulkuls (remember those?) and assorted pastries. All washed down with Ashley Orton's fruit punch—the perfect thirst-quencher. Coffee, and an assortment of teas, including herbal, green, and conventional black tea, were also on tap.

A Christmas carol themed quiz had everyone trying to fathom answers—but eventually two high-scorers came out tops and we had to flip a coin to decide the winner. The prize for the best Christmas themed getup was won by Jasmine Gardner, whose outfit included a jacket adorned with festive snowmen, and a cute miniature top hat! Hope you enjoy your well earned bottle of wine, Jasmine!

And then it was time to belt out a few Christmas carols. Silent Night was anything but "silent" as everyone lifted their voices with gusto. The Twelve Days of Christmas was acted out by twelve participants, with verve and imagination. Ashley in particular deserved a prize for his many interpretations of "three French hens".

Leslie (Michael) regaled us with a couple of amusing anecdotes following which Freda (D'Souza) sent everyone into gales with her repertoire of jokes. We then sang Happy Birthday to Wanda (Andrade) who was sharing her special day with us.

No party is complete without a spin on the dance floor, and Jacquie and bro Ashley swung it in a good old Anglo-Indian style jive. Thank you camera-nifty Eric (Liu) for capturing these little movie clips ( click on the links below) and thanks to both you and Jacquie for taking the photographs on this page.

Movie Clip1 and Movie Clip 2

Special thanks to Jacquie, Ashley and Marie for all their input, initiative and help—without their enthusiastic participation, the evening couldn't have happened. And last, but very far from least, thank you to all who joined us and made the party such an enjoyable and lively event.

Bea (Pereira), Bina, Jacquie and Leslie

Winner Jasmine Gardner (in top hat!), Betty Tibbits, Eric and Carol Greenidge

Marie, Ashley, Leslie and Margaret

Freda, Brian and Lynette

Raywyn, Brian, Eric (Liu), Freda and Lynette

Birthday girl Wanda (Andrade) and Genny (Sequeira)

Lesley (Jack)

Genny and Margaret

Eric (Greenidge) unmasked!

Bea shares a hug with Aunt Genny

Lynette takes it easy

Ashley checking out the billboard

Wanna dance?

Ashley & Marie take the floor

Leslie and Jasmine A-Twisting?

Swinging it!