‘Christmas was often the worst time of the year, but with God’s help, I have managed to reclaim it’

Does the biblical instruction to honour your parents mean you have to spend the festive period with your emotionally abusive alcoholic father? That’s a question Alexandra Walker grappled with for many years

From the outside, Alexandra Walker’s life looked pretty perfect. The only child of the late Conservative MP James Cran, she was a talented student who excelled academically and musically. 

Alexandra describes her upbringing as “fairly light touch Christian”. Her personal faith blossomed thanks in part to attending an Alpha course while studying at the University of St Andrews. That was also where she met her husband, Simon.