A Child's Christmas in Wales

 I have a very small Christmas book on the shelf . I found it several years ago when I collected many  children's Christmas books for EGS and EGD when they were 3. I wrapped them up and they had enough for opening one each day through advent.

This one isn't really a book for children aged 3, which is why I kept it. It has illustrations by  Edward Ardizzone who was a writer and illustrator for so many children's books back in the 50's and 60's

Dylan Thomas published this in 1952 and it was recorded for radio. It started as a shorter piece for radio  'Memories of Christmas' in 1945. It looks back to the Christmas of his youth in Wales. He died in 1953 aged just 39.  

This was an adaptation for TV.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDEqeydrEgo

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I had a very quiet Sunday, it was quite chilly in the morning when I went for a speedy short walk up and down the lane to the trees in the header photo. Then I dived into the Val McDermid - Karen Pirie  library book and stayed in the warm. I'm wishing I'd started reading these before they were on TV and in the right order - but I've jumped in at the end. There are no plans yet for season 3 on TV yet so two more books have been reserved. 

Carols

The word carol comes from the Latin caraula  and the original carols weren't just for Christmas. Originally they were any celebratory song - with dancing. Choirs sang church music and everyone else sang carols.. There were carols for Easter, for Wassailing, for drinking, for midsummer and mayday - any folk song and very few were originally composed specifically for Christmas.

The Reformation and Puritanism put an  end to much of the singing and dancing but many carols managed to survive through oral tradition.

It was only much later into the 1800's that folk songs sang at Christmas were gathered together and moved into churches and chapels. Often music was specially written to go with the words.

There are many books about the origins of Christmas Carols with interesting stories - which often go back through the centuries. The old carols we've all sung for years are well known but here are two of my favourite joyous more recent Christmas Carols - aimed at children and both well known in Methodist Chapels. 

(Both youtubes below are from Frodsham Methodist Chapel in Cheshire)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sp2QlKTYTZ8. Come and Join the Celebration by Valerie Collison in 1972.

The Calypso Carol - See Him Lying in a Bed of Straw written by Michael Perry in 1964

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_kwvn8G1wE

Yesterday's coffee for day 13 of advent  was chocolate/almond again. I guess I've now had all the different varieties.

The Strictly Semi Final last night wasn't as good as some other weeks I thought. Apparently there was all sorts of nastiness last week after Lewis Cope was voted off - it's taken so seriously by some people. I'm not bothered who wins - we'll have forgotten who won it in a few months anyway - or that might just be me!

Reading For Christmas - and into New Year

 This month I collected these, all books I'd reserved online. A good selection to see me through Christmas and into Just-Stay-In -January.

As usual mostly crime fiction but with a couple of non-fiction on the right - Unschooled by Caro Giles and Cacophony of Bones by Kerri ni Dochartaigh - which apparently I've borrowed before but didn't read. Plus one by Rachel Hore that I've not read.

There are  two more of Anne Perry's Christmas Novellas on the top - which, according to my book of books read, I've not read - but might find I have when I start. There's another British Library Crime Classic on top by Christianna Brand who is one of their good authors.

Among the crime is the most recent Val McDermid in her Karen Pirie series; two authors that are new to me and one of the Medieval Murders books - in which several authors take in turns to add to a story taking it through the years.

Last month it was this lot below and I read seven and gave up on five. My favourites were 'Midnight in Vienna' by Jane Thynne and Murder in Paris by Christina Koning

A bit about those I read is on the Books Read 2025 page - it will soon be time to start a 2026 page.

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Yesterday, Day 12, there were two sachets of coffee squeezed into one space -the packing machine must have gone awry. They were hazelnut and Columbian . I wonder if I'm going to find an empty section sometime?

 Also yesterday was the only day of last week when I had nothing happening all day which was needed as I'd run out of focaccia bread. A chunk goes well with any tomato-y pasta sauce and with the leek and bacon pilaf I had for my dinner.

