The Christmas book for today is A Suffolk Christmas
It's been on my shelves for several years and I often spot it in Suffolk charity shops at Christmas time.
First published in 1991 it is made up of short pieces taken from The East Anglian Daily Times, The Eastern Daily Press and from the books of authors who lived in or wrote about Suffolk.
A short extract from the EADT explains how rarely we get a white
Christmas and was published in 1962 - ironically the year before the
longest and coldest winter for many years.
One bit was by an author of 4 crime novels that I'd read many many years ago.Sheila Radley wrote books set in Suffolk during the 1980s, with a detective called Inspector Quantrill and in the Suffolk Christmas book the introduction to one of her books "Talent for Destruction" describes the joy of snow to children in winters of the 1960's. I looked her up on Fantastic Fiction and found she'd written 9 books in the series and the library still have one that I've not read.
Not all the pieces are about cheerful happy Christmases. George Fulcher who lived in Sudbury in the first half of the the 1800's wrote about the injustice of the new Poor Laws which sent people to Workhouses and separated married couples and their children.
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I've finally got round to doing a bit of Christmassy decoration - The Tree. I hauled it out from under the stairs, fitted all the branches onto the trunk
and untangled the lights. I'm not a minimalist when it comes to colour on the tree!
Thank you to the winners of the draw for the Christmas crime books for getting addresses to me quickly so I can get them in the post and away. Two books went to Devon, one to Yorkshire and one to Merseyside and I'm pleased to have 4 less to pack when I move!
Back Tomorrow
Sue
Your tree looks lovely. I go for the more is less school of tree decoration too. Every colour of the rainbow (and some that aren't in the rainbow!) It's a trip down memory lane as I put all the bits and bobs on the tree. I just wish I could have my family here to share it. Next year... xx
ReplyDeleteI LOVE your tree. Colour, light, just what's needed. The decorations are old and many hold personal memories for me.
ReplyDeletexx
I have (had?!) A Hampshire Christmas written to the same format and enjoyable. Having given myself a stern talking to about "books which had become a HABIT" I think it probably went to the Charity shop in the recent cull.
ReplyDeleteWe will be getting our tree soon (get a cut one from Abergwili normally) and have put up a few bits of tinsel about the place and the lovely fireplace swag which I would have up all year long if I could . . .
Your tree is colourful just what we need. I got mine out but I had a phone call from a friend that lasted fir nearly 2 hours so the tree like yours I got it up but the decorations will be done today.
ReplyDeleteSo many memories will be remember especially the FAIRY DOLL we brought it from a stall holder in Oxford Street in 1958 the first year we were married they are not made like that now.
Hazel c uk 🌈🌈🌈
I don't do minimalism either and believe that a Christmas tree should be a riot of colour and laden down with lots of baubles and trinkets, some Christmasy and some not, making it a cheery focal point. Your tree is exactly what I mean. Beautiful.
ReplyDeleteYour tree is lovely, I think we all need a bit of twinkle and colour this year.
ReplyDeleteI'm already dreading the after Christmas bareness of the house, usually I look forward to it. Perhaps it would fit in nicely though with my idea of a year on rations ... instead of the outbreak of war in January it would be the outbreak of bleak blandness!!
A lovely exuberant tree it is. No tree for me, for a start I think the decorations are in the garage and I can't get to them, so greenery and candles of course.
ReplyDeleteThat is a wonderful tree. It's also a wonderful way to winnow down your books: passing them along to the next people who will love them.
ReplyDeleteYour tree is beautiful! I agree about the decorations. I like our tree to have multi-colored lights and a variety of ornaments. I still put ornaments on the tree that my sons made when they were little and they are in their 40's now! So far this year I have the tree up and decorated but nothing else decorated around the house. I need to get busy!
ReplyDeleteLove the tree, like you I enjoy the colour and do not do minimal.
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