I discovered this afternoon a Christmas Market was under way. This has occurred a few times in recent years and stalls from France and elsewhere usually predominate. Clothes, hats, trivia, and far too many fast food (healthy well made foods) on show. For some the stalls offer gifts for Xmas, for me they appear overpriced. They must make money however as many appear to have been here before. The simple idea of blocking the High Street, only buses use this in theory, allows folks to parade back and forwards. Sadly a stall at the far end has a stand for some sort of performance so I expect loud, bad, music to be heard tomorrow afternoon. I looked at the bread stalls (£2:70 - £4:00 a loaf!!!) and fancied some of those on offer but managed to restrain my hunger. A good selection but prices that those who call themselves poor appear able to pay!
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In the shopping centre itself the British Legion stand, with resplendent lorry on show, brought the remembrance services on Sunday to peoples mind. Since the 1920's the Poppy has been the UK symbol of remembrance and the Legion makes millions for sale throughout the land to raise money to aid ex-servicemen. It always get a huge response. This year Armistice day, the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, falls on the Sunday itself. Throughout the country people will gather at local memorials to remember the fallen.
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8 comments:
I always give money to the poppy sellers but I never take a poppy. They are incredibly impractical these days, and appear to have been designed for the days when everyone wore tweed and wool so you could put in the safety pin (the poppy still often falls out). My outerwear is mostly waterproof jackets and the like. If you pierce them with a pin you stop them being waterproof. A few years ago they were selling stick on poppies but they don't seem to have those any more. I don't really know why they make poppies in that old fashioned way because I can't be the only one who finds them hard to wear, even though I would like to do so.
The reason you have a problem with Christmas season arriving too early is that you British don't have enough intervening holidays to stave it off. You refuse to celebrate Halloween. A few days later should be a proper election day. And now this weekend is the Veteran's Day memorial and attending holiday. It is all well and good to stop what you are doing at the eleventh hour and buy a poppy, but you have no parades of old soldiers, no hoards of Vietnam veterans to march in their sloppy fat-boy made-up uniforms and fire off blanks or give speeches in cold cemeteries. No, sir. You didn't even celebrate Columbus Day as far as I recall. You need to get with it. Of course, sadly, you don't even have a Thanksgiving Day holiday to immerse yourself in now. And that is truly your own fault. You have so much to be thankful for, things of the Thatcher legacy to honor, as one example. True, you had no Indians and turkeys and pumpkins. But you have turnips you are mostly neglecting. Just do it. You complain about early Christmas when you could easily beat it back with more holidays to celebrate between now and then. I advise you to keep that in mind. That way, when Christmas season rightfully arrives, you will be able to concentrate on the true spirit of what Christmas is all about. Presents. Reindeer. Santa. Christmas trees.
And something else we're not allowed to speak of in public anymore. But you know.
Jenny, There is a variety available from the website I think. These are produced on the cheap to keep costs down I suppose.
Max, Your sarcasm reached a new height at the end there. :) I do need a holiday mind.
I took issue with someone the other day who said once we get Remembrance Day 'out of the way' the big wheel will go up on Princes Street. I just couldn't contain my anger.
Mike, I hope they attend a memorial tomorrow!
YOU HAVE ALREADY STARTED YOUR CHRISTMAS SHOPPING! (Are you having chest pains from an enlarged heart?)
It seems to me the Xmas markets start earlier every year still selling the same stuff as the year before.
Mo, Ah but this stuff is foreign folks repeated stuff, that's the novelty!
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