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Preparing for Christmas
COVER STORY
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Finding more space Our guide to the best, most beneficial extensions to consider for your home
PROPERTY
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Our latest instructions Take a look at a selection of our latest properties on the market
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About us Get to know our team a little better and see why we are your agent of choice
FOOD
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Winter Warmer Soups
Warm up this winter with some fresh and hearty homemade soups thriving, and with the Stamp Duty Holiday ending in March, and the average house sale taking longer than usual, there is no time like the present to finally move and take advantage. The clocks have changed and the nights are drawing in, which can only mean we’re on the countdown to Christmas! Inside, with the uncertainty over what Christmas will be like this year, we have an article about how to make it extra special this year alongside our guide to the best advent calendars available for all the family. However, it’s not all about Christmas, we have an informative
LIFESTYLE
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Preparing for Christmas Rekindling the atmosphere of those quaint mid-20th century yuletides
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Unique advent calendars A variety of advent calendars to suit all the family
Treating your tree How to make everybody envious of your tree this year
The return of The Crown The multi-award-winning drama is back on our screens on the 15th of November
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Black Friday fever Top tech tips for Black Friday bargains
SPORT
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Snooker UK Championship One of snooker’s most prestigious Triple Crown
WELCOME TO THE NOVEMBER ISSUE!
The property market is still
events starts this month article about how best to extend your home as well as our top tech tips for Black Friday!
Looking for cosy nights in? Check out pages 8 and 9 for our winter warmer soup recipes which you can relax with in front of The Crown when it returns - check out our preview on page 12.
And finally, we have a sports preview of the UK Snooker Championships on page 13.
In these strange times, stay safe, enjoy your time with your family
and look after yourselves. Jonathan Wheatley Editor
The country may still be in the grip of a pandemic, but there’s no reason we can’t avoid a bleak midwinter
Most people are thinking Christmas is likely to be a bit of a non-event this year. The continual struggle to combat the
Covid-19 pandemic means an everchanging landscape of guidelines and restrictions, although the “rule of six” could be with us for some time.
So, where does that leave the season of goodwill to all men in a facemask, the non-stop round of departmental parties which go on well past office hours, and those big family gatherings?
Well, if you’re working from home the office party will be you, the cat, a mug of tea and slippers on before The One Show has started; the family get-together will be via Zoom; and social bubbles will be something more important than having the girls round for Prosecco.
While Millennials may be tempted to shut up shop, do their best Scrooge impression and pretend Christmas has been cancelled, Baby Boomers and Generation X will be: “Hold our mince pies, we’ve got this”.
WILL WE KNOW IT’S CHRISTMAS?
Because back in the Dark Ages - before the internet or even Channel 4 - Christmases were localised, family-centric and far less commercialised with the countdown starting this month rather than early September when the tubs of biscuits and chocolates start appearing on supermarket shelves.
So, how do you rekindle the atmosphere of those quaint mid-20th Century Yuletides?
For a start, make your own Christmas cake instead of buying one. Set aside a Sunday afternoon and get baking, as early in November as possible because every consumer knows a good cake needs feeding regularly – as in a liberal dousing of brandy every week – before it is iced.
And while you’re at it, get to work on your own Christmas pud (once again, nice and early to let it mature, more brandy etc) or a gingerbread house. The aroma alone will get you longing for Christmas Day.
As for the not insignificant issue of decorating the house, leave it as late as possible, do it together and make it an occasion not a chore with a “yeh, that’ll do” end product. Make it better by designing your own decorations… and cards. Set aside a good few hours, devise a festive playlist, and finish the day with hot chocolate or mulled wine.
Or, as we are likely to be advised to spend more time at home, wind down with a night of Christmas films … and no, Die Hard doesn’t count. It’s not a proper Christmas film is it?
As for the day itself, you can still FaceTime the relatives before settling in for games and quality time after lunch; admittedly, Exploding Kittens will never replace Kerplunk and Find Out Who is no Charades, but they’re still a lot of fun and will get you in the mood for a Morecambe and Wise Special on UK Gold.
And if you still feel it’s the season for giving, donate to charity.
After all, you could have saved a small fortune by not buying enough food and drink to feed a small army for a week.