A gift came all the way to me from the Inner Hebrides - Thank you W - it's in the fridge as instructed. Hope my gift got there - they have had some very bad storms.

 My friends who visited the other day left me two little parcels so I will have something to open Christmas morning. Other pressies will be later in the day when we all get together and after much nagging BiL finally came up with an idea for something he needs - so that's sorted and everything else is now wrapped for everyone.

Radio Times Nostalgia

 It arrived safely on Wednesday - The double issue of Radio Times. All the TV and Radio listings for two weeks over Christmas and new year..........From my 10 issues for £10 subscription. 

 Another Wallace and Gromit cover -similar to last year .....

If only the covers were like The Good Old Days..................

Issue 13 from 1923 priced 6d = 2½p

 

They had lovely Christmas covers back in the early days, the one above is from 1936.  From 1965 below. Early Original covers are very collectable now.

 The history of the RT...........

Radio Times is a British weekly listings magazine devoted to television and radio programme schedules, with other features such as interviews, film reviews and lifestyle items. Founded in September 1923 by John Reith, then general manager of the British Broadcasting Company, it was the world's first broadcast listings magazine.^[2] In September 2023 it became the first broadcast listings magazine to reach and then pass its centenary.

HERE' (or https://ukchristmastv.weebly.com/christmas-radio-times-covers-1936-1968.html)  is a website with many, many more covers pre 1969. Except for the war years they had full colour cover, even though there were only radio programmes listed and a long time before colour TV.

Then Here are covers from 1969 0nwards (or https://ukchristmastv.weebly.com/christmas-radio-times-covers-from-1969.html)

A Christmas tradition in many households even if never bought during the rest of the year.

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Day 11 of the coffee advent calendar was Italian and more than enough for 1 cup again. 

Pop-Up Christmas Shop

 A very quick look at the 1,000s of decorations for sale in a nearby village gift shop/cafe which every year turns into a shop selling the biggest collection of beautiful Christmas bits and bobs in Mid Suffolk.

Every shape, every colour - you name it they have it. Just three photos but you get the gist!

I always wonder how long does it take to get them all set up like this? after clearing away most of their usual stock. Do they keep what isn't sold somewhere from one year to another? They surely can't sell everything?

Questions, questions, questions!.................... but it does look exceedingly Christmassy and brings people from miles around to their shop/cafe/hairdressers and the adjacent homeware/garden store/hardware/builders supplies business with many other small businesses in units in their yard.

 All starting nearly 70 years ago with a small second-hand shop in a house. I remember going there with Dad as a child and buying a little suitcase which I used for doll's clothes for many years.

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Yesterday's coffee for day 10 of advent was back to Dark Roast - enough for more than one cup. I'm adding the extra of the ordinary coffees I don't use each morning into my usual Aldi ground coffee packet - my 24 days will be enough for several more days.

Yesterday was my 1,000 game of NYT Wordle - it told me I had a 1,000 Wordles Badge! and a 98% win rate.

 

1

0

2

39

3

221

4

351

5

263

6

103

I play it when having breakfast, which is why my laptop gets sticky from marmalade! and also do the Connections (failing often), Pips, (only the easy one) and  Strands. I used to do the mini crossword  but they made that subscribe only.

Christmas cards are posted and friends from Essex visited in the afternoon - good to catch up.

Ruth Mott's Country Christmas

Here's another Christmassy you tube, this time from an old TV programme - from 1995. 

This is the link if the above doesn't work it's 30 minutes long but there are some ads. Ruth worked in various kitchens and then became cook/housekeeper for Lord and Lady Illife until she was 70. Then she answered an ad in the WI magazine for people who had worked in large Country Houses before the war. The BBC wanted to follow on from a successful gardening programme ' The Victorian Garden'. She became the cook on the programme - The Victorian Kitchen and then followed that with 'The Wartime Kitchen and Garden' and then her own programme - above - when she was nearly 80 years old.

