Thread 15 - TalkLair: “I Can't Lie To You About Your Chances, But... You Have My Sympathies.”

[Kucinghitam]

(Previous thread 14).

Autumn seems to have gone straight into winter. It's cold, wet and windy. In the TalkLair, the hearth is glowing, the walls covered in dubious artwork, books by non-approved authors line the shelves, rugs are down on the floors (and assorted pets curled up on them). The denizens of the lair are a welcoming bunch though, always eager for general chit-chat on all manner of topics.

We just won’t mention the gnawed bones of our prey over there in the corner of the cave…

I'm pretty pro-Christmas and have never really met anyone who was pro-Christmas for religious reasons, though I'm sure there must be some somewhere! I like the cheeriness in the midst of the dark, having something to look forward to, and something nice to share with baby weasel. She likes to play Christmas songs while we do the tree. I'd like the carols, but she barely knows them. There'll come a time when she wants to be somewhere else for Christmas, I guess, and I can't see myself decorating solely for my own benefit, but I'll still enjoy the lights and anticipation out and about I think. Unless I start pressing my face up against other people's windows like a complete saddo!

I know many people who struggle with the cold and dark of winter so don't blame you for that. All the lights, sparklies and gathering to sing is such a comfort, whether you're religious or not. I wonder if those who find winter difficult are more into Christmas, just a thought. I'm not especially into it myself, though I enjoy the decorations, but then I don't mind the short dark days and enjoy the slow swing of the seasons.

Years ago we went to a Tudor Christmas concert given by a group called Piva and it was wonderful - loud, exuberant and all together very jolly. The sounds made by the Renaissance instruments were initially strange and a little uncomfortable to the ear but we got into it very quickly and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

piva.org.uk

Found a nice example.

Kucinghitam · Today 09:49

We got Whatmageddon-ed on the 30th of November! Walking through the city centre, minding our own business, and some bugger was blasting it from their stall

According to Absolute Rock radio, it only starts on the first of December, so you may be OK! I haven't been whammed yet...

That was very enjoyable! Like a mediaeval rave, with bagpipes 😂

Yes, those are the standard rules. - anything before 1 December doesn't count.

I have Radio 2 on in the car, so Jeremy Vine has got me out by 2 December 2 years in a row. I think he must do it on purpose. Must remember I need a different car station in December.

Yes, very much like a medieval rave! The music made us want to get up and start jigging about.

They're doing a Christmas concert at Little Moreton Hall. Now that would something to see.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Moreton_Hall

images.app.goo.gl/hHcxvuBHL3YrDQ2a7

I do like the Christmas lights, although as the ones in Portland stay up all winter I suppose we should call them winter lights. The Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens do a magnificent display called Gardens Aglow, just for the Christmas period, and we plan to take DS1 to that when he comes over.

A lot of the towns along the Maine coast do Christmas trees made of lobster buoys (left by lobster fishermen when they sink their traps,to mark which ones are theirs as every lobsterman has his or her own design). Here's one in Wells, which is about thirty miles from me.

images.app.goo.gl/sji4zushxYuXJaHo8

@SinnerBoy @NoBinturongsHereMate Ooh! So we are still in the game!

That's an entertaining tree, brit, and I loved the medieval raving. I have a terrible cold and am at that point with work where I am just done and it should be done and yet it isn't done, it's interminable, turgid and painful. A spot of medieval raving perked me up considerably.

NoBinturongsHereMate · Today 14:00

Jeremy Vine, what a complete bastard!!

Love the lobster pot tree, and the wrapped ones - I've seen a few done with that tiny-lights-all-over electric, but jot with the red 'baubles'.

Love the lobster pot tree and, Kuc, your tree is gorgeous and so perfect for your lovely window!

I have a plastic tree that looks vaguely convincing (certainly much more treelike than the like green tinsel one it replaced) but need to get to my storage unit to retrieve it.

