Reflections on Advent at Salisbury Cathedral, by Damian Beeley

Many many years ago I was a pupil at Salisbury Cathedral School, and the greatest honour and fondest memory of that time was singing in the cathedral.

Salisbury Cathedral is magnificent, in spite of its recent fame as a destination for Russian murderers. The musical calendar is packed with goodies: daily Evensong, three services on Sunday, frequent concerts and organ recitals, Easter and Christmas celebrations, and so on. But for me, the highlight was the Advent carol service ‘From Darkness to Light’.

Every electric light in the cathedral is switched off, and during the course of the service, amid carols, readings and hymns, the entire building is illuminated by thousands of candles, all lit by hand, one by one. It’s a military operation.

Advent carols are very special. Where Christmas carols are a celebration, Advent carols are about anticipation and excitement.

The three carols sung by choir and congregation at Salisbury are ‘On Jordan’s Bank’, ‘Oh Come Oh Come Emmanuel’, and the grand finale, ‘Lo He Comes With Clouds Descending’.

As we begin the advent season today, Monday 1 December, via our annual Haggie Partners Advent calendar, I invite you to find five minutes to click on the link below and listen to a live recording of that hymn being performed at Salisbury some years ago.

Stick with it, because the descant in the final verse is off the chart. I challenge you not to get something in your eye.

Happy Christmas.

Bec’s nostalgic Christmas reading recommendations

Here are some reads that shape my December every year:

A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens

A timeless festive classic. An unforgettable tale of redemption, generosity and goodwill. It’s probably my favourite book on the list. What makes it even more special is the little personal connection: in the opening pages, Dickens places Ebenezer Scrooge’s Counting House on Cornhill, a street I know well, right where our Haggie Partners’ offices are located!

“Bah! Humbug!” – Ebenezer Scrooge

Little Women – Louisa May Alcott

Though not exclusively a Christmas book, the festive scenes in Little Women are central to the plot of the story that begins and ends on Christmas Day and contains some memorable Christmas moments in literature.

“Christmas won’t be Christmas without any presents” – Jo March

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe – CS Lewis

Stepping into Narnia feels like stepping back into childhood. A world where it’s always winter and never Christmas, yet utterly enchanting. I even named my Ragdoll cat after the mighty Aslan, though my Aslan is far sleepier and unbothered than his namesake.

The Invisible Man – HG Wells

There is absolutely no connection between The Invisible Man and Christmas. In fact, the story begins in February. Still, the story starts with a strange visitor arriving in a small snow-covered village, and that wintery setting, combined with the fact I read it over Christmas one year, makes it feel festive enough for me.

“There are no such things as ghosts-there are only things we do not understand,” – The Invisible Man

Boxing day walks in London and the south east, by Caroline Klein

Boxing Day walks in London and the south east

Boxing Day is the day to get out, walk off the Christmas turkey and wine, show off your new scarf and try out your new bike/drone/football. Here are some top suggestions for wintry Boxing Day walks, in no particular order, although if you want snow, you’ll probably have to go further afield…

1. Parliament Hill Fields and Hampstead Heath: fabulous views of London and a great place for kite flying.
2. Box Hill, Surrey: in an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, offering a huge variety of walks from 30 minute, fairly flat strolls to miles of ascents and descents with the odd never-ending staircase as a bonus.
3. Kew Gardens: not a cheap walk – entrance fees are charged – but there’s always something new to see across the Botanical Gardens with the added draw of glasshouses for inclement days.
4. Greenwich: more wide ranging views of London, centuries of maritime heritage, royal history, and a good place to spot setting of many well known films.
5. The Thames Path: it’s hard to narrow it down along a river that takes in Oxford, Henley, Marlow and Windsor, many lovely villages and some of the best known landmarks of London. But if you think you’ll need refreshment on the way, perhaps do a loop around Hammersmith, Chiswick, Barnes and other parts of the Boat Race route, taking in Fuller’s Brewery as you go. Just mind the flooding!
6. St Margaret’s/Twickenham: this area of London offers Eel Pie Island, the independent shopping of Church St, a little ferry chugging across the river, an assortment of old stately homes in various stages of disrepair and of course the home of rugby. Something for everyone.
7. Richmond Park: deer. Need I say more?
8. Victoria Park: if you’re in the east of London, this is the place to go for 86 hectares of lush landscapes, historic monuments and recreational activities. You can row across the West Lake, step into Old London Bridge alcoves or have the kids let off steam in the playground.
9. Langley Country Park: enjoy the beauty of the Temple Gardens, the ancient oak woodlands of Kings Wood, the Jubilee Play Garden or follow one of the permanent trails in one of Buckinghamshire’s best kept secrets. And if that’s not enough, you can head to Black Country Park across the road too!
10. Epping Forest: 284km of paths and trails across its 8000 acres including ten forest waymarked trails.