My copy of the Wartime Kitchen and Garden that went with the TV programme

This programme is much more homely than something that was on TV the other night - a programme all about how M&S have a Very Expensive Christmas. I believe they were selling a Beef Wellington "By Tom Kerridge"  (does he make them all himself??) for nearly £200 and the whole Christmas meal using their top of the range food would be £600!!

I suppose enough people buy their things otherwise they wouldn't have them.

Day 9 of the coffee advent  yesterday was Mocha, so I'm getting quite a selection now.

My friend J brought back my two Nativity scenes that I had loaned for the display. She said they had had lots of visitors so hopefully raised a little to help. She said it was an exhausting two days, as usual for village congregations, there are very few younger people to help. 

Nativity Crib Scenes Fundraiser

My friend and her fellow church goers at Wickham Skeith Church managed to gather many different Nativity cribs for the display. They are fundraising for church repairs - always much needed.

Just a few photos...first an introduction.

This one below is very unusual - I wonder where it came from, it doesn't look English.

These below come from Italy, I liked the extra characters working at their professions on the left.

Another selection

I would love to know which country this scene below comes from. Upstairs and downstairs and closing doors - very different.

The card set at the  back here looks very old.

The teeniest little crib scene below, not even as big as a matchbox

I think if they keep doing this they might one day have as many as the 200 I saw back in 2018 in Grundisburgh Church.

Hopefully Wickham Skeith church  had lots of visitors and raised a goodly amount. Son, DiL and the two grandchildren visited too after I'd met up with them a couple of miles away at Cotton Village Hall for the regular Christmas Fair there. Father Christmas was in attendance for YGD and MGS to visit. They always have activities for children to do - colouring and wordsearch etc which is a good idea and means parents stay longer. I didn't buy anything again - I think I'd seen all the things for sale at umpteen other Christmas Fairs.

When I got home there was a small parcel on the doorstep and inside I found these gorgeous little figures with a note - A beautiful handmade set from Ang at Tracing Rainbows. The little people are turned wood and their clothes are made from felt with stitched and knitted trimmings. I have no idea how Ang made the stable or how she has the patience for all this work on a small scale! 

How lovely and so kind, I shall have to hope that my friends church has a crib display next year so I can lend these because there certainly wasn't a set like this there.

Thank you Ang . They will be treasured.

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Yesterday was the next huge bill of this years expensive December....A filling at the Dentist and before I went out I had the Day 8 advent coffee which was simply called 'Breakfast'.

After the dentist I went into Ipswich town centre (Ipswich is our County town - biggest in the County) - probably the first time for 2 years - Oh My Goodness, everywhere is looking even worse than it did. There are perhaps fewer empty shops but empty shops have been replace by phone shops, vape stores and similar. Even two of the charity shops that I used to visit have gone. There was rubbish everywhere and it all looked  really depressing. I didn't stay long and doubt I'll be going back anytime soon. 

Christmas from the Charity Shops?

 I found some presents to fill a bag from Charity shops instead of doing two hampers with home made chutneys etc this year.(With no homegrown fruit and veg to use and not needing many myself.  I just didn't make much)

Some Baylis and Harding bubble bath balls - found two of these. A box with 4 mini gins for Sister in law came from a car boot sale and a set of three pots for herbs for the kitchen windowsill from a yard sale for my sister. It's OK to blog about them as neither sister and husband or sister in law and her husband read the blog  (their loss!) so they won't see this! I added a bottle of wine to each bag, one won sometime ago and another won in the tombola from the church Christmas fair. Plus the two food things got from Dobbies using the voucher.

The gifts are already wrapped but the bubble bath things looked like this, they were both £3.50 but from two different charity shops although when I looked on line I found they were only £3.75 each from Boots or Morrisons - so I didn't save much!

But here is a whole youtube thing about everything one family have found this year from charity shops to use for Christmas presents............ if you can cope with several minutes of build-up before she gets to the nub of the matter! and so much arm waving!

