Tag: Christmas

Posted in Writing

NOVEMBER CATCH UP

Posted on by Jo Lambert - Author

I’m writing this on the last Friday in November, which means at the end of next week we’ll be welcoming in December. Of course, for weeks we’ve been aware that the festive season is just around the corner. TV advertisements and some shops already sporting decorations. Our local Christmas Market opened yesterday (23rd) and will be open until mid-December, bringing shoppers into the city. This year, as I worked on my gift list for friends and relatives, the thought of past Christmases conjured up some memories

Santa Claus

One of my strongest childhood memories was meeting Santa Claus. I must have been about six when one of the girls in my class told us how she’d not only met him, but had actually spoken to him. Of course, once I’d heard that I knew I’d have to meet him too. There were questions that needed answering. Like how did he get around the whole of the world delivering presents in one night? And how did his sleigh work when we rarely had snow before Christmas? Then there was also the question of negotiating our chimney. All the drawings of him were of a large, tubby man. Surely he would get stuck. On Christmas Eve I snuggled down under the blankets to wait for him, excited and apprehensive, with all these questions lined up in my head. When I heard the door to my bedroom creak open, I was about to sit up and face him when I heard familiar voices whispering, followed by the rustle of presents being left at the foot of the bed. The door closed and I lay there. All my questions had been answered, but sadly not by him. Was I disappointed? It’s so long ago, I can’t remember. I know didn’t tell anyone about my discovery. They would find out soon enough for themselves.

Carol Singing

As a member of the Sunday School, I would join the rest of the children as we were packed into two cars and driven from one end of the village to the other to entertain the locals with festive songs. Not sure we were appreciated everywhere though – I remember at least one house where the lights went out as soon as we began singing!

Nearer Christmas, the church held a carol service where each child added a figure to the nativity display. The church was decorated with holly and lit by candle light, very atmospheric and a great childhood memory that comes back to me every year.

The Christmas Bird

My grandfather kept chicken and ducks, together with a few geese which he fattened up for Christmas. For most of my childhood, it meant goose was the bird of choice within the family. I recall my grandmother used to save goose grease in a tub – a hand me down remedy for colds and chest infections when mixed with honey. Rubbed on the chest and back, then covered with brown paper – doesn’t bear thinking about, does it?

Christmas Tree

During my early childhood, the era of the artificial tree had yet to arrive. Instead we bought the real thing, usually off the local farmer. Unlike today, they came with roots, and if small enough, could be planted in the garden and reused for several Christmases to come.

And finally, One of Santa’s Little Helpers

Years later, one of my bosses thought it would be a good idea if his children had a typed reply from ‘one of Santa’s elves’ to make things a little more exciting for them. He roped me in to create a response and although I was a little sceptic, they loved it! Was this the start of my journey into writing fiction? Not quite, but a small creative moment nonetheless.

AND FINALLY, NOVEMBER READS AND REVIEWS

My favourite read was Calico. Not at all what I expected, but definitely worth five big stars from me.

Next month I’ve only three books for review which suits me fine as there’s so much going on in the run up to Christmas. I’ll catch you all after the turkey and tinsel. Have a very Happy Christmas!

Best wishes

Jo x

Posted in Writing

OCTOBER ….

Posted on by Jo Lambert - Author

This post, although written well before 31st October, has become like a sticky toffee paper on the bottom of my shoe. It’s reluctant to be dislodged, keen to stay where it is. It seems to me that since I left the workplace behind, the endless amount of time I thought I would have, meaning I’d get so much more done, has not, in fact materialised. Instead, I always seem to have quite a lengthy ‘to do’ list. What is worse, because unlike work any urgency to get a piece of work out (i.e. my monthly update) is all down to me and doesn’t affect anyone if it’s late. However, I am now finishing up and today (10th November) it will be published.

29th October, 2023

It seems that 2023 is now on some sort of toboggan run as October has simply flown by. It’s been a really strange few weeks. Returning from an amazing holiday in the Italian Lakes – clear blue skies and 34 degrees for seven whole days – both of us went down with a virus the day after landing at Bristol Airport. Was it Covid’s latest offering? Well not according to the rapid flow test we both took. Whatever it was, we spent three weeks trying to shake it off, the first ten days indoors and avoiding everyone. It felt as if we were going back to the good old days of 2020. A week after we stepped out into the world again, we had our Covid and Flu shots at our local medical centre. Just as last year, it was well organised, with minimum waiting time and thankfully not much in the way of side effects other than hot, aching upper arms for 24 hours.

Since then, life has got back to normal. I’ve written a Christmas gift list and am now working out what to buy – a complete headache, but I hate copping out and giving everyone gift vouchers. The predictable envelope isn’t half as much fun as a festively wrapped package. I’ve also bought my cards which are tucked away ready for another dose of writer’s cramp as I sign and seal, ready to post. I’ve cut down the number this year as the postal rates are simply crazy. I remember back in the 80s when the Boy Scouts were allowed to issue a specially reduced priced postage stamp which would enable them to deliver local Christmas cards. Sadly, those days are long gone. For Christmas shopping we usually alternate between Salisbury and Winchester. This year it’s Winchester’s turn. The huge open area surrounding the cathedral enables the city to set its Christmas market well away from the main shopping area. Although crowded, it gives good access and isn’t such a crush as many other markets are.

