Christmas wishes from Lush Places

In Lush Places, the village square is beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

The are festive trees above the houses of doors and a big conifer on the green now has a pretty coat of sparkling lights.

Over at the pub, now resplendent with a cheery and professional landlord and landlady and roaring fire (it's three times the place it was a few months ago. It's been dire. We even got to the point where Mr Grigg and I thought about running it ourselves...) the stag's head has a red bauble for a nose and there's tinsel everywhere.

There's three words, 'HO' 'HO' and 'HO', on the shelf below the menu boards. And, inevitably, they keep being turned round by the customers when the landlord's not looking to read 'OH' 'OH' 'OH'.

And today, colourful, twinkling lights went up on the pub's tree above the door and a string of purple criss-crossed its way along the front wall.

Tonight, the ladies from the fish and chip van will be wearing reindeer antlers and jingly bells for earrings as they serve the long queue of hungry folk from the village and beyond.

We've had a Christmas bazaar up in the village hall with holly wreaths a-plenty and the school children have been rehearsing their end of term production.

Up at the old people's community room, practising has been going on for the church carol service in two weeks' time. We've been hitting high notes and singing descants, having a go at rounds and singing alleluia while the vicar puts us through our paces with piano accompaniment.

Out in the fields, the badgers have been digging, the catkins are beginning to emerge and the red berries on the holly are fast being consumed by the birds. According to the papers, we're in for a chilly blast of ice and snow.

There's no place like home at Christmas.

That's about it.

Love Maddie x