( I've tried to watch more of this ladies vlogs but she does wave arms a lot which is really off putting!)

Normally I can find things for two penfriends from car-boot sales during the year but didn't have much luck this year, ending up buying gifts from the craft fairs. But I'm a bit reluctant to buy games etc for grandchildren from charity shops or car-boots as you can never be 100% sure that they are complete.

There are  3 adult children, 2 partners, 5 grandchildren, sister and husband, sister-in-law and husband and BiL to buy for.............maybe I should start looking in charity shops now!

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The Doctor Who spin off with Russell Tovey that started on TV last night was quite dramatic I thought. Amazing what can be done with CGI and special effects - especially the plastic falling from the sky. Clever script too.

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Day 7 of the coffee advent calendar was chocolate/almond flavour which was good.

The Holly and the Ivy

A small sprig of holly and ivy found on a quick walk to the edge of the village's  millennium wood. I didn't go right round the wood - it was incredibly muddy after all the rain we've had in the last week or two.

Holly was thought to bring good luck and a tree was often planted outside the cottage door, protection against lightening in a storm and from witches. It was cut to bring into the house for early decorations

Although Holly has male and female varieties it was a plant for men, who in medieval times would put a sprig on their hats - making them irresistible to women!

One legend says holly had yellow berries until Christ's blood was shed on the cross and the cross was made from the wood of a holly tree and used for the crown of thorns (other legends say Blackthorn which is far more painfully prickly).

Illustration from my book "A Christmas Scrapbook" with a late Victorian or Edwardian Christmas Card

Ivy was not welcomed in the house so much, it was thought of as a weak and clinging plant and because it was often seen in graveyards, climbing over tombstones it became associated with death. 

The Roman god Bacchus, a God of wine, wore a crown of ivy. He had a group of female worshippers known as Bacchae who would drink an intoxicating concoction of the juice of ivy leaves and the poisonous fly agaric mushroom. It was once believed that ivy wood in a glass of wine would filter out poisons.

Now Ivy needs to be appreciated as an important plant for wildlife, both for winter shelter and as food for birds, bees, moths, butterflies and other insects. 

The Choir of King's College Cambridge singing the well known Christmas Hymn . Once the pagan story of the fight between the male Holly and female Ivy to rule the winter season.

Of all the trees that are in the wood, the holly bears the crown.

Yesterday's coffee for the 6th day of advent was Hazelnut - lovely.

St. Nicholas

 Saint Nicholas, whose day is celebrated in many countries today, came from a very wealthy family. He was a pious child and eventually became bishop of the city of Myra in Asia Minor in the fourth century and tradition says he gave away all the wealth he was left but preferred to do it  secretly - legends say once throwing some money through a window and another time dropping a bag of gold down a chimney where it landed in a stocking (or a shoe). 

He died around AD 326.

A Byzantine enamel of St Nicholas from a museum in Madrid.

In the C6 the Emperor Justinian built a church in his honour in Constantinople and his shrine in Myra (now in modern day Turkey) was a centre for pilgrimage until 1087 when Italian sailors(or pirates) stole his remains and took them to Bari in Southern Italy where another church for St Nicholas was built. He had become the patron saint of sailors due to legends of him saving  seamen in a violent storm.

All through Europe in the Middle Ages December 6th was the day that churches elected a boy-bishop a custom that has carried on in many places. The boy would reign until the feast of the Holy Innocents on December 28th and Nicholas soon became the patron saint of children as well as sailors.

This story of Saint Nicholas was taken to the USA by Dutch Protestant settlers in the 19th Century and  his name - Sinterklaas - became Santa Claus. His traditional appearance is because a man called Thomas Nast whose drawing of him - with white beard, fur trimmed robe and toys appeared in Harpers Magazine in the 1860s, illustrating the poem 'A Visit From St Nicholas' by Clement C Moore published several years earlier.

