Up at the usual time for we were not let off out meteorological report. Then we had an extra good breakfast, first porridge then a big plate of fried sausages, ham and eggs, so there was not much room left for bread and marmalade. After that while the others were unpacking parcels of presents, cakes, plum puddings etc brought from England I made some mince pies which turned out remarkably well. Then much of the morning was spent in the usual routine, so I was hardly able to listen to the service from Leicester Cathedral, but the reception was so poor that I never heard a word when I could listen.
Special piece of reindeer meat for Leonidas!
We had a sort of Christmas tea - lunch about 1pm. - cold reindeer meat and mince pies and Christmas cake (John's) followed by crystallised fruits, raisins, almonds chocolates etc. We finished just about in time for the Empire broadcast. It's the first time I have ever enjoyed this, and away from home was very moved when we called up Canada and New Zealand and I thought of Emily and Freddy. If only I knew where Esther and Cicely and J & A were, and who was at home. It's many months since I've felt at all home-sick, but I almost broke down when greetings were sent to the British Greenland expedition, the East-Greenland expedition and the Oxford University Arctic Expedition. It was wonderful - if somewhat egotistical - to think of so many people at home who would be listening and would be thinking of you: so absorbed was I thinking over all at home that I hardly listened to the King's speech, though actually it faded away at the end so that it was only just audible. We were not expecting a greeting at this time and were on tenterhooks when the first two expeditions were mentioned.
We spent a longer time than usual sending messages and greetings up to the ice-cap by radio-telephone. Afterwards it was a case of preparing the Christmas dinner; John and David skinned the ducks that Karl had shot for us, and I got John's plum pudding going, and John and David made some superb rum-butter. Andrew photographed Brownie's marvellous cake (which we did not begin till the next day) and we decorated the cake and table with candles and then Andrew started taking a photo of the whole table by flashlight, but there were many false alarms and I used up almost a whole bottle of rum keeping the pudding flaming. The duck was delicious, and we had with it green peas and potato- crisps (we got potatoes skinned and ready but in the excitement we forgot to cook them). Then the plum pudding, and many toasts were drunk and we got through six of our nine bottles of champagne.
We finished in time for 9.30. We had had a telegram from Binney telling us to listen in at 9.30, but some of the others were doubtful as to whether we would hear anything after the afternoon greeting, but my faith in Binney won me a bet of eight squares of chocolate. Wonderful to get a special message at the end of the news bulletin: "The BBC joins with the parents and friends of the Oxford University Arctic Expedition, Brandy Bay, Northeastland, in wishing them a merry Christmas, a happy New Year, and a safe return in Autumn." This was better than the afternoon greeting. Then a lot of photographing.
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