Journal Entries
13.12.2011 - That Festive Feeling
Posted Dec 13, 2011
The Christmas feeling has now come. And what is it that annually brings this on? It doesn't feel like Christmas when the first Christmas tree goes up in the shops (in August!) It doesn't feel like Christmas when you hear the first Christmas song and it still doesn't feel fully like Christmas when you light the first advent candle or open the first door. But now it is official - Christmas is here! The Christmas Radio Times is on sale - and if you buy it, this year you get a free Gruffalo colouring book!
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Latest reply: Dec 13, 2011
9.12.2011 - Four Journal Posts in December - 2
Posted Dec 9, 2011
As a child I celebrated Christmas by sitting in the back of a van, bumping along country lanes, visiting the four corners of the Isle of Wight. My parents divorced when I was a child and so for Christmas my sister and I would spend the morning with my Mum and at midday we'd visit my Dad, step-mum and half-sister. He would drive to where we lived in Sandown (South Wight) in his van and we'd climb in the back (no seat belts) and bump along the country lanes to his house in Haylands (north Wight), where we'd have dinner. After dinner (fish, as my step-mum was a vegetarian and she refused to cook poultry, but breaded fish was okay). After dinner we would have the Christmas slide show, where Dad would insist on showing slides of the Christmasses he had as a child (mainly consisting of a Christmas tree which was an ordinary tree branch painted white with a few baubles on). This was followed by a walk on the beach.
We would then drive, bumping along in the back of the van along country lanes, to Shorwell (West Wight) to visit my step-mum's parents, where we would have tea and macaroons. From there we would drive, bumping along in the back of the van, to visit my Aunt, Uncle and both cousins in Wootton (East Wight). From there we would bump along to Sandown, where my Nana and Granddad lived and walk from there, round the corner back to my house.
Everyone else I knew seemed to stay in one place and spend Christmas with their immediate family, but we tried to see everyone. Nowadays I tend not to go outside at Christmas, and the day seems somehow shorter.
I think the oddest thing that happens these days is that I have salad cream on my Christmas Dinner as I don't like gravy and otherwise the dinner is a little dry.
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Latest reply: Dec 9, 2011
6.12.2011 - Four Weeks, Four Journal Posts - 1
Posted Dec 6, 2011
Q) Have you ever celebrated a holiday from another country or tradition?
A) I've celebrated Christmas in Yorkshire – and eaten Yorkshire puddings with my Christmas dinner. Does that count?
I often feel that we end up celebrating Christmas the American way rather than sticking to British Christmas traditions. Such as calling Father Christmas 'Santa' etc. Not that there's necessarily anything wrong with that, but it does lack individuality. I'd love to be able to go back in time and see a more traditional Wight Christmas, such as that described in WH Long's '1886 Dictionary of Isle of Wight Dialect to which is appended the Christmas Boys' Play'. It describes how the Christmas Highlight would be going to the Village Inn to have a drink and watch the Mummers' Play, which would feature Lord Nelson as a hero (Hooray!), Napoleon Bonaparte as a villain (Boo hiss!), along with Father Christmas (John Bull), Mother Christmas, King (Saint) George, Turkish Knight, Valiant Soldier, The Doctor (not 
) and Gurthead and Blunder, the comic relief. A typical excerpt is:
Here comes I — wold Father Crismus, Welcome, or welcome not.
And I hopes wold Father Crismus, Will never be forgot.
As I don't come onny once a year.
We should all like to taaste your wold strong beer;
And now I'm come I han't got long to stay.
But my sons and I wull make a little spoort avore we goos away.
Zo ladies and gentlemen gimme room, vor room o' you I praay.
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Latest reply: Dec 6, 2011
6.12.2011 - Beware Of Darkness
Posted Dec 6, 2011
We have entered the Time of Darkness.
It is now the time of year when it is pitch black when I leave home in the morning, and pitch black when I leave work in the evening.
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25.11.2011 - Milk, a box, a book and a tree
Posted Nov 25, 2011
At pre-school yesterday the children were asked what they would like to ask Father Christmas for, while the ladies wrote it down for them. And this is what my son asked for.
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Latest reply: Nov 25, 2011
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