We were so busy making sure we hadn't left any of the Christmas presents on the platform, that it wasn't until we reached East Croydon that we realised we'd lost Aunt Maud.

The trouble was we were all coming from different parts of the county, (self, siblings, parents and Aunt Maud) and all trying to get to London in order to descend on brother for the festive period.

So, we decided we'd meet on the train - or rather on the platforms of various different railway stations. In my case, this meant getting on and off several different trains, laden with presents and trimmings.

The plan was self, stuffing, mince pies and, at the last count, 24 presents, would get train from Brighton to Haywards Heath, where I would get off in order to get Lewes train, on which I would meet Aunt Maud, sister, brother-in-law, their children, Christmas pudding, brandy butter and travel cot.

Accordingly, I got off train at Haywards Heath, waited on the platform for Lewes train, from which head of brother-in-law was protruding, in order to shout my name and usher self and all the stuff into same carriage as nephews, nieces, brandy butter etc. That done, we all went as far as Three Bridges, where parents were supposed to be waiting on platform with ham, presents, camp bed and Monopoly.

Only when brother-in-law opened the door at Three Bridges and looked up and down the platform, he couldn't see parents - and was forced to make snap decision as to whether we should all stay on train or all get off and wait for them on platform as arranged. He decided on the latter and mustered people and presents under sign for the ladies' toilets.

As we happened to be standing there, Aunt Maud decided to: "Go and powder my nose," at which point parents arrived, apologising. The train, which should have taken them to Three Bridges in fact terminated at Horsham. So they'd had to get off and catch another ...

No sooner had they finished explaining, another train for London arrived and brother-in-law began the Herculean task of finding us all seats and ensuring that camp beds, travel cots, ham and brandy butter were safely stored in overhead luggage racks.

Then mother piped up: "So, Aunt Maud decided to make her own way did she?" Which is when we realised that we'd lost her.

"I expect she'll catch the next train and meet us there," I reasoned, but mother was worried she might wait for us at Three Bridges for the entire holiday weekend. "I'll get off at East Croydon and go back to look for her ..." kindly offered brother-in-law.

"YOU WILL NOT!" snapped sister, sensing that he was seizing a chance of escaping the next three days cooped up with relatives. So, in the end, we decided the best option was to go to Victoria and try to contact the station officer at Three Bridges.

After spending 15 minutes getting all the people and things off the train, we were making our way to the lost property office (which mother reckoned was as good a place as any to begin the search), when we caught sight of her, sitting outside the station pub, sipping a glass of sherry.

"Aunt Maud ..." said brother-in-law. "We thought we'd lost you." "Not so easily," she replied. "I was on the train all the time. Just wondered how long it would be before you noticed I was missing ..."