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Years ago, Peter used to sing in the chapel choir at St. John’s College, Oxford. This Christmas Punch recipe, written down on the back of a postcard by Lady Southern, wife of the college president,  brings back many, many  happy memories…

ST. JOHN’S COLLEGE CHRISTMAS PUNCH

70 fl oz red wine (almost 3 bottles),  15 cloves, 3 sticks cinnamon, 3 oranges, 4 bay leaves, 3 or 4 allspice berries, sugar to taste, optional port, brandy, sloe gin or cointreau to taste

Slice the oranges.  Stew the spices,  oranges and bay-leaves in a quarter of the wine (approx. 17 fl. oz.) for at least an hour.  Mash it a bit to get the orange juice. Add to the rest of the wine and sweeten considerably, to taste.

Add optional port, brandy, sloe gin or cointreau to taste.

Serve hot, but do not let it boil at any time.