Writing is progressing slowly. I have a few other plans which have taken my attention away, but I hope to be back on course soon.

Of course the monthly news wouldn’t be complete without listing my reading for the month. Of particular mention are Wendy Dranfield’s Her Lonely Bones – the sixth in her Detective Madison Harper series and yet another unputdownable read. Then Jenny O’Brien, The Puppet Maker and Alex Pine’s The Night before Christmas, both of which are addictive reads and highly recommended.

So that’s all for now until the end of November. Since our return from Italy in mid-September, the weather going into autumn has given us brief glimpses of sunshine amongst the wind and rain. However, I always choose a background image on my PC to remind me that the winter will eventually end and the better weather will be with us once again. On this occasion, I’ve chosen one of the shots from our Italian holiday. It reminds me of that afternoon when after a two hour ferry journey, we disembarked in Garda town for a wander and some lunch. Great holiday memories and looking forward to more in 2024.

See you next month

Jo xx

Posted in Uncategorized

November already??

Posted on by Jo Lambert - Author

Apologies if you’ve read this post before but according to my WordPress account it has never been published and is still in draft form. Therefore am re-issuing.

This time last year I was working and most of the men in the office were growing moustaches – yes it was Movember, or rather November.  And now I’m six months into a new life without the daily 9 -5 and there are some aspects which I miss but others I do not.  One of the things I most hated working during the winter months was when the clocks changed and returning home from work meant walking home in darkness.  By the time we got to December it was going to work in the dark as well.  I almost felt I should be hibernating somewhere buried in straw or under some garden bonfire like a hedgehog.  I suppose the only comforting thing was drawing the curtains and curling up in an armchair for the evening with a book or a good TV programme.  I always knew, however, that by the last week in January it would be twilight as I was coming home and from there things got better.

This year has gone so quickly.  It seems like only yesterday we were in Oxford in February celebrating my OH’s birthday.  We had a wonderful hotel and I absolutely loved the city but boy was it cold!  In early April we spent a break in Chester.  The cold continued and I remember walking the city wall and wondering if it was ever going to get warmer as currently there had not appeared to be any increase in temperature since February!

In early May a big group of us had a long weekend in Lynmouth.  Four of us arrived on Friday and we took the cliff railway up to Lynton on the Saturday morning and walked to the Valley of the Rocks.  It was FREEZING!  Luckily we stopped for hot chocolate at Mother Meldrum’s Tea Rooms just before continuing along the cliff pathway back to Lynmouth with a  force ten gale helping us on our way!  I remember sitting in the B & B breakfast room on the Monday morning just before we were due to return home, looking out at the trees across the valley and wondering whether they would ever come into full leaf.  Of course they did, and we were treated to some really good weather later on in the year.  That, unfortunately did not include the week in Kingsbridge, Devon in late June – more rain than sun but we still had a great time, meeting family and running into friends and work colleagues who had all headed to South Hams at the same time we had.

I think the jewel in the crown for me as far as holidays were concerned was Lake Garda.  We’d been there in 2001 and loved it and decided to go back again.  Now this can be dangerous; you are setting yourself up for disappointment – but we weren’t, it was even more magical.  I absolutely Italy and its people and it has become my number one destination in Europe.  I think if was asked what I remembered most about Garda it was the cleanliness of the place – they seem to take pride in their environment.  Then there were the flowers – even in September such a lot of glorious colours.  Italian food, of course, rated highly and then there was the easy pace of life there even though it was a big magnet for tourists.  We visited Riva Del Garda at the top of the lake and the heat haze which rises out of the water in the early afternoon looked quite magical.

Last month we were off again.  Early October saw us in Bruges, another great place to stay and I’d highly recommend the Hotel Pand – wonderful champagne breakfasts and amazing service.  We ended our year’s travel in the UK with a stay in York.  Here I went on an ancestor hunt.   John Hewetson was made Freeman of the City of York in 1537 and I knew he was buried somewhere.  Certainly not in the Minster, where most memorials date from the 1600s.  As it was, tucked between the sightseeing and retail therapy, the search did not unearth anything positive.  It was only on my return home that I discovered by searching on line that he was in fact buried in All Saints Church.  I will, therefore, be checking it when I return to York again.

So here we are on the evening of the 6th November, by Sunday we’ll be in double figures and then it’s the gradual slide down to Christmas with all its associated expended energy – what to get people, who to invite to what and how much food to buy.  And then when it’s all over, the New Year and then the reality check.  How much money did I spend over the festive season? Is there enough left for that dress in the sales?  Am I really that heavy?  Cue fitness regime and financial tightening of belt then out with the brochures again to plan Holiday 2014.  Oh yes and I’ve a book coming out too!  Ah the cycle of life, never a dull moment!