Christmas 2013

25/26 December 2013

All I want for Christmas is....some peace and quiet! 

It was that time again to drink and eat ourselves into a self inflicted, overindulgence coma. We didn't travel home to the Netherlands this year but decided to host my brother and Anne at home from Boxing day until the 30th. For Christmas eve and Christmas day we were down in Dogwood. 

But first we needed a tree! Down to our usual Tree merchant, Pines an Needles, on Shirland Road. We acquired a 7 foot Nordman Fir from which we had to trim the top off for it to fit in our living room. 

With the usual red and wooden decorations we also decided to add some red ribbons to the candles lights, an Achterbergh tradition.

On the 22nd we were invited to a carol singing concert at the Royal Albert Hall. A spectacular venue for such an enchanted occasion.

Once the presents were under the tree it really started feeling like Christmas. Charlie and I decided to open the presents we got for each other on the 23rd. Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, blankets on the sofa and hot chocolate.

On Christmas eve we drove down to dogwood for Christmas with the rest of the Englishes. A ham roast was waiting for us when we got there. There it is look!

Christmas morning we all went to te 11am morning mas at the Barton Stacey church. The Church of All Saints is a lovely little vestige at the heart of the small village.

Back from church we decided to open some presents and boy were there a lot of wrapped gifts! Enough to make a whole children's hospital happy.

Finally, Christmas dinner of goose with all the trimmings. Crackers at the ready aaaaaand bang! Following a lovely dinner we opened some more presents and cracked open a few more bottles of festive alcohol.

On Boxing day we drove back up to London to meet up with brother love and girlfriend. Just in time to get the Gourmet up and running for our traditional boxing day dinner!