Christmas specials in The City

From November to December restaurants in London all seem to release a special Christmas option or two. At Haggie Partners we have tasted a few and given our honest verdicts.

Gail’s – Ham, Cheese & Stuffing Croissant – 3/10

When doing a ranking, something always has to come last and unfortunately Finlay has relegated the Gail’s special edition to this spot. This festive croissant contained the interesting ingredient of nigella seeds, resulting in a bitter and confusing flavour. Described by Finlay as ‘overambitious and under festive’, this option struggled to wow.

Wetherspoons – Buttermilk Chicken and Stuffing Burger – 5/10

The age old debate – is a burger a sandwich? For the sake of this review we are saying yes. Though the burger will not be winning an award anytime soon, it is a decent option at a reasonable price point and has experienced some improvements from last year.  The new and improved stuffing raises the score but the notes of freezer burn keep it stuck at a 5.

Sainsbury’s – No Pigs Under Blankets – 6/10

A couple of years ago, I conducted a review of the vegetarian Christmas sandwiches on offer in the supermarkets and this option reigned supreme. However, upon resampling the sandwich this year it has fallen down the list. The lack of vegetables or salad results in a very stodgy sandwich with just fake meat and a light smear of cranberry sauce for flavour. The texture is also rather soft, something that could have been saved by a nice tomato or bit of lettuce!

Pret-a-Manger – Boxing Day Toastie – 9/10

The leftovers sandwich is an essential part of most people’s boxing day routines and Pret has perfectly encapsulated it in their special contribution. When describing her Christmas toastie, Camilla was overflowing with praise, claiming it was ‘unbelievable’.  With cheddar, turkey, pulled ham, pork stuffing, caramelised onion chutney and sage mayo, this sandwich is filled with rich and decadent flavours. The toasted bread provides the perfect level of structural integrity to hold this laundry list of fillings. Though this sounds like an absolute triumph, Camilla suggests that the addition of a cranberry jam would have secured a perfect score.

Sandwich Sandwich – The best Christmas sandwich – 10/10

This sandwich was a clear winner from the moment Bec unwrapped it in the office. Featuring many of the Christmas dinner essentials, such as sage & onion stuffing, bacon, two types of turkey and cranberry sauce, this delectable offering was clearly worthy of the hype! Though it was initially overwhelming and hard to get ones teeth into, the inclusion of a special festive mayo, created in collaboration with Heinz, and the side of a gravy dipping pot it is impossible to not give this sandwich full marks.

Janki’s festive mixed bean salad 

Lighting up Leadenhall Market

Julie’s Poinsettia Cocktail Recipe – a classy mix of triple sec, prosecco & cranberry juice

Ingredients:

Triple Sec

Prosecco or Champagne

Cranberry Juice

Fresh bay leaf

Pour 25ml Triple Sec into a chilled coupe

Add 50ml Cranberry Juice

Add 75ml Prosecco or Champagne

Decorate with fresh bay leaf

Enjoy – Cheers!

Decorating the Haggie Partners Christmas tree!

Christmas in summer? Tales from the other Hemisphere by Candela

For those of us who grew up South of the Equator, Christmas does not stir up memories of crackling fires and freshly cut pine trees (more like full blast fans and air conditioning and plastic trees that get stored away fully decorated until the following year). Department store Santas will still be wearing full-length velvet costumes, even if the thermometer hovers somewhere between 30-40 degrees Celsius, but the rest of the celebrations differ quite a bit.

Based on a very informal (and highly unscientific) survey*, here are five Christmas traditions that will be feel familiar to those who think of December as the start of summer:

