Well, I suppose I had to mention it sooner or later, didn't I? It's been very Christmassy here today with a fall of snow this morning and a plan to go to the village Christmas Bazaar in the afternoon. However, when Keith and I popped out this morning to get the newspapers, we noticed the bazaar was on from 10.30am-1.30pm... As it was 11am and we hadn't even had breakfast I gave up on the idea of going so late in the day (all the homemade cakes would have long gone) so I suggested a trip to Market Harborough instead with mum and Sophie.
Market Harborough is one of the rare towns that actually has individual little shops alongside some of the more well-known faces in the High Street. We spent a good while in New Look while Sophie tried on some tops and we persuaded her to buy a fur coat and a wonderful hat that she looked ravishing in. But she was having none of it and knew exactly what she did and didn't want!
She then dragged us into Monsoon and spent some of her Nan's money on jewellery. I gazed at the gorgeous children's clothes in there and thought back to when she was a baby and would wear anything I put her in with a huge toothy grin. Alas, no more!
I made an early start and bought my Christmas cards - this year I've cut right back on cards to send, preferring instead to send e-cards from Jacqui Lawson's wonderful site, but I do send cards to family members scattered around the country that we don't see very often. I was astonished to see Christmas cards to family pets - "To the family cats...we hope you have a purrrfect Christmas" - I mean...really! Who buys these things?? There were also cards to the Childminder and the Classroom Assistant! Is it really necessary?!!
By now we were a bit cold and hungry so we had coffee and cakes in Emerson's, a lovely old-fashioned tearoom above their delicatessen which was stuffed full of lovely things to eat. We resisted temptation and explored the tiny side streets full of individual clothes shops, cookshops and a great little garden shop where I bought some decorations for the tree, a seed hanging treat for our wild birds and a smelly candle.
Our last shop was my favourite...Duncan's fab wine shop where I used to work. It was very busy as he had the last tasting of the year going on, a selection of Madeira wine that were going down very well with the customers! I bought a couple of bottles of beer for Keith - Samuel Smith's Winter Welcome Ale - and was then expertly sold a very special bottle of 10 year old Vouvray from the Loire Valley in France and a South African Chenin Blanc by Nick. Our next wine evening at the end of January will feature this white grape and it will be interesting to compare how it tastes from such different regions. However, the Vouvray is mine...all mine!!!
We staggered back to the car with all our purchases and drove home in the growing dusk, the fields and woods looking beautiful with their light dusting of snow!
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