An elderly friend

Forgive me whilst I indulge in a bit of nostalgia. This rather decrepit blue tit has perched on our Christmas tree for the last 73 years. I had made it at my primary school in 1949. This year he is in the company of a very special Koala bear that arrived from Australia last Christmas.

Making the bluebird was doubtless one of the most exciting things that we ever did at primary school! Apart, that is, from the time that we made a model Roman soldier complete with armour that we fashioned out of a Heinz baked-bean tin. Yes, in those days they really did allow little boys and girls to use tin-snips and files and saws - Health and Safety had still to be invented!