I do not know what your thoughts are but Christmas seems to start the end of last month and early into this one, I am not panicking yet but it does make you realise you better start writing those cards that the wife leaves for you to do, admittedly they are only the ones to my friends. Hers /ours were in the post by the first of the month, written in November and all bundled up ready to send off. At our age it is a case of we tend to buy things ourselves, then hand them over for the sender to wrap, with an occasional surprise or a gift we purchased a few months ago and until we open it forgot that we had.
We like to see all the “twinkle” of Christmas hence a few shots below of our two day trip to Edinburgh.
3rd
Our village Christmas Fair took place today and was very well attended with about twenty five stalls selling lots of affordable Christmas gifts. Jewellery, knitting, lamps made on old cameras, typewriters etc., paintings , landscape photographs framed, cakes and bread , jams, all great things that were selling well.
14th/15th
In amongst the Christmas markets in Edinburgh were funfair rides and ice rinks and bars. Firstly I will show you the rides and ask a question.
This ride was on George Street and was basically canvas seats that you were strapped into and though it did not go very high was going extremely fast for about five minutes duration, flinging you by centrifugal force (or is it centripetal?)( an old Fire Service argument) ever further from the vertical.
This and the next shot are in Princess Street Gardens, when on this ride you are being jerked in so many different angles at a speed that I am sure you would not know where you were for the whole ride.
As for this one you are taken EIGHTY Metres in the air and spun round .
So my question is -: Why on earth does any one want to go on these contraptions ? But many did and by the sound of the screams, some of them were thinking the same thing.
This would be more my idea of fun, a giant snow bowl that you could go in and the polystyrene balls on the floor are blown into the air and you get your photo taken from outside.
We were here to see the glitter and the tinsel and inside John Lewis, the Christmas tree displays and tinsel etc. were putting on a show with their artificial trees. A couple more below.
Such “real” looking trees that start at just under £200 (without ornaments) and go up to just under £500. To think the one I have out on our drive was a John Lewis one that I got about eight years ago in a auction in the village hall and it cost me £2, so I am happy.
16th.
This blog is a day late in going out as I was waiting for a dry night to show off our village lights, not over pleased with the shots as it turned out a bit misty and a drizzle of rain, but it will give you a rough idea of what effort is made within the community.
The small park on which once stood a church as you come into the village.
Two of the village green showing the main Christmas tree supplied by the Atholl Estate and the Yew trees that are along the roadside permanently and are fairly old. In the second shot one of them looks like it is on fire, but it just the glow from the lights.
This will be the end of this first half of the month blog, but will try to get out before Christmas and photograph individual households efforts in our hamlet.
But I will take this opportunity to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and will send you a new blog at the start of 2024.