When did the 12 days of Christmas become three months, wonders Eve Jones. And can anyone resist temptation for that long in a bid to fit in their party pants?
THIS year, John Lewis launched its Christmas department in September. September? Not even Father Christmas is thinking about Christmas