Midwinter's Day

Today is the shortest day of the year, and we celebrate it in style.

The day started by the winter base commander bringing everyone breakfast in bed, although I had to eat mine rather quickly and run off to do the 12z met ob - somewhat inconsiderately the weather doesn't take a day off! We had a lazy morning, then went to Bransfield House for brunch. Tradition dictates that we watch 'The Thing' - a horror film set in Antarctica - but a few of us who are prone to over-active imaginations decided to watch 'Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire' instead. We only realised half-way through that it is two and a half hours long though, so cut it short in order to go back to Admirals House to get dressed up for the evening meal.

Suited and booted (or frocked and socked in my case), Geek-Boy and I came back to Bransfield House at 4pm ready for the present swapping. The carpenter went first with a bar stool for the chef, who presented one of the GAs with a spice box made to look like a miniature man-food box, and so on. I gave the Dive Officer a reversible knitted hat, and it was a relief to find that it fitted as I hadn't managed to come up with a plan to stealth-measure his head before I started knitting. I was given a beautiful picture frame with an IOU taped to the back - its creator had unfortunately had an accident with the chop saw while making my 'real' present, which apparently I will be given once he's had the stitches taken out and is allowed back into the workshop!

Dinner followed, although after two courses we went to the Ops Tower to listen to the BBC's 'Antarctic Midwinter Broadcast'. In ye olden dayes, when you were allowed 150 words a month of messages, radioed from the UK in morse (and men were men, skidoos were dogs and women were something that other countries employed), the Midwinter Broadcast was the only opportunity to hear loved ones back home. It has continued despite the advances in technology, and it was really nice to hear everyone's messages, and from our two celebrities Brian Cox (particle physicist) and Rolf Harris.

We had another few courses of dinner, and then much to my surprise Santa Claus appeared and started handing out presents. Unknown to me, all the home contacts were invited to send in a shoe-box of presents, which was kept secret. It was really exciting because it was a complete surprise, so I had great fun opening up my box of presents. There were lots of Burt's Bees hand creams which will be very useful as the dry air has aged my hands by about 30 years! There were lots of sweets and other goodies, and a photo of them dressed up in hats and scarves drinking mulled wine taken on July 18th last year - two weeks before I had even started working in Cambridge! Sister-Girl had included a few goodies, as well as a CD of cold-themed songs, which was cool(!).

We retired to the bar for drinks and to admire all of the presents again. I knitted some socks while watching people play pool and looked forwards to the lighter days ahead as the sun makes its return.