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Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

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Original poster

I fear that this Christmas may become legendary in our family as "The Christmas that didn't happen"

26 replies

bran · 22/12/2006 08:45

Unless the fog lifts and we are able to fly out from City Airport on Christmas Eve. We are supposed to go to my parents for Christmas, but the planes just aren't flying. There's virtually no food left at home as I have a big Ocado order arriving the evening we come back. We have presents for my family, but not for each other as I'm going to organise driving lessons for dh in the new year, he's going to get me a new phone when the new models come out in January and we didn't want to carry ds' present all the way to Dublin and then carry it back so it's arriving after Christmas.

I'm finding it quite funny, in a slightly hysterical sort of way. We are heading out tomorrow morning to buy food just in case, otherwise we would be having beans on toast for Christmas dinner. We can always freeze what we've bought if we do manage to fly out.

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FioFio · 22/12/2006 08:47

This reply has been deleted

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KTreePee · 22/12/2006 08:56

Fog has lifted here (Hertfordshire) - fingers crossed it clears in London soon....

santasaltire · 22/12/2006 08:58

Here in Sctoland we have had no fog! It's quite surreal actually watching it on TV!
I hope you do get home bran, but even if you don't, i hope you still have a happy christmas

9BeetrootsDancing · 22/12/2006 08:59

I would book a hotel nearby, and book christmas dinner so that you can make it a fun adventure. Then if you are hanging around for a bit you can at least have some comfort. You can always cancel if things so to plan!!

Surely there will be a back log?

ImaVeryMerryChristmasFairy · 22/12/2006 08:59

Feel for you Bran - we had our early Christmas in Cork at the start of Dec, and are spending Christmas in London. I've been watching the news with a profound sense of relief that I'm not caught up in it.
If it helps, I'll try and blow the fog away!!!
Head to Sainos or somewhere and buy lots of freezable food (and don't forget the booze!!), just in case, although hopefully it'll clear by Sunday.

Original poster

bran · 22/12/2006 09:04

Thanks everyone. Good idea about hotels Beetroot, there are quite a few good ones at Canary Wharf now. I might give them a call and see if they are doing Christmas dinner. They're walking distance away though, so I don't think we'd bother staying overnight.

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KTreePee · 22/12/2006 09:14

Ditto here IAVMCF - went back to see the folks in Cork at the end of November. We used to go for Christmas every year but it was a nightmare with the weather if you took the ferry, the airports were horrendous if you flew....we had an excuse not to go one year and have not done it since!

Bran, even if the hotels are booked up, you mind find a local restaurant doing Christmas dinner that has places - our local Greek one is still advertising... could you invite yourself around to a friends if the worst happens?

compo · 22/12/2006 09:17

Personally I think I would cancel any travel plans and go spend a fortune on yummy food and snuggle up with dh and ds at home. But then my sense of adventure seems to have up and left for warmer climes

Original poster

bran · 22/12/2006 09:33

I can't cancel, although we will be fine if we end up not going my Mum will be upset as it's her first Christmas with ds (we went to the in-laws last year). So we're going to do our best to make it.

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NotQuiteCockney · 22/12/2006 09:37

We're (probably) doing a Borough Market run in the morning, to get little bits and bobs. I was there on Xmas Eve last year, and it was pretty quiet, actually.

If you want to come visit for a bit on Xmas day, for company etc, please do. We're not far away. I could probably even manage to have you guys over for the big meal, if you like. (It would make things more chaotic, but that's probably a good thing.)

Original poster

bran · 22/12/2006 10:00

That's really sweet, thank you. Won't your in-laws think it's a bit weird of you to have an imaginary friend and her family over for Christmas? Or will it just confirm their suspicions of weirdness about you? I will phone around the hotels later on and see if they are fully booked for Christmas dinner, but I would be tempted to pop up to you for an hour at family argument time. What time is that for you usually? You know the time when the sugar rush is too much for the kids, they get shrill, the grandparents wince and wonder aloud whether you're bring the kids up as wild animals, you get snippy with dh because they're his parents, dh gets snippy with the kids for yelling, one child hits the other and it all ends in tears. It's what Christmas is all about.

I hadn't thought about Borough Market, we were going to go to Greenwich market and M&S tomorrow but we might go to Borough market instead.

