HO! HO! HO!

[Lizilu20]

That sounds very similar to us Babs. We always have carols, minced pies and mulled wine on the village park on Christmas Eve. Every year we say we will have a walk down but I'm usually into the cooking sherry by then and frantically wrapping last minute pressies etc!
The last time I went to the village pub was a couple of years ago and I got in trouble - my tipsy friends (women who are neighbours in their 30's and 40's) for some unknown reason decided to play knock a door run, they sprinted off across the park leaving me and my arthritic knees to follow in their wake and got chased by an irate villager who told me in no uncertain terms to f--- off!!!!! It was a while before I dare show my face in the village shop again.
Maybe I'd better give the carol service a miss again this year!

[samson]

think we have lost the true meaning of Christmas. the day that jesus Christ was born! even that is soo untrue. a virgin birth yes but three wise men? 

[Blue Lizard]

Two Snowmen in a field.....one says to the other   "psssst! can you smell carrots?"

[alantj]

Chris-S.....I have no such pubs near me....to reach one I would have to spend the taxi sleigh a trillion pounds

Are you sure you are looking hard enough, even here in darkest Croydon you can find quiet side road pubs with real beer and log fires.   

[Blue Lizard]

Yes we have a couple of places like that in our town...but they just  a) are not very nice  b)expensive  c)unfriendly... We do have a village a 20 min walk away but that is like going into Deliverance country... The pub should have a young boy with wonky eyes playing banjo on the step outside...Wetherspoons is my usual haunt..cheap and friendly (we have 2) and I can get an EFES for £2.60!! but this time of year it's jammed full with seats reserved for office xmas din dins and crowds of teens shouting at each other.A nice country pub I know some 40 mins away at Christmas would probably cost the same in a taxi as i've paid for next years Dalaman flight ...I will give pubs a miss till the festivities are over!
Bah Humbug!!

[Chris_S]

BL, Sounds like the price one has to pay for living in a town: you have to suffer the multitude for the convenience of services and facilities.

Living rurally is the opposite, but perhaps without the apparently incestuous offspring popularised in hillbilly folklore.

Fortunately, we live in a market town (with a Wetherspoons...) but can be in countryside in 5 minutes (2 minutes by car) and we can choose the pubs.  We just take it in turns to drive -sometimes 

Looking on the bright side of the 'office party' - at least they are talking to one another, most of the time people never bother to speak to anyone outside their own clique.

[BarbH]

Just been to a Harvester pub near us on the borders of  London/Kent. Plenty of  space, nice meal and reasonable. We have a Weatherspoons a few minutes from there but as BL says it  can get crowded this time of year. On Saturday we are going to our local Turkish where we can get a nice Efes and a freshly cooked meal and the usual friendliness of what you expect from  Turkish people...and its cheap!!!!

BarbH

[Blue Lizard]

Bah humbug!!! lets not forget that other season that descends on us this time of year.....Pantomime!!  Oh yes it does!! Oh no it doesn't!!..you can tell a lot about your Town by the stars(very loose term!) that are in the panto....we have nasty Nick Cotton(john altman) from Eastenders years ago!!..... it's alleged that he couldn't get in the jungle because the bugs wouldn't work with him
wonder whos got Biggins this year?

[joycie]

Just been to our local for curry night. Two Tika masalas with rice popadums and naan bread a large house red and pint of hobgoblin 12 pounds for the two of us.

[clara 50]

We live in a small village with two pubs and an Indian restaurant and believe me we get plenty of fistycuffs here during the season of goodwill too. We're escaping some of the hustle and bustle with a four night coastal cottage break in pictureque west Wales on the 13th, hubby's birthday. Done lots of research and there are small cosy, pubs and restaurants in walking distance, log fires included, to chill out. So hopefully we can have a few relaxing days before the real mayhem begins, can't wait just fingers crossed it doesn't snow  I agree Mr Lizard about  Wills I can also recall him doing a chorus or two with Prince.

[Lynne T]

It's nice to hear from you again Joycie, how is your husband ?
Lynne xx

[joycie]

He's fine thankyou. Back in our healthcare system but must admit have been seen pretty quickly. Looks as  though he had the best of care in Turkey which we were very grateful for. Cant fly long haul for a bit and up to four hours is possible but insurance quite restrictive at the moment. Looks like our narrow boat will be used a fair bit next year and our annual trip to Kalkan  will have to wait. SO SAD.