Alfie’s Villa

When my sister Andy and I were small my aunty, Audrey, and her friend Uncle Geoff often took us out for trips and visits, and sometimes we went camping with them for the weekend. On one trip the journey must have taken longer than expected, and resourceful Uncle Geoff kept us amused with stories about Alfie who was very naughty and was on the roof of the car. I’m not sure what Alfie was, whether he was a little man or a little monkey… maybe a mixture of the two! From then on, Alfie always accompanied us on any trip, on the roof of the car of course!

Audrey lived for many years before she married, in a bedsit, at number 14, Station Road Cambridge. From when I was about four or five, she invited me and Andy and our cousin Diana to a Christmas tea-party in her flat. it was very exciting although a simple affair with sandwiches, date rolls (bridge rolls, split, buttered and filled with slices of dried date) and a cake. I think we may also have had cheese footballs, cheese wafer balls filled with a unique flavoured creamy cheesy sort of goo.

Father Christmas visited with little gifts for us… it was so exciting! Strangely enough, Uncle Geoff had just popped out for a few minutes when Santa visited, and he missed him!

Over fifty years further on, we still have Aunty Audrey’s Christmas party each year, even though, dear Aunty Aud died several years ago… and father Christmas still visits each time with presents for the children… now including the cousins grandchildren!

Aunty Audrey always put up decorations, including a little cottage which Uncle Geoff made, called Alfie’s Villa. I have now inherited it… the red cellophane from the windows has gone, but my husband Bari has some new red perspex to replace it.