The tiny community consisted of around a dozen family units, everyone with only what they could carry and homeless, our group met up somewhere around the country. Hard times had hit all of us due to the Global Reccession, as we trekked around the country we came across an abandoned village, form the looks it had been a mining town but the mines had closed in the 1980's and with no other work in the area the people had packed up and left.

Roof, doors and windows of the buildings had long gone but the walls seemed solid enough as the had been build not from brick but from cut stone most likely in the early to late 1800's. It was early spring when we happened on the village and decided to stay for a while, there wasn't any signs of human life in the valley and some started small gardens got bigger as the weeks passed. The women did the cooking , washing and looked after the few children that were amongst us while the men did all the heavy labour.

One of the biggest building looked like the old schoolhouse and we all set up home there as it would be easier to make one building habitable rather than one for each family before winter set in. There wasn`t much money between us but I had a military pension that was paid into a bank account monthly, it wasn`t a lot only  £750 but it sufficed to feed us all and by clothing now and again.

I had served over 20 years in the Army taking part in various conflicts until I pensioned of one day short of my 40th Birthday,and unlike most western countries who looked after their service people when they were discharged the UK just abandoned us to our own devices. I was a Transexual and lived as a female full time, I was also the oldest member of the group and the rest of group wanted me to be the leader but I refused, we were all in the same boat as far as life went.

When we had tried to get help in the towns and cities, we were met with derision, loathing called scroungers etc and in my case sometimes violence, so we just moved on and on, social services had tries time and again to separate children from their families, we knew the authorities would either foster them out or put them up for adoption so we ran and kept running. It got to the stage that I would go into a town in the early hours to draw money out of cash dispenser and do some shopping at one the big supermarkets that stayed open 24/7.

Spring gave way to summer and the crops that we had were harvested, some we used but most we kept to get us through the winter, I had managed to buy a cheap second hand car and would travel up to 100 miles to do some shopping, again we stockpiled most of what we bought. We didn`t have any modern conveniences like electricity but we managed, the school house roof had been replaced, although it was pretty rough in kept the elements out,windows were boarded up and made draft proof and the two doors had been replaced, so we were pretty comfortable, clean and well fed.

Christmas started to loom and the snow was falling, I got a list of what the kids would like for presents from their parents and managed to get it all, oh it wasn`t all new but they wouldn`t go without presents. Of course it didn`t leave much in the kitty and what was left I placed in envelopes for each family so that they might have a bit of cash to spend, it wasn`t a lot but I was sure they would appreciate it. I was now totally broke until the end of the month but what the hell, I had never had a Christmas myself being an orphan, in the forces I ended up on duty at Christmas so I had no idea what Christmas about.

The 24th Decembercame and a few of the women prepared the meal for the next day, ok we wouldn`t be having all the fancy food that`s supposed to be associated with Christmas but nobody would mind, at least they would have decent hot food inside them. The snow was pretty deep and there was no way into or out of the valley and we safe from outside interference, everyone worked hard that day, some had made sure that there was plenty of wood for heating and cooking, the water tank we had had been filled to the top, one of the group knew how to make candles so we had a good supply of those as well.

At last Christmas day, it was a joy to see the see the faces of the children as they opened their presents, as they went of into the playroom I handed one of the money envelopes to each family and they were overjoyed, but they knew the state of my finances and tried to give the money back which I refused to accept. I had no use for money just now and even if I had any where could I spend it, someone suggested I was trying to buy thier friendship and an argument started. I explained that in all my life I ahd never celebrated Christmas, that I knew there was things they needed as families and whether they accepted my friendship was up to them and I didn`t need to buy true friendship. Eventually the arguments stopped and peace resumed.

The Christmas meal was served and everyone ate their fill, nobody complained about the lack of anything or about the meal, the children loved it when cakes were brought out for them along with cola and afterwards everyone went round wishing each other a Merry Christmas, I had left the building before all that all started, I just wanted to be alone to think, as a group we stayed together for survival and these people had become friends and a community. Maybe it was just me, I had never known friendship not even in the forces, Oh I could work with people but could never get close to anyone for some reason.

I really liked these people and wanted to help them were I could, let them enjoy their Christmas while they can and I hope that they celebrate many more, to me it was just another day of the year, another day of struggle to stay alive.

I went back inside and was immediately swamped by children and adults alike wishing me a Merry Christmas and I wished them the same, minutes before Christmas day ended and everyone asleep I again went outside and looked at the stars and wished the world