I’m very much in favour of Christmas for adding light into the darkest days of the year. Total atheist but the festival predates Christianity anyway so that doesn’t seem to matter. I have ordered mince pies because Konditor make nicer ones than me but plan to make a pudding and cake (as well as the Ottolenghi clementine cake which is a Christmas Eve ritual in this house). It’ll just be me, my mum and my brother (as it generally is) so quite quiet but with lots more nice food than usual and hopefully some appropriately crap telly.

Great lobster pot tree!

I think it will be more difficult to escape Whamaggedon in the UK this year because it's the 40th anniversary of the song which may well mean it's played a little more than usual. I tend to escape it by mostly listening to radio 4 and wearing headphones to listen to podcasts while I'm out. N.b. I don't do those things to escape Whamaggedon but I do those things all the time which makes me less likely to fall victim to an sudden burst of " ... I gave you my heart" etc.

I haven't got my tree yet. My finances are a bit worse than I thought they were but hoping to sort things so they're a bit better. We'll see. Yesterday I got a package from Vinted which was supposed to be an Ines de la Fressange for Uniqlo coat. Instead it was a grey woollen jumper with fluffy pom-poms on it. I did think the package looked a bit small to be a coat. The seller is mortified and I've told her not to be, we'll sort it out. Cancel/return jumper/coat comes out to me. And yes, things like this are not helping my finances but it's all a bit difficult because I have to buy clothes because the majority of my clothes no longer fit me. A lot are for sale on eBay or will be for sale on eBay - a friend is doing it for me and we're sharing the profits - so at some point there will be money from that but she sells so much on eBay that it's taking a while to get around to my stuff. Anyway, blah, blah, blah I'm replacing clothes and trying to do it cheaply and sustainably hence things like Vinted and chazzas, etc with the occasional new thing if it's in a sale.

ANYWAY! One way or another (I'm gonna find ya, I'm gonna getcha, getcha, getcha) I will hopefully have a lovely tree before the end of the week and my living room will smell of pine.

Our decs will probably go up this weekend. I was a traditionalist about not putting them up until Xmas.eve but MrBint leans more towards 1 December, and since moving north I've been more inclined to agree - the lure of twinkly lights is stronger when it's dark by 3pm from practically the day the clocks go back.

And I'll be bringing a heap of new sparkly things back from MaBint's, so if we put those straight up we.won't have to put them away and get them out again.

Things have gone well here - good turn out for the funeral, and lots of sorting and accomplished. But I'm looking forward to heading back home tomorrow to my Own Bed and a bit of a rest. On the minus side that does mean the M1 and M6 tomorrow, so if anyone fancies.making a small offering to the traffic gods tomorrow I'd be grateful. On the plus side, I finally get to put a face to a name when duc and I do our apple jam/parsnip stout swap before I hop on the ferry. And I'm very glad to have not been on the ferry a.couple of days ago. Should be a little calmer on Wednesday.

MouseMinge · Today 00:03

Whenever I think of Blondie, the end of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly comes to mind.

Hey Blahndeeh! Chew know what you aahr? Jaahst a dirty sahn of a beetch!

I don't think there were any ferries a couple of days ago, Bint! A friend in ROI had to cancel a weekend in Wales, and I couldn't get there either as both Severn crossings were closed.

That reminds me, there was a thread on here over the weekend about driving to England from Wales during Storm Wossname, including someone who was going to Birmingham. A surprising number of people seemed completely unaware that there was any possible route other than via the bridges ... as though Wales were an island.

Glad the funeral went well, bint. Wishing you smooth driving and smooth passage.

They've never heard of the M50 or the M54?

Apparently not, duc. I don't know where people think the border is, but I'm pretty sure that places like Oswestry and Hereford are thought to be in Wales.

Oswestry does sound a bit Welsh, tbf.

I lived in Hereford for a while. There was a general feeling that we should be doing the whole bow and arrow thing to any random Welsh "visitors". That and SAS shenanigans were the feel of the place.

I was born in Hereford, and the last time I was there was with two Welsh friends and we were singing in the cathedral. They were very nice to me, as an insurance policy!