Christmas 2012 (as it happened)

Saturday 22^nd December

Home all day

Sunday 23^rd December

Breakfast at Bill’s, Covent Garden: gosh, this place is getting popular. Walk in Seven Dials - they’ve done well with Christmas lights (one landowner for the area? Probably: always results in better Christmas lights). Three year old daughter invited to take part in performance art installation -  London’s cool. Walk to British Museum; what’s that spire over there? Oh, of course, St George’s Bloomsbury; wonderfully disorientating church; Nicholas Hawksmoor: genius. St George’s not appreciated enough. Why not? Overshadowed by British Museum? British Museum - wow, (wow!) those plates, that spoon, those cups are four thousand years old; daughter not bothered. Shame we can’t get into the Round Reading room any more (why not?); ah, so here’s the Great Court restaurant, have never found it before - glorious location but looks a bit bland (how much?! For that?). Bloomsbury Square playground; wonderful London terraces but such a shame Southampton House was demolished. Home.

That evening, carols in local parish church, St Mary’s, Walthamstow. Beautiful medieval building: funny how Christmas seems so tied to Anglicanism, holly, dark nights and Victorian street lamps, and not to Judaism, olive groves, bare mountains and the Roman Empire.

Monday 24^th December

Lunch in Borough market, not charged for food: “We’d made too much anyway, it wouldn’t have lasted over Christmas”. Aren’t people nice? Borough feels peaceful the day before Christmas; wish it was like this on Saturdays. Nice coffee. Home.

Tuesday 25^th and Wednesday 26^th December

Stockings, presents, a bit too much wine, turkey, roasties, stuffing, my wife’s family, bread sauce, mince pies, ham (on Boxing Day) Christmas carols (not this year – that’s a shame, why didn’t we?) and board games in the evening. The only two days of the year where I can be certain I’m doing more or less the same thing as more or less everyone else in this country. I like that. That’s why I eat sprouts.

But did you see the stats for Boxing Day shopping? Blimey, who knew? I wouldn’t go.

Thursday 27^th December

I went. Sales. Oxford Street. Could have been worse. Lunch in Apostrophe on Market Place was nice. Did most of the shopping in Debenhams. Walked back to tube via back streets. What’s that? Discovered St Peter’s Vere Street (hiding behind House of Fraser): charming. Another underappreciated church by James Gibbs. Small, understated but beautiful. Home.

Friday 28^th December

Working. It was fine.

Saturday 29^th December

At home with overexcited three year old playing with all her new toys. Gorgeous. This is why you have kids. Afternoon trip to Waterstones. Why are sci-fi and romance next to children’s? Have you seen the romance section recently? If not, you really must. Endless clones of Fifty Shades: very funny. Home.

Sunday 30^th December

Bus to Smithfield with sleepy daughter in the morning; I love this part of London, so quiet and understated but you can feel history leaching out of the stonework. Stoke Newington for lunch, this is posh! No, seriously posh! I grew up in London; Stoke Newington wasn’t like this - it’s got a Whole Foods Market! When did that happen? Clissold Park to play footie with daughter; OK, this is lovely, I see what they’re paying for. And some seriously nice Georgian houses on Church Street; never noticed those before, did the deprivation really blind me to this until it went upmarket, how shallow. Finsbury Park for coffee with friend (Bon Matin Boulangerie) – wonderful cakes; another part of London that’s so much more upmarket than I thought it used to be. What would Abu Hamza make of this? Home.

Monday 31^st December

Back to Finsbury Park to collect daughter’s football we’d left the day before: oops. More coffee and cake in Bon Matin Boulangerie; why not? Home. Friends round for New Year’s Eve. Hey, a decent New Year’s Eve; there’s a novelty. Should old acquaintance be forgot? On principle, no – but I’m rubbish at staying in touch. 

Tuesday 1^st January

Victoria Park: what a stunning day: blue sky, no clouds, how fresh. New year feels like it’s brought new air with it. 2013’s going to be ok after all, you know. Lunch in Fish House on Lauriston Road. Have you been? You should. Race against daughter round lake. She won. Playground (good quality kit – I notice these things now) then more football (she’s taken to this; that’s a surprise!) then to Hackney Wick for coffee and cake in Hackney Pearl. Very cool. Lots of very beautiful people with trendy beards. Friendly staff. Great cake. Cool’s ok you know – as long as you don’t take it seriously. Train and bus home. Daughter to bed. 

Wednesday 2^nd January

To work again tomorrow. It’s been good.