Before this time, here in the UK a yuletide figure of fun and feasting had been called the' Lord of Misrule', 'Spirit of Christmas' or 'Sir Christmas', 'Prince Christmas' or 'The Christmas Lord' since the mid 17th Century. A character created by playwright Ben Johnson in the early C17 for a play performed for royalty was called Old Christmas and had a white beard and many children. Christmas was then banned in 1647 by the Puritans, brought back after the end of the Civil War.

Eventually all these different stories and legends came together to give us the Father Christmas we know now.

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I got the bread-machine on yesterday and made a large loaf of 50/50 wholemeal /white. A couple of weeks ago I thought the machine had gone wrong. A medium loaf came out about 3 inches tall - maybe I'd got side-tracked and measured the flour wrong? So next time I double checked all the weighing and same problem. Try again with a new packet of yeast and it was a bit better.(All loaves were edible so not wasted, just needed two slices instead of one). Yesterday I started a new bag of flour and set it to large and a proper sized loaf turned out at the end, although slightly lop-sided.

I used to leave the lid open after taking the loaf out so any moisture wouldn't make it go rusty inside but realised that gradually the lid wasn't shutting tight. Now I balance a chopping board and a couple of tins on the lid to shut it properly, but sometimes the loaves don't come out as level as they should. They taste good though. 

I was beginning to think that was my fifth thing going wrong after the heating boiler glitch, the tins of tomatoes over the floor, a tooth needing a filling and the car suspension repairs! 

Yesterday, day 5 of the coffee advent, was Columbian again - I'm beginning to wonder....... where are the mocha, Irish cream, hazelnut and special Christmas blend that are mentioned on the box?.... Patience - is a virtue Susan!

Christmas Tree

 One of the winter illustrations from Angela Harding's book 'A Year Unfolding; A Printmakers View' She also used this as the front cover of 'Winter's Song' One of four pocket sized books published this year for each season - mainly with illustrations already published in her original book as well as some newer prints.

Winter,  Bringing back the tree

There was a year at the smallholding when we could have walked across fields and pulled a tree home . Red House Barns in Sternfield - across the fields from us started planting Christmas trees and using a barn there as a Pop-up Christmas Decoration shop, we walked there once or twice but  with no snow, pulling a tree home across muddy fields  would have been a bit messy!

The trees we planted at the smallholding - in the hope of having our own - never did well, and never got big enough to use.

Ang at  Tracing Rainbows had Oh Christmas Tree or O Tannenbaum on her blog the other day so here's a different Christmas tree song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-se7zpa71DYhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-se7zpa71DY

Got my tree out of it's box and decorated during the week. It was the turn of mainly red and gold to come out of the bags in the box this year along with more natural colours. I have so many bits and bobs gathered from charity shops, car boot sales and home made over the years that I can have a variation every year. 

 I came across a tiny decoration that I don't remember at all..........................

and 2 pottery Santas that I'd forgotten.......................

And then there is the Colin decoration the family gave me that first Christmas without him, decorations hand made by me, friends and the few bits found from the charity fairs this year

It would Never win any "Best Decorated Christmas Tree" competition for sure but it's fine for me - not many others will see it!

Yesterday's Advent calendar coffee, day 4, just said Dark Roast - so I'm still waiting for the more interesting. Then I went to see the hygienist who I've been avoiding, I do go to the dentist 6 monthly but opted out of hygienist for a couple of years, as the dentist bills were plenty big enough. I was really nervous and remembered why! Another big bill paid. Back there for a filling on Monday - Oh Great Joy!

December Full Moon

  The December full moon, tonight, is a Super moon again and was once called  'The Moon Before Yule' or 'The Cold Moon' or 'Long Night Moon'. A super moon is when a full moon happens at its closest to earth.

I found this picture online, it's a copy of a painting by Leeds artist John Atkinson Grimshaw (1836-1893). He was known as a painter of night scenes in urban environments. .....and fairies! The moonlight scenes he painted are all beautiful.

