What no Parsnips?

I haven't been into Carrefour for about 18 months.  I immediately notice it's undergone a complete refurbishment. The fruit and veg section is a cornucopia of colour, looks like its waiting  be photographed or painted. The butchers section is like an operating theatre, the aisles are full of wonderful packets and tins swirling round the store just waiting to be taken home by some lucky shopper. There's even a sushi bar in the middle should you get peckish. But .... Not a Parsnips or pack of sausage meat in sight. Looks like I'm off to Iceland.

Good will to all men.

So this is Christmas, a time for giving, peace on earth and good will to all men.

While looking for a cake tin, I'm  oblivious to the multitude of  whats app messages arriving at a rate of knots into my  very broken phone. Can't find the cake tin so make a cuppa, look at my phone and see that my niece, whist on route from Northampton to Birmingham  airport has had her purse stolen,  "note on route to airport".  

She arrived at the terminal and realised that some scum bag has been riffling through her hand bag and swiped her purse with everything in it. As anyone of us would do she begins  to cry. Now what? How is she going to get on the plane without any form of identification. Brexit or not she's going to need to prove who she is at the check in. 

Still crying one of the boys in blue approaches her and asks what's wrong? The whole scenario is poured out to  him and he begins his report. Meanwhile he calls my sister,  her mother sitting at her desk in Gibraltar. Who now also begins to cry and panic. How is she going to get on the plane, what is she going to do in Northampton  over Christmas? (not that there's anything wrong with Northampton, you understand), should I look for flights for all of us to go and join her?

No,  I'll call No 6 Convent place ( Gibraltar Government Offices) and get help. A  long shot I hear you say, how can they do anything? Well there,  to save the day,  was the  lovely Leslie Louise, who called the Chief Officer of  BCA (Border and Coast guards Authority) Mr Joseph Molinari who did everything to get her home safely, all in the space of hour,  the flight was boarding and she had to be on it. A truly amazing guy. 

He  contacted the immigration officer at Monarch airlines at Birmingham   airport and requested they grant her  safe passage. He then called Gibraltar airport and explained that she would be arriving into Gibraltar without a passport and to let her through,  bit like the queen.  He was talking to her via whats app the whole time,  providing much need assurance that everything was going to be OK. Heaven knows what sort of strings he  pulled but the Christmas bells where certainly ringing.

She arrives in Gibraltar,  Mother and Daughter are reunited and begin crying again. Couple of cuppas, glasses of the strong stuff and hours later, a ping into the inbox, the boys in blue have found the purse in Birmingham Piccadilly Station, with the passport and after some security checks will send it on. 

This sort of salvation can only happen in Gibraltar. I can't imagine it happening anywhere else in the world. 

Thank you and Merry Christmas to you all and to all a good night.