On the third day of Christmas...

My true love sent to me:

Three french hens ( this is one of 'em)
Two turtle doves (well penguins - yesterday)
And I did see a partridge near the pear tree.... but

Today it was drinks at the big house, not the mansion, you understand, my social standing does not amount to that. Just the big house.

I am not one to turn down an invitation, but I don't find it easy walking alone into a large room of couples that I don't know.
Clasping a glass of champagne I took a deep breath, held my head high and headed towards a couple who were not talking to anyone else and introduced myself...

"Hello, I'm Amanda."
"Hello...." Pregnant pause... the man looked round the room... " So, who is your husband?"
"I haven't got one, "
"Are you local?"
"I am now, originally I'm from the Midlands"
"Do you speak with a Birmingham accent?"
"When all the family get together we do."
"I find I always speak slower and articulate very carefully when I speak to anyone up there in the north."
"That's because you're a dick head and probably a barrister or something in the city " I thought.

I smiled and turned to his wife.

"Do you play bridge?" She asked, I looked at her equine features (or maybe it was just the champagne kicking in. No, I thought it's not the champagne, not with teeth like that.)
"No, I play solitaire."
"Oh, you really should."
"Really?"
"I know a fantastic teacher, over towards Aylesbury. Marvelous, calls a spade a spade."
"Of course she does, she's teaching bridge." I thought and continued to smile.

The conversation dried up, we had no common ground.

They were saved by a couple who had known them since NCT and Montesorri days with the children.

"Hooray Henry" I thought as I wandered orf towards the canapés.