Found this poem online too.           Winter's Moon by Nina Hughes

Cold blue ice ball in the sky

winter's full moon flots serenely

on a sea of tranquil black

bobbing like a whale on windblown waves

She watches all below.

She peeks through a veil of wispy cloud

To spy on lovers through their windows

Smiling softly she moves on

gigantic mistress of the night.

All creation on the earth loos up in wonder

Rabbit squirrel, horse and cow know her well

Little babies hide their faces in mothers fur

She coaxes them to remember 

"Oh it's you! Hello!"

The graveyard tombs like candles on a cake

She lights them one by one

and those who hide in fear

for what they had done

She shines on them all.

Sinner, saint and bogeyman are subject to her reign

Trees bow in reverent homage,

each flower preens for her delight.

She follows little children to light their way in darkest night.

Fairies dance like fire flies underneath her glow

witches pass by her face on broomsticks, tickling her nose

Pagans ever paginating under her watchful eye

Tribes of wayward waifs sneaking out late at night

Seas obey her every whim

Calendars mark her regal passage

Fields and garden give her everything they have

Times goes on and she has seen it all.........

Day three of the coffee advent was Columbian - so I'm still waiting for something a bit unusual and my car suspension is fixed, no longer going crunch, crunch over bumps in the road and I've parted with £164 - the first December big bill sorted. Only four or even five more to come.....................

British Library Crime Classics

The first BLCC book that I came across was 'Mystery in White' by J. Jefferson Farjeon which was their 5th book reprinted and timed for Christmas 2014. It had a very appealing cover and was an instant best seller, introducing many people to these reprints.

They've just reprinted it again this year in a hardback copy with lovely cover although I think I like  the paperback cover better.

In the 11 years since the beginning there have now been 144 Crime Classics, from authors who originally wrote in the early 1900's right up to the 1960s and most are books that had completely disappeared and had never been reprinted. Number 145 is published this month and is by an author they've already published many times  before -  E.C.R Lorac. She also wrote as Carol Carnac and her books are always good, they've got another one coming out in February.

The book they published specially for the Christmas market this year is this one. Luckily the library bought a copy and I read it last month.

It was a really good read, a very clever story with lots of suspects, originally published in 1952. (Details Here)  One of the things I like about the Crime Classics  is the bit at the beginning, an introduction to the author by Martin Edwards. (Martin Edwards is a crime author in his own right and also edits and compiles the several collections of short stories in the BLCC collection). Susan Gilruth was the pen name of Susannah Margaret Hornsby-Wright and she only ever wrote 7 crime books between 1951 and 1973 which were mainly aimed at the library market so old copies became very hard to find and were never reprinted although some of her books were turned into BBC radio serials.

The story of the covers they use for the reprints is also interesting. Occasionally they are able to use original covers but many of their earlier books used some of the old tourist illustrations used in railway carriages in the 1930s and 40s. The cover of Death in Ambush above is an illustration by Gwen White so I googled her and found she was an author and illustrator who died in 1986.This is one of her books and she also illustrated many Enid Blyton stories.

Finding out more about the authors and illustrators can be nearly as interesting as reading the book.

Yesterday's  coffee  for  advent was 'French Vanilla' -it was nice but I couldn't find any vanilla flavour!

Wartime Christmas

I'm  hoping to do some Christmassy posts this month...........So here is   a Wartime Christmas from Chesterfield Borough Council.

This is the  link ..................... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYE5eBul2i8 in case the above doesn't work.

In my collection of books about the Home Front in WWII I have some about Christmas at that time.

It's  interesting to read how people coped when so many men and women were in the forces and away from home. Food was basic - no extras - everyone was glad to eat whatever was available. Many factories and businesses had been turned to war production and taxes were high to fund it all.

Typical wartime gifts in a child's Christmas stocking.

There wasn't much money to spare for Christmas in wartime and people were pleased with even one gift, often home made or recycled. How things have changed in the 80 years since. Maybe we all expect too much now.

