Ashtead U3A Meeting - 4th December.

The picturesque village of Ashtead was the setting for our singout at the Peace Memorial Hall, a new venue for nearly all of us.

Looking as Christmassy as possible in green and gold, adorned with our red roses, some fifteen songstresses and our MD took the stage, with Phillip looking none the worse for wear after his exertions at our own Concert the night before.

We began softly with 'The Wee Small Hours of the Morning', and then for contrast switched to the ragtime beat of 'Alexander's' and 'Lullaby'. We sang a varied selection from our repertoire in the first part, some dating from the early part of the 20th Century and some comparatively recent, to stir the memories of the audience with songs from their youth.

To give our large audience a flavour of Christmas yet to come, we delved into our little red Carol books for a selection of the most classic of the Christmas Carols. They were invited to join in and some of them participated with obvious enjoyment. Pat, our chair person, regaled them all with a story about the reindeer and how only the hardiest of them would have been able to propel one stout red coated gentleman around the world on Christmas Eve.

Fortified by a mince pie or two we made our way home at last, weary but glad to have entertained the good people of Ashtead on such a bright December afternoon. In particular a thank you to those Wise men for the leeks and the comic penguins! We would love to come and visit you all again some sunny day. Best wishes to the Ashtead U3A for Christmas, and a Happy New Year. From all at Thameside Harmony Chorus.