Dear Readers, it was a bit of a shock to come back from Namibia and to discover that Christmas was nearly upon us, but I am getting into the swing of things, and on Thursday I met my friend S in the cafe at the Sunshine Garden Centre. In December most of the place is taken up with Christmas trees (you can see just a few of them in the left and right-hand corners of the photo above). I asked one of the chaps who work there if they actually managed to sell all of the trees.

“Last year we closed on 23rd of December, and we had three trees left” he said.

Wow. The good burghers of Muswell Hill and Bounds Green must have a real liking for Norway Spruce. Anyhow, here is some of the wisdom that I picked up from the very helpful chap.

1. Underfloor heating is a nightmare for Christmas trees (after all, they’re used to the cold and damp outside). If you have such a thing, you need to lay down some tinfoil to the same diameter as the lowest branches, and put a mat on top – this should protect the tree from the heat
2. Cut a bit of the trunk off when you get the tree and stick it in a bucket of warm (not cold!) water so that it has a bit of a drink before it all dries up.

The chap also expressed a preference for branches of Eucalyptus in the house, because of the fresh smell. Who knew?

And then it was off to the cafe, past squadrons of cyclamen and bunches of mistletoe. And because it’s nearly Christmas, a gingerbread latte was essential.

Incidentally, am I the only person in the world who didn’t like the sound of ‘pumpkin-spiced’ drinks because who wants coffee that tastes of pumpkin? Maybe it’s just me.

Oh, and on Wednesday I went to see ‘A Christmas Carol’ at the Old Vic. What a joy it was! There were free mince pies and satsumas, some splendid carols and a bit of hand-bell ringing, all the usual ghosts and Scrooge’s change of heart. At one point there were brussels sprouts on tiny parachutes, and at another point there was a positive snow storm. It was all a bit anarchic and over the top, but when Tiny Tim said ‘God bless us, every one’ there was not a dry eye in the house. And if that doesn’t put you in the mood for Christmas, I don’t know what will.

At the Old Vic for A Christmas Carol