Deck The Trees …….

Sorry about the dodgy pictures again …… we’ve decided that we’re definitely going to ask Santa for a new one now!

The school run gets a little busier for Nigel and his beloved niece and nephew at this time of year as they try to spread the joy ……

…… and early this morning they were busy dressing one of the bare trees along the school path, with baubles bought by his lordship from the 10 for £1 baskets in various charity shops in Evesham ……..

It was …… emotional.

…… with each bauble thoughtfully hung ……..

…….. amidst the carefree and innocent excitement and dreams of our precious little ones, looking forward to a magical and happy Christmas all together ……

……and in the hope that others might follow to stop by, make a wish and help fill the tree by the end of the school term.

Such happy days, with traditions created and memories made to take into their futures …….. long after we have become threadbare and a little unstuffed ……. and in need of Toy Hospital!!!

Rife With Festive Emotion ……..

Please forgive the poor standard of our photos today, we think somehow we’ve managed to get a greasy smudge on the lens, however, though said camera has served us well over the years, we are thinking that, perhaps, we might ask Santa for a new one when the time finally comes, later on in the month.

Sooooooooo, on Friday our lovely postman Rob dropped off a parcel that we recognised straight away as coming from our beloved No. 1 fan, Jan the Fan, needless to say The Towers then thronged with a unfettered and unbridled excitement.

It was a wonderous present of three parts, the largest of which is to rest under our festive branches until the BIG day, with Nigel warned not to shake or in any way fertle with it until then, lest the surprise is spoiled, tempting, though it will no doubt be.

However, there was a also small flat package that we were urged to open, there and then …….

…… and that’s when the festive floodgates were opened ………

……. because inside the personalised card ……..

……. was a real life, handwritten poem ……..

…….. just for us!

Let’s just say, it was emotional, very emotional and took quite a while, aided by a mug of steaming hot chocolate and several stollen mini bites to compose ourselves again ……. but then, there was more …….

…….. another package to be opened on 1st December ………

….. which only contained an Advent calendar of a scratch card type nature!  Needless to say, we got scratching immediately, on this occassion, we didn’t win a prize, but we are very hopeful, very hopeful indeed ……… but not presumptuously spending in our heads ahead of such a win!

What can we say? Thank you so much Jan the Fan …… you’ve started our most favourite month of the year with quite an emotional bang.  XXX THANK YOU XXX

And So …… The Pester Power Begins ……

Oh dear …….

…. if only there was a way of keeping Nigel “inside” at this time of year ….

…… not in any nefarious, hostage taking situation type way, just away from all the current festive retail persuadement,  because, although Darrell has carefully curated our décor for this year, Nigel is still pestering him to turn The Towers into a veritable Gingerbread Flat, just this once ……..if not this year ……. then perhaps next ….. 

……and, as such he’s more than happy to buy a few bits and pieces to put away for now, “ …… because, you know, prices are bound to go up for next year!” I mean, who wouldn’t want a kitsch, pink, plush Rudolph, or a large, monkey sized, candy cane sleigh gracing their festive portals …..

…….. let alone a vintage,Christmas steam engine, with, Nigel says, his name written all over it!

Sadly, it has to be a robust, but gentle let down from Darrell and I, unfortunately The Towers isn’t as Tardis like as the little fella would like it to be …….

…… we are more than seasonally crammed for most of the year as it is, without adding anything else ……… two, slightly partied out elves could quite seriously push us over the edge!  Not so happy days, for Nigel….. at least!

It’s Finally December 1st 2023 ……..Woo Hoo Hoo

It’s finally Advent, the first day of our most favourite month of the year ……. we’ve tossed away our civvies with unfettered abandon and donned our beloved, gay apparel, which to quote the much warbled song “And … it feels …. soooooooooooo good ……”

Darrell has done us proud yet again, with his Frozen inspired tree …….

….. and, let’s just say, that no shelf, ledge or window sill has been left bare by all his expert “curating” as he likes to call it, everything has been festooned and adorned to an inch of it’s life, with his charity shop finds, not only from this year, but since we’ve been here.  He says, that at Christmas, there is no “less is more”

I don’t know how he’s does it year after year, but old Darrell has turned The Towers into a veritable, magical wonderland, where anything goes, so long as it says “Christmas”.  What is he like?

And then, what better way is there to start this joyous month but by celebrating with a delicious, festive Christmas ring from Iceland (the frozen food centre, not the cold yet unfeasibly romantic volcanic island).

However, today there will be no score on our world famous Richter Scale of Noms, these delights are purely for our unadulterated, comestible, yuletide pleasure ………..

…… but, they were rather lovely!

Happy next 31 days, which, being such a busy time of year, with lots going on, we’ve decided to post on Saturday and Sundays as well, for the next three and a half weeks to try and fit everything in!   Happy days indeed ……..

Nigel’s First Festive Find …….

With Darrell currently flouncy round The Towers in full festive décor mode, what did Nigel stumble across on the school run to make his little heart go pitter patter?  Only the most perfect fire surround of his yuletide dreams!  

Obviously, a bijoux flat such as ours  doesn’t have a chimney, something, at this time of year, since we left The Homeland, Nigel  has missed greatly, but with Darrell’s, flair for design, he could surely create a facsimile of the perfect fireside scene, that the little fella could almost imagine Father Christmas coming down, couldn’t he? Nigel could already see it in situ under the mirror in our lounge area.

Let’s just say, after several pictures were taken and long, beseeching texts exchanged between the two of them, Darrell sadly had to let Nigel down as gently as he could. It was indeed a wonderful idea and yes, he too could see it in his designer’s minds eye, but what would we do with it afterwards, there isn’t a single inch in The Towers left for any sort of storage, as Mr D is oft to point out!

Oh well, he thought, he’d tried, The Towers would still look every bit as magical under Darrell’s expert watch …….. and Santa’s Magic Key would once again be carefully put in Nigel’s “secret place” for the big man himself to find on the night  …… so still ……… happy decorative days!

Not Totally Unexpected

Several of our followers  have been wondering and concerned  about Nigel and the state of his adopted “vegetable patch” outside the Europa Supermarket along the school run.

So, I don’t think it will come as any great shock to you, when I say that “his” tiny tomatoes ………….. didn’t make it!

The plant itself is properly dead, all brown and shrivelled, with not a jot of life left in it  ……..

…… and, as such, the brave and courageous fledgling tomatoes have also gone to the great compost heap in the sky.

Fortunately, the little fella has been very philosophical about it all. December, he says, is a month of hope and the portal to a new year. The patch will continue it’s circle of life, where “Hope springs forth all paternal eternal.”. He’ll just have to be a lot more diligent in keeping his eyes on all it’s wonders and rescue anything  he thinks might be in danger!  What on earth is he like?