A British Christmas

We have a local celebrity in Melksham. He likes to be known as "Mr. Christmas" because he celebrates Christmas every day. Here's his web site to explain: http://www.mrchristmas.co.uk/Mr%20Christmas%20Website.htm

We drove by his house last night and it is awesome! And, the neighbors have gone wild with decorations too. I'll take a photo and post it in the next couple of days.

Have you noticed an increase in Christmas spirit in the UK? I have! The light displays this year are beginning to rival the US...or is this just where in the US I came from and where in the UK where I live now?

Do the people where you live put a lot of Chritmas lights up?

Lisa,

I've noticed the increase in outdoor lights in the UK, too--just in the past couple of years. The area of Hove where we live still hasn't picked up on it, but elsewhere in Hove, just in the neighborhood where Andrew's parents live, a lot of people are going all out (to the point of "Who has the best lights?" like Tim Allen on "Home Improvement"). It's very cool to see. Now, if we can just get Brits into the Halloween spirit.

We got to Dulles late Wednesday night, and after a couple of physically grueling days, it's a relief to be here/home(?). Anyway, for those familiar with the D.C. area (misch, for example), we're staying in a section of Alexandria, Va., called Oldtown (perhaps a mile from D.C.), and they always go all out in the area as far as decorations go. Then we'll do the inevitable driving around the "burbs" checking out lights.

Anyway, I'm off the subject. But yes, Lisa, I've definitely noticed that the Brits are getting more into decorations. I've seen a lot of the white-light reindeer, icicles, etc., in the UK. They were really big in the D.C. area starting about three years ago, and Andrew and I even talked about buying a limited number of them and seeing how they'd go over in the UK. Alas, another good idea we didn't follow up on, and they have caught on.

Anyway, I hope everyone on here is having a nonhectic leadup to Christmas. Leah, we flew on United here, I had the book out, and a flight attendant, no less, told me it probably wasn't a good book to be openly reading, "just in case" (pretty fricking sad, when you think about it).  But I have it and will keep my word about a further review (I'm referring to a book Leah asked me to review--I've written about it on another thread), titled "Why Do People Love America?--A Supersized Analysis of US Cultural Influences"). And yes, when I just read the title, I was sure it must be sarcastic/tongue-in-cheek, given how popular America is these days. But it's not--the author (American) genuinely loves the country--as he SHOULD.
 
Anyway, please keep me posted on what's going on over there. I talked to my mom today (we got in too late to call her last night), and it felt so good to be 20 miles away, instead of 3700. Today's been devoted to recuperation (the fricking hip), so we'll go see her tomorrow, by cab, and/or Saturday, by rental car (for some reason, Andrew arranged for a rental car to be picked up three days after we arrived). But it's heartbreaking how Alzheimer's seems to progress--on the surface, she sounds lucid, albeit a bit confused now and then. But beneath that, she forgets details we talked about five minutes previously (such as where Andrew and I are staying, when we are coming over, whether we have a car, etc.). So we went over that about five times, and the worst part of it all is just her mere frustration with herself about how forgetful she is. Oh well. I'm going to spend every possible minute I can with her over the next four weeks.

Happy holidays to all.

Suzanne

P.S. I heard Blunkett resigned. Sigh.
 

I have to say i've noticed that the tinier the house, the more strident the decorations....some of them are just engulfed in lights and illuminated santas and what not. People always ask me if its like American lights, and I have to say, well no. I haven't seen an illuminated reindeer on the front lawn since the early 70s. I did notice when home at xmas that everyone seems to go in for the icicle lights and very few coloured lights..I love the tree and shrubs being decorated...

Around my neighbourhood, people have really gotten into it this year. Everyone's got white lights on the outside or on  the trees, which looks fab and alot of my neighbours have put potted xmas trees on their doorsteps in white lights. Looks really swish.

Our road looks great this year.    So far there's at least ten houses with outdoor lights and I expect more will go up this weekend.  No one's over the top-just nice decorations.  

I certainly noticed an increase in outdoor lights and decorations in our area over the years.

I'm afraid "it's going that way...."   

Hi,
I was told that putting up outdoor lights on your house was a "lower class" thing years ago before we moved here and it was confirmed by friends when we moved here 2 1/2 years ago.  I thought how sad because I love lights, but glad to see more people doing it here now. It makes me happy to see the lights at night and gets me in the spirit of Christmas. I also know that my friend's children here love it too!

LOL!
Well, yes, Melksham is somewhat more blue collar than white collar, somewhat agricultural. That's one of its charms though. The people are great here. Salt of the earth who would do anything for a neighbor. And I love their Christmas spirit!

suddenly getting more common in the last 2-3 years. Down the street they've got an inflatable Santa suspended from their satellite dish, which looks disturbingly like Santa's been hung up to be tortured 

Andrew and I were driving around my parents' area in the States (Fort Washington, Md., a few miles from D.C.) tonight, and were amazed at what seems to be the newest trend: absolutely gigantic lit-up snowmen and Santas, along with the now too-popular white, lit-up reindeer in the front yard, and icicles hanging from the eaves. Here's a question for all: I know some people consider multicolored lights to be tacky (I don't) and all-white lights to be classy (YAWN). IMO, if you're going to stick with one color, it should be blue, just because it seems to transmit "mellow." Opinions, anyone?

I'm old fashioned. White.
Then again I am total Georgian Regency.

The decoration theme I noticed last year in the DC area at Christmas was projecting yuletide images against a large area of the house. Some even moved. It was mesmerizing and totally tacky at the same time.

Oh, we're tacky.    The rest of our street is all white, but we're all flashing coloured lights.  They just seem more cheerful to me.   

I agree. There's something oppressingly WASPY about white lights. It's a nice look, but not much fun.

I see no lights on our road at all!  What's that about!?  Mindy, I love the flashing color lights!!!  Especially the chunky ones, reminds me of when I was a kid!!!!

I see no lights on our road at all! What's that about!?

Too posh up on the hill for Christmas lights.   

Yes well, there is that.  (I refuse to believe I live in aposh bit!!!  I see no posh people here, posh cars yes, but that's it )