Red-Cross Food Parcel

When Hester was at Oxford it felt to me like she was very, very far away. We didn't phone much, she had her life her friends her world. Sometimes when I missed her maybe a little more than other times, I used to leave my Clifton workshop and go around the local shops, especially Stoneground, and I used to buy little treats and toys, maybe a finger puppet or nuttall bar or whatever and I would put as many little offerings into a small card-board box, tape it up and post it off to her. I always imagined the box arriving at the porter's lodge next to the two huge wooden gates at the entrance to Wadham. Obviously I always put the name and address and post-code on the box, but one time I remember just putting "The Most Beautiful Girl in Wadham College" OXFORD, plus no doubt the post code. OK by then the porters needless to say recognised the regular box and fragile tape. But Hey!!!!!! Actually she WAS the most beautiful girl in Wadham. The truth was written on the box!!!
For Christmas I air-mailed a similar box. A chocolate snowman and santa, a little nut-meg grater, Christmas card with robin on, some little books, a toy mobile phone a harmonica and a gift for Chris. Moo is having trouble mastering the harmonica and evidently is following Hester round the apartment getting her to play it for her.