1. Cold dishes: While some brave souls will fire up the BBQ for an asado or lechón, increasingly intense summer heat has made cold dishes such as cold cuts, salads, deviled eggs and other light fare the stars of the Christmas table. The only nod to Northern Hemisphere traditions tends to be dessert: Nuts, marzipan, praline, panettone and turrón are bound to make an appearance, often served alongside scoops of ice cream and glasses of ice-cold sparkling cider or champagne.
2. Late nights: For a lot of families, Christmas Eve is when the main gathering happens, with a toast at midnight to mark the start of Christmas and presents exchanged right after. Because dinner runs late, Christmas Mass is typically held beforehand, at 9 p.m. Young adults and teenagers sometimes go out dancing with their friends, siblings and cousins after midnight, though New Year’s Eve remains the biggest party night of the season.
3. Al fresco dining: One of the great seasonal debates is: table inside or outside? Days of obsessive weather forecast-checking ensue, and any hint of tropical rain reignites the discussion. Christmas is usually hosted in the same house each year, and if the weather and location allow, might include a dip in the pool or sea.
4. Fireworks at midnight: Similar to New Year’s Eve, Diwali or Guy Fawkes night, fireworks are a central part of Christmas celebrations. As the clock strikes midnight, the sky lights up with colorful displays marking the official start of Christmas. The spectacle creates the perfect distraction for Santa to sneak in and leave presents under the tree, to be opened upon discovery.
5. Practical gifts: If you are a child, it’s very likely that your gift haul from Santa (or from Baby Jesus, depending on the family tradition) includes practical summer gear such as beach accessories, a new swimming costume, sandals and summer clothes alongside the requested toys and games. It’s very common for families to start their summer holidays right after Christmas or after New Year’s day so all of these gifts are put to good use immediately.

The festive spirit is just as strong in a summery holiday season, just as much of an opportunity to gather with family and create memories. What do you think, would you enjoy a sunny and warm Christmas, or does it need to be cold and cosy to feel right?

*The odds of this list only being representative of Argentina are quite high, methodology is not peer-reviewed.

Christmas Quiz part 1 – questions!

1. What colour are mistletoe berries
2. Which ocean can Christmas Island be found in
3. Where was baby Jesus born
4. What was frosty the snowman’s nose made out of
5. December 26^th marks which Saint’s day?
6. What is traditionally hidden inside a Christmas pudding?
7. In what country did panettone originate?
8. Which relatively new Christmas tradition was created by stay-at-home mum Carole Aebersold?
9. In which country did Christmas carolling originate?
10. In 1932, which monarch made the first ever royal Christmas broadcast?

Christmas Quiz part 2 – answers!

1. What colour are mistletoe berries – white
2. Which ocean can Christmas Island be found in – Indian Ocean
3. Where was baby Jesus born – Bethlehem
4. What was frosty the snowman’s nose made out of – a button
5. December 26^th marks which Saint’s day? – Saint Stephen
6. What is traditionally hidden inside a Christmas pudding? – a silver coin (sixpence)
7. In what country did panettone originate? – Italy
8. Which relatively new Christmas tradition was created by stay-at-home mum Carole Aebersold? – Elf on the shelf
9. In which country did Christmas carolling originate? – Austria
10. In 1932, which monarch made the first ever royal Christmas broadcast? – King George V

Shehla’s unofficial Christmas dessert ranking

The holiday season equals to sweet treat galore and as a baking enthusiast and self-titled dessert connoisseur, here’s my ranking of the best/ worst festive desserts.

Yule log 10/10

Colin the Caterpillar but make it festive. Chocolate-y, creamy and outrageously moreish. The soft sponge, swirl of buttercream and rich ganache. Full marks. No notes. I’m taking seconds.

Trifle 9/10

Layer upon glorious layer of custard, cake, fruit and whipped cream. Almost impossible to mess up and looks pretty in a glass dish. It’s light enough to enjoy after a heavy meal, yet indulgent enough to feel like a proper dessert. An all-rounder in my eyes.

Panettone 9/10

Studded with dried fruit gems and crunchy nuts, a good panettone with a cup of tea warms the soul. The leftovers make a lush bread and butter pudding or French toast the next morning. Extra points for versatility and for being socially acceptable to eat at breakfast.

Pavlova – 7/10

A summer Christmas must-have and a refreshing break from the heavier traditional Christmas puddings. Delicately crisp meringue crust with soft and fluffy insides piled high with creamy whipped cream and tart fruits to balance it all out. Plus, it’s easy to whip up making it a fantastic end to a hearty Christmas dinner.

Sticky toffee pudding 6/10

Sticky, gooey and all things good but it’s too decadent after a full Christmas dinner. The dense sponge and treacly sauce while comforting can veer into one-dimensional territory with lack of depth – even with ice cream or custard.

Mince pies – 5/10

A classic, great buttery and flaky crust but there’s something about the spiced mushy mincemeat that doesn’t make me grab more than one. Unfortunately, it’s not quite sugar, spice and everything nice.

Christmas pudding 3/10

The classic Christmas dessert but sadly the lowest on my list. I’m a firm believer that you eat with your eyes first and the lumpy mound structure is not exactly a visual delight. Yes, setting it on flames is dramatic and fun but when the flames die down, you’re left with warm raisins and dense sponge with a squidgy texture that’s not for me.