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NotQuiteCockney · 22/12/2006 10:06

Hmm, we're eating at noon, so 3 or 4pm, I guess, would be good? A drop-in would be nice.

My MIL was there for the last blanket sew-up, if you remember ... I didn't stress the "imaginary" part. I suspect she'll just be happy it's not the child who said the Rude Word then.

Original poster

bran · 22/12/2006 10:19

Fabulous, a plan. I'll text you on Christmas Eve if we don't manage to get away if that's ok with you. If you don't hear from me it means we've made it to Dublin and I'm sitting in front of a warm fire telling ds that Father Christmas is just a story despite Granny telling him he's real.

Another friend is having Boxing Day drinks and nibbles, so it will be quite a festive holiday even if we don't get away.

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NotQuiteCockney · 22/12/2006 10:20

Oh, that's good to hear.

Do text, we're around the whole holiday. MIL is staying until Thursday, but company is always good.

FredBassett · 22/12/2006 13:53

Can you fly from somewhere else? I know you are down south but could you drive further north to use a different airport?

Original poster

bran · 22/12/2006 15:50

Yes, possibly, the only other flights I could find are from Heathrow which is also quite badly affected by the fog, but there are fights from Manchester. It's a hell of a way to drive though and all the flights are quite early in the day. On the whole I think I might just end up making matters worse if I try to rearrange everything at the last minute. Plus there's always NQC's family argument to look forward to if the worst comes to the worst.

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NotQuiteCockney · 22/12/2006 15:53

Ah, if you drop in, everyone will probably be on best behaviour. Or something.

Three kids here, too, as my nephew (14 months or so) will be here too. I think your DS particularly enjoyed my DS1 when they met, he's certainly on top form managing other kids lately ... he went to the co-op yesterday with me, and ended up organising activities (ok, he was going through his Fire Of London book with them, but he got them to put helmets on and everything!)

hatwoman · 22/12/2006 16:00

I was just thinking of people like you. You poor things. glad you're keeping in good spirits and have back up plans. dh works with loads of people from Europe - quite a few single 30-odd year old blokes - so they're really screwed. I did wonder if there was anyone he wanted to ask over, but he didn;t exactly jump at it. and we're full to brimming as it is.

Judy1234 · 22/12/2006 16:03

Keep checking it may be okay. We're hoping to fly back to the UK tomorrow, 23rd. You might be able to fly from somewhere else or take a ferry instead too so worth looking into that.

Original poster

bran · 22/12/2006 16:11

Hmm I just noticed that I said "fights from Manchester" instead of "flights", Freudian perhaps.

It would be a pity if everyone was on best behaviour NQC, I like a bit of disfunctionality at Christmas, it's traditional.

I feel sorry for your dh's colleagues Hatwoman, it's probably much worse if you're on your own. But on the other hand, I don't think I'd be that keen to go to a colleague's family for Christmas either. Perhaps some of the singles will get together and have a festive pizza or something.

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NotQuiteCockney · 22/12/2006 16:12

Oh, don't fear, MIL's best behaviour is still slightly ... hmmm ... bossy? (She's 6'2". And a retired consultant.)

Borough Market opens at 8 tomorrow, I might try to sneak off with no kids or something for then. Depending on how my night goes, anyway.

Original poster

bran · 22/12/2006 16:14

I definitely wouldn't be keen to go on the ferry. Dh doesn't drive and it's quite a long way from London to Holyhead, plus I get seasick but wouldn't be able to take anything for it because I would need to be able to drive at the other end.

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tissy · 22/12/2006 17:13

saltire, it's been foggy in Ayrsjire this afternoon! I was quite cross that my Mum decided, after agreeing to come to us for Christmas, to go to my brother's instead. If she had bought plane tickets to come here, she would have had her plane cancelled!

Original poster

bran · 24/12/2006 14:47

It seems to be all go at City Airport today, hurrah! I will be sorry to miss your family Christmas NQC, bit it'll be great to have Christmas in Dublin where the present are.

I'm quite "bah, humbug!" about Christmas every year until the very last minute, but the spirit of Christmas just kicked as usual at about midday on Christmas Eve. So, ho ho ho and a merry Christmas to one and all, especially you NQC.

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Original poster

bran · 24/12/2006 14:47

Ahem, that should say "the spirit of Christmas just kicked in"

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