Weird and Wonderful Christmas Stuff Near You.

I love Christmas.....I see it as the old midwinter/midsummer festival, the ritual to end the year, the feast of misrule and fun, where we let our hair down, unbuckle our belts, say goodbye th the old year, and generally have a chance to recharge our batteries and be really silly.


So...I really enjoy the silly and fun things that happen around this time...the odd behaviour people get up to, all that.

What's happening by you?


Here's a bit of mine:

I work in a children's hospital now, and it is a hoot to see the weird and wonderful christmas things beginning to happen.


For instance, I have no idea what was on today, but suddenly there were numerous old people around, in the lifts, all clutching numerous brightly coloured, helium filled balloons.

One very tiny old lady had become trapped....lost for some time in a lift which took her here and there, but never, it seems, to the fourth floor where she wished to go.


By the time I stepped into the lift, she was clutching her balloons agitatedly, muttering words that contrasted wonderfully with one's preconceived notions of little old ladydom, and was, I swear, barely keeping her shoes on the floor against the pull of the balloons and her agitation.


Truly, when I saw her leave the lift, at last where she wanted to be, I expected her to rise into the air, like a profane and wrinkled fairy, and disappear into Sleeping Beauty's christening, to cause havoc.

Then there are the doctor clowns......who are always here, but have become even more brightly coloured and, frankly, rather manic.


I am, a little scared of clowns.....



Then, there are the new dolls.

They are HUGE! Toddler sized, with rather scarily animated porcelain faces, perfect hair, unbelievably lovely handmade clothes (from someone's treasured doll collection, they are, kindly donated).

They are perfect, immaculate, pristine.





We'll soon fix that......