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Sleigh bells ring...are you listening? Do you hear what I hear? From the official 'turning on of the lights' (orchestrated by some B-grade British celebrity) to the first cup of mulled wine, I can't help but be overcome by all things Christmassy. Oh yes, Christmas time is here again and I am filled with festive cheer. I find Christmas very different on this side of the world. In Australia, I typically embrace the Christmas season with summer evening gatherings with loved ones ranging from BBQs at home to al fresco dining in our favourite restaurants. I rush about air conditioned shopping centres, dreading the moment when I return to my car which has baked in the sunshine and heat. I struggle to avoid burning my fingers on the steering wheel as I try to keep on moving in order to cross things off my seemingly endless Christmas list. It is such a busy time of year and the heat alone is draining, let alone the numerous preparations to be undertaken. And after weeks of Christmas cards arriving in the post (with pictures of Santa surfing and koalas wearing red suits while barbequing at the beach) and with gifts piled high under
the Christmas tree, the day is at last here. And on the big day, like so many Aussies, my loved ones still suffer through the heat to prepare a baked dinner complete with roast pork and baked pumpkin (two of my most favourite things) topped off with Christmas pudding and trifle. Having eaten our fill (and then some) we enjoy the afternoon nap that is an integral part of Christmas day, Aussie style, before we get up and do it all again in the evening.
In Britain the Christmas season is similarly focused on gatherings with loved ones but these take place in cosy little pubs or in noisy reception halls. Shopping is still high on everyone's agenda and I must say the shop fronts in Britain may well be unparalleled the world over. Stores like Harrods and Selfridges go all out in every sense to create a display that is sparkling and bright. They undoubtedly succeed in beguiling customers, luring us in with their buttons and bows. We're yet to spend an actual Christmas Day in Britain but our experience of British Christmas fare is as equally enticing as the colourful shop fronts. The main differences between traditional
Christmas dinner in Britain and that in Australia are the small details. British folk really embrace all the trimmings. Stuffing isn't just stuffing in Britain-it's a milieu of chestnuts and juniper berries and brandy and all manner of goodness knows what else. And it’s damn tasty too. Even pudding isn't a simple affair-the pudding must be set alight and so it is carried to be served on its own special platter-all blue flames and the delicious smell of dried fruits and alcohol wafting through the room.
An anomaly for me during the festive season in this new land is that Christmas does not involve much in the way of carols and I miss them. As a child I spent nearly every Christmas with Del singing Christmas carols in a choir at carols by candlelight, old people's homes and fetes all over the Hunter. And on Christmas Eve I would always watch the Melbourne Carols by Candlelight with my nanna, holding my own candle wrapped in newspaper to catch the drips. So many of my most precious childhood memories are set to the tunes of these carols. In Britain, it's more traditional to have pantomimes, ballets or orchestral concerts. Each
city has numerous varieties of each on offer. Last year Adam and I watched the Nutcracker ballet at Leeds Opera House and I do confess I was quite captivated. This year though, we've not made any plans to attend performances of any of these British favourites. Instead, we've been simply enjoying all the other wonderful things Christmas brings in its wake. And there are many...cold crisp evenings, German Christmas markets, roast turkey and of course, snow. Despite the drop in temperature, Leeds really comes to life in the winter. As does the UK in general. While people hate the winter because of the long dark days, for me it at least lives up to expectation. You expect cold and it is. You expect dark and it is. The cold and dark actually fit best with the idea of Christmas that you grow up with as a little kid. It's picture book perfect.
I sought out the best of Christmas in London this year with my friend Claire. Determined to see the lights and do some last minute shopping, we spent a weekend wandering through Hyde Park, along Oxford Street, and through Petticoat Lane to get to my most favourite
market in London, Spitalfields. Needless to say much tea was drunk and much yummy food consumed (bring on more afternoon teas at Harrods!) And despite the laborious journey home (think several cold hours spent huddled away from the automatic opening doors of the road service centre while man changes bus tyre following a blow out on the M1), it was worth every second just to stroll through Hyde Park's winter wonderland sipping hot apple mulled wine. Adam and I also took a trip to the biggest Christmas market in the UK in the town of Lincoln which is yet another town sprung off the pages of a story book. The city is perched up on a hill overlooking an otherwise completely flat plain with endless fields of green in every direction. The streets of the old town are cobbled and the houses are very traditional-lots of black and white old English facades and Victorian terraces. Stunning. The market itself was absolutely enormous, though I'm proud to say I managed to escape without my wallet being too much lighter.
While it has been a season where we've very deliberately sought out our most treasured delights, Christmas time has also delivered
some unexpected treats. The first week of December brought my lovely friend Laura to the UK. It was a very last minute trip and I was thrilled to get an email saying she was on her way! Fresh from an Australian summer, we bundled up and headed straight to Betty's tearoom (a Yorkshire institution) where we spent a wonderful afternoon talking endlessly over cups of tea, nibbling on triangular sandwiches and mini cakes. And just this weekend, gorgeous Lisa and her boyfriend came to stay. It has been a very long time since our days together back at Port Macquarie Base but seeing Lisa reaffirmed yet again that an old friend is definitely one of the best things in life. We cooked a traditional Christmas dinner at home, even managing to set the Christmas pudding alight!!! (The tip from my work colleagues-heat up the spoon first before you pour the brandy was priceless!) We even managed to squeeze in a trip to York to see the minster and wind our way along the Shambles, stopping to pause at the gorgeous shop windows all gussied up for the festive season. As we strolled through the outdoor market in search of some
lunch, it began to snow in earnest. And I couldn't keep the smile off my face. Here we were...Old friends together again...Walking in a winter wonderland...
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