Pensioner finally finds Yuletide friends

It’s a festive story to thaw even the coldest heart. Pensioner James Gray, who advertised in a newspaper for company for Christmas Day, broke his decade-long streak of lonely Yuletides and celebrated the 25th in style.

The 85-year-old retired butler, originally from Cork but a long-time resident of London, spent Christmas in the company of London-Irish couple John and Marian Cunningham as the trio had a meal in the Holiday Inn in the south London borough of Sutton.

James came to global attention after his ad in the Irish Post, pleading for company to help him get over Christmas following years of solitude at a time of family get-togethers. Almost 2,000 cards and packages were sent to him via the newspaper, while the Cunninghams, from Galway, answered his call for company.

Yesterday James told the Irish Post: “To me this is like a Christmas miracle come true. I thought I was going to be by myself yet again this year because I didn’t think anyone would be so touched by my story to put themselves out like this.

“But these people are good Samaritans for giving up their Christmas to be with someone like me. After spending so many Christmases alone, I thought that was it, I would have no company for all the other Christmases for the rest of my life.”

Initially just one person responded to the ad and she later backed out but, following a campaign, cards, greetings, and offers began flooding in. It led to the Cunninghams sharing Christmas dinner with James, indulging in a free turkey dinner.

Marian, 52, said she had been touched by James’s story while John, 69, said he had been taken aback by James’s courage in openly asking for company.

James said: “Being here today with people makes me wish I had taken out a newspaper advert years ago, when I had no company at all on Christmas.”