What's Happening in December?

I usually schedule posts for 6am but this one is delayed due to waiting to open the first day of my coffee advent calendar so I could include a photo here - great excitement!

And the Christmas mug is out of the cupboard for the duration. The coffee for the 1st was Italian which is what I get from Aldi anyway. There is way more than enough to fill the press thing on my machine - probably enough for 3 mugs - I shall have to use the cafetière. I had frothy milk and chocolate sprinkles to celebrate the beginning of winter!

There are a dozen different flavours to try so I'm expecting two of each.

What's else is happening in December? ...........well, I'm going to be paying too many bills! Everything, everywhere all at once! 

There will be bills for dentist, hygienist, car repairs, boiler service and repairs, car insurance and there are still Christmas presents to finish sorting out. The grown up children are getting a small gift and money as I struggle with ideas, grandchildren are having toys, games or craft things of course, although even the 9 year old  grandson is liking money towards an x box - whatever that is! (I know it's a rather expensive game thing!). I didn't make chutneys etc for Christmas hampers for sister and sister in law this year, but have found some small things to put together for presents, including some items from charity shops but haven't a clue for BiL - neither has he.

There are Christmas cards and notes to write - not my favourite job - although I love receiving them so I keep sending. Stamps are ready, I think they are lovely and colourful this year.

What else is coming up? Well, friends from Essex are popping up for the afternoon next week.

And it will probably rain on the 13th! - that's the date of the one off Christmas car-boot sale, which will only happen in good weather.

Then  the ED and family are here from Surrey for Christmas. They are renting a cottage with room for all of us to go there for the day. It would be far too complicated for everyone to go to Surrey and my bungalow isn't big enough and she really wanted to host a big family Christmas. I'm on dessert duty (but not Christmas pud) and will take the umpteen  Christmas Crackers found at boot-sales.

Boxing Day will probably be me and BiL at my bungalow. He usually goes to his sister's home for Christmas Day. I asked him what he'd like to eat for Boxing Day - he said "food" - no help at all.🙄 Although I will make a small Wartime Christmas Pudding - that was a success last year.

If December goes at the same speed as the rest of the year it will soon be 2026!

Z for the end of the Alphabet

HUGE THANK YOU to all the people who left a note yesterday of where they were reading from - all around the world again - it's amazing when you stop to think about it. Just one old woman in a bungalow in a village in Mid Suffolk, writing nothing exciting but  being read by so many! Although I was right in saying there would be fewer comments than 2022 as 'only ' 166 this time!! Lots of people said they had been reading for a long time, thank you all again.

So it's the end of another November A-Z although I can't help thinking it was a silly idea to try and find 26 more A-Z things to write about after 2022 and 2023. It sort of fiZZled out at the end and maybe I won't try it again! 

November had lots of driZZley days and some very, very wet days - thankfully no snow in Suffolk.

During the month I got another jigsaw puZZle done. All pieces present and correct.

December posts around blogland are often Christmassy - I'm hopeful about getting some sorted. And I'm looking forward to reading Mary's (Trundling Through Life) posts. When I wrote about doing the A-Z through November, she said she had  A-Z Christmas blog posts already planned for December.

What wasn't Christmassy was staying at home all weekend instead of going to anymore village Christmas fayre/ fairs, the car had developed a crunching sound at every bump in the road so I called in to see my friends at the repair place and Ashley said "bushes". Now that's a word I heard in the past from Colin - when he did all our car repairs - it's a suspension thing so as it had been getting worse I thought it best not to drive anywhere yesterday or today. Hopefully it will be fixed on Wednesday as there are dentist appointments for a filling and hygienist coming up.

Tomorrow I'll open day 1 of my Coffee Advent calendar and swap the seasonal display on the top of the bookshelves from Autumn to Winter.

Y is for You (again)

In the 2022 A - Z 192 people left a comment with where they were in the world......192!!

