I know, I know it’s only the beginning of November, but Halloween is behind us and the world of retail is already in full swing decking out the bricks and mortar High Street stores and the online shops with their Christmas offerings.
It is awkward for me as I haven’t been a November Christmas shopper since I lived abroad and had to organise Christmas gifts to meet the International posting dates. Mentioning Christmas this early never feels quite right to me.
Of course, as we all know, the Christmas television adverts and magazine spreads for this year were probably shot back in August. How ghastly is that? But even for me I have to make banners for my shop to remind people that we are arriving at the gift-giving season (as if everybody doesn’t already know).
And, for practical reasons I have to set out postal dates and details and let my customers know the last ordering day to ensure a Christmas delivery.
Last year, before the vaccine programme commenced, I mostly sold masks for Christmas gifts. It is hard to tell whether people will still buy them this year as our country’s leaders are not keen to advocate their use. You may have noticed that many, many people at COP26 on Monday were wearing masks, however our Prime Minister even when sitting next David Attenborough (95 years old), didn’t think it was necessary for him.
And what’s more on that very same day, Monday, 1 November 21, the UK recorded 40,077 new Covid cases. The PM may think it’s all over, but the figures are giving a more worrying picture.
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Agnes Ashe 
Apart from the final picture of our stupid Prime Minister displaying his usual carefree attitude to life, I loved the colourful banners, gorgeous!
Thank you. I think we all need a little extra colour and brightness at the moment as it looks like the coming winter might be more difficult than expected after listening to Professor Van Tam’s comments earlier this week.
Grr, the government are bonkers. And Boris et al need to start behaving appropriately when wit elderly and other vulnerable people
Oh yes, bonkers, but also incredibly selfish. I am not holding my breath that they will ever behave decently especially after the Owen Paterson debacle.
Alas
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Totally agree with Susan and Sue. But your images are in a different league altogether. However, I decline to think about Christmas yet – apart from making the cake.
Ahh making the cake at half term with the help of little hands. I wonder how many families still do this, maybe more this year if the supermarkets sellout early of all the ready-made stuff. Mind you the ingredients will be next.
I had a letter published in the ‘i’, when a reader said he was alright Jack, as he made his own. I pointed out the raw ingredients were to some extent impossible to find this year! It’s been a nightmare.
Oh dear I think it’s definitely been worse in some places than others. I’m guessing some of the dried fruit might be a problem this year.
Love your colours and of course as an artisan you need to start early. I am baffled by your country’s cavalier health policies and the photo of your strange PM sums them up perfectly 😢I wear a mask for you and you wear one for me…why is that so hard.
Sadly, sadly, overhear like in the US, mask wearing has become politicised. Apparently, the libertarian view is ‘I have the right not to wear a mask and infect you’. Ultimate in selfishness in my opinion.