In Australia I always knew when Christmas was coming when stone fruit like cherries, peaches and plums started appearing in the supermarket. My mum would buy some and put them in her special Christmas fruit bowl on a special Christmas doillie in the centre of the dining room table. Even now when I bite into a peach I can smell the pine needles of Christmas trees and the salt air of our annual Christmas holiday.
If that was my marker here in the UK every day would be Christmas Day. Tescos and Sainsburys jet in peaches all year round from wherever they are in season. So it’s a different thing that triggers the old Pavlovian ‘It must be getting close to Christmas’ response.
It’s not a nip in the air. Or the smell of coal fires. Or even the constant din of fireworks around Guy Fawkes night.
It’s when Starbucks roll out their special Christmas coffees and start selling Eggnog Lattes.
I had my first one yesterday. I drank it as I walked across the footbridge spanning across the Thames between Embankment and South Bank.
It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas. UK Style.
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Christmas sandwiches from Pret a Manger – turkey and slices of sausage stuffing. Hmmmm (My Canadian partner just doesn’t get the British obsession with sausages).
Has anyone else noticed how X-Mas seems to have started alot later this year? They usually crank up the Christmas money making machine around July – so nice to see them being sensible this year.
Happy Easter!
Mick
Blimey Peter, your post has really upset me!
It’s a fact of modern life, but our obessesion with getting produce whatever the time of year is just rubbish!
Fruit and veg when eaten in the right season is an absolute delight! I used to think it was ponsey chef talk … I’d hear Jamie Oliver bang on about it and think he was up his own arse, BUT since switching to eating only what’s in season you get a real appreciation of what’s good!
After all, Strawberries in October .. it just aint right …
Apologies .. Rant over … keep up the good work
x
Is it just me, or does the site look a whole lot better all of a sudden? What’s changed Peter?
ooh! New look. Is nice
I’m an early-December baby, and an only-child. For me, Christmas does not start until December 7. No cards, no tree, no decorations… Everything leads up to December 6, when we celebrate me! Then there’s just under 3 weeks to get excited about Christmas.
(I think mum wanted to make sure I didn’t feel forgotten against the Christmas rush. Little did she realise she was creating a monster!)
Hey James and Alivicwil – well spotted.
The guys redesigning the site are just testing the new blog theme before it officially goes live. Soon the whole site will look like this, but with a different image at the top for each book. I’m really excited about it. It looks really slick which I think is a better reflection of me and my books