 From Amsterdam to Australia and Canada to Colchester and all over the USA and the UK. It was amazing to see how far and wide readers of my ramblings were living. I think it will be hard to beat that number as page views are way down from 2022.

But I'll give it a go.................so ............. who are you and where are you? (Country or County - not your actual address!)

Did you comment in 2022? or have you only been reading more recently?

It will be fun to see.

The Alphabet ends tomorrow..............(thank goodness!)

X is for Xmas Fairs

 Not many things for X  so it's Xmas Fairs again! the same as 2023

With the end of car boot sales I find these are fun to go to, to get me out and about at the weekends, people to speak to, appreciating all the crafts, the chance of a nice find  and as promised in the F is for Fundraisers post I've been to several. Although strictly speaking................ 

The first, which was furthest away, wasn't fundraising for anything except the business putting on the event (Bridge Farm Barns) and the individuals selling their own antique/vintage and craft things. I enjoyed this event last year so it was good to go again and I  had a lovely look round and bought a couple of small things for a gift, the wreath that was on the W post and................

...................................had my first celebratory coffee and cheese scone in their café 😄

 The second was a small  proper craft fair, mainly stitched things, there wasn't anything I wanted but I bought a cup cake to take home to have with  my Sunday afternoon cuppa.

Number 3 was in Stowupland Village hall and I called in on my way back from shopping. I had a go on their raffle as they had 5 large hampers of food as prizes - but no phone call came 😞. I bought a small jar of fig, apple and balsamic vinegar chutney for £3 which sounded interesting - haven't tried it yet and found a copy of The Shropshire Lad and Other poems by A. E. Housman for 50p- I'm getting quite a collection of poetry books now - need to have a sort out.

The 4th was the 'Grand Christmas Market' held in the main hall of Stowmarket Leisure Centre. Much of the stuff for sale was tat! which was a shame as it made the proper hand-made items look very expensive. It was ever so busy. In 2023  I couldn't stay long as scented candles and other smellies set me off coughing but I was OK  to have a good look round this time, although I  didn't find  anything I wanted.

The fifth was advertised as a Christmas Sale with Charity stalls at the United Reformed Church in Diss on a Friday and as I needed to go to Diss for Morrisons anyway I went to have a look and spent £1 for three Christmas tree decorations from a stall raising money for Guide Dogs for the Blind.

Then I went round all the Diss charity shops and in the Big C Charity shop on my way out of town I found something for my friends Church fund raiser - The Nativity Scene display.

Christmas Fair number 6 is my favourite as it's in Son and DiL's village church and we've been meeting up at this since the Christmas after Col died in 2018. It's always packed with people and we have a cuppa and cake on wobbly tables - because the church floor is so uneven - drinks usually get spilled! -  and lots of goes on the tombola. This year I was the only person whose tickets won anything - and actually two useful things that will be used as part of Christmas gifts.  

 I bought one Christmas gift and forgot to take any photos.

The 7th I called into on my way home  after the 6th but bought nothing and there were other fairs I could have gone to Saturday afternoon and Sunday but the weather was awful and I'd spent enough so stayed at home. 

There's a choice of around 8 various fairs happening this coming weekend, but I won't be going to more than one as the car is in for repair to the suspension bushes next week so better not drive far.

There are several more fairs/fayres on the 6th of December and then the one-off Christmas car-boot sale on the 13th. Then it's just another two weeks until Christmas!

Back Soon

PS for readers from afar who often ask what a tombola stall is...........

In the United Kingdom, a tombola is a form of raffle in which prizes are pre-assigned to winning tickets. Typically numbered raffle tickets are used, with prizes allocated to all those ending in a particular digit (traditionally a five or a zero). Players pay for a ticket, which they then draw at random from a hat or tombola drum, and can instantly see whether they have won a prize. Tombolas are popular at events such as village fêtes and coffee mornings, when it is expected that not all the players will be present at the end of the event.