Tag: Christmas Tree

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A Trip Around the Christmas Tree

Posted on by Jackie B

I was admiring my Mum’s Christmas tree when I called round for coffee (all above board – she’s in our bubble and we have enough space to socially distance). We talked about the tree decorations that she’s collected over the years. I remember some from my childhood, others were bought as souvenirs on her travels or were gifts from friends. I thought about my own tree and how some of our decorations are special, each with their own story.

This glass dolphin was bought on the first of my three visits to the USA. We flew to Atlanta, met up with family members, then drove to the South Carolina Coast for my cousin’s wedding. She had met her husband when they were working together in a beach resort. Our extended family rented a huge beach house for the week of the wedding and had a great time, both experiencing the wonderful southern hospitality and seeing fascinating wildlife we don’t see at home, especially the dolphins and pelicans we watched from our balcony every day. There were alligators too! The following week K and I, and the kids, both very young at the time, did a road trip south along the coast then back to Atlanta Towards the end of the week visited Stone Mountain, a theme park not far from the city which included a number of artisan workshops, where I bought the dolphin ornament. It was the perfect souvenir of an amazing trip

Edinburgh is one of our favourite cities in the UK. We visit regularly, though not this year, for the occasional weekend and have found a gorgeous boutique hotel that is a pleasure in itself. Whatever the weather, Edinburgh has many delights. In winter, the Christmas markets, the lights and other special events are quite magical. There are museums and galleries and shops to visit if the weather is poor, but if the sun shines, there are parks, and the Botanical Gardens to enjoy. In August, the city is packed out for the Edinburgh Festival. We travel up to spend a day packing in as many Festival Fringe shows as we can. We have also visited the Queen’s Gallery at the Palace of Holyrood House (The Queen’s official Edinburgh residence), The art collection is superb and parts of the Palace and Gardens are open to the public too , There is the obligatory gift shop and cafe, both excellent. I bought this embroidered lion decoration, which represents the lion on the royal coat of arms.

Some of the items on our tree originate much closer to home. Some weeks back I made this bauble with sea glass collected from a beach near to where we live. Living near the sea (we can see it from the window….just) is a big part of our lives really. it plays a major role in the culture and history of the area and we enjoy spending time on the beach and on the water. It’s only right that something from the sea has a presence on our tree.

Do you have a favourite Christmas tree ornament? – I’d love to hear about it

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Songs and Carols to Light up the Bergen Christmas Tree

Posted on by Jackie B
Photo courtesy of Newcastle City Council

What a lovely evening! So proud of my fellow choir members (we are all past and present Newcastle City Council staff). Despite scheduling problems, limited rehearsal time and various coughs and croaks (we were passing round the throat lozenges like they were sweets) we totally rocked the Yorkshire version of “While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks By Night (to the tune of (“On Ilkley Moor”). It looked like The Lord Mayor, who’d requested that particular carol really enjoyed it.

Full details of the event and more of the excellent official photos from the Newcastle City Council’s City Life News can be found here

The evening began in the Civic Centre with some wonderful Christmas music from Tyneside A Capella. (you can hear their voices on the official link above). It was lovely to see an old friend, who is part of that group. We took part in the short carol service (and sang our special request). Our Norwegian guests sang some Norwegian carols too. Several of the ladies, including Bergen’s Mayor, were wearing beautiful traditional costume.

Photo courtesy of Newcastle City Council

After the service we all went outside. We sang another carol. Both mayors addressed the crowd and after countdown, the lights went on – and it looked lovely!

We went back inside for refreshments and more entertainment from the two choirs. Tyneside A Capella performed some amazing versions of pop classics. We got to sing “Lulla Lully Lullay” (new for us this Christmas – I absolutely love it) and our reindeer herding song, “Ole le loila” – we learnt this a few years back and it’s great fun to sing. I can’t see a reindeer now without feeling the urge to sing this!) One of these days I’ll learn how to add audio to the blog and you can actually hear us!

It’s a lovely event to be part of and it really signals the start of the Christmas season.

Photo courtesy of Newcastle City CouncilNewcastle City Council Choir

Are you involved in any special Christmas events where you live or work?

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Singing about sheep and celebrating the landscape.

Posted on by Jackie B

It’s been a busy couple of days with some knitting connections, though rather tenuous!

Yesterday I went to a choir rehearsal – my former workplace , Newcastle City Council, has had a staff choir for several years. I am a founder member of the choir and still involved since I retired. We have been practicing for a lovely civic event. Every year the mayor of Bergen, Norway, one of the City’s twin towns, presents the City with a beautiful big Christmas tree and this year we are one of the choirs who will be singing at the presentation ceremony. Here’s more about Newcastle’s relationship with Bergen and its other twin towns .

This year’s Lord Mayor is originally from Sheffield and has asked us to sing the Yorkshire version of While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks By Night (sung to the tune of On Ilkley Moor Baht ‘at) , so we were working on that. There are lots of verses to get through, but the arrangement is lovely (in four parts) and I’m enjoying singing soprano on this one. It’s not too high and we get some nice harmonies and echo the ‘flocks by night line’ I haven’t got a recording of us but I found this which gives you an idea of what it sounds like

After singing about sheep (or shepherds) yesterday, Today I saw lots of sheep while I was driving to The Sill – the amazing Landscape Visitor Centre, close to Hadrian’s Wall at Once Brewed. The Centre includes a youth hostel, cafe and gift shop and an interesting exhibition about the landscape and its connections to farming, leisure, industry and conservation. It also has the most stunning views across some of Northumberland’s hill country towards the Wall, especially from the roof, which is easily accessible up a fairly gently sloping path. On my last visit I spent ages using the augmented reality technology which enables you to “fly” over the local landscape and beyond .The Centre is well worth a visit.

I was meeting up with family and our friend M, who is herself a skilled knitter and has even knitted Fair Isle with the locals while visiting Fair Isle itself! We had a delicious lunch and then I sneaked into the exhibition, while the others were chatting in the lobby area – they noticed a lovely moving projection onto the floor of animal and bird footprints and birds flying by. The sheep in the exhibition weren’t very fleecy though!

Here in Northumberland the hills are steep and covered in poor soil. It’s hard to grow crops like cabbages and corn, but super for sheep, so…..without this landscape (and the sheep and their wool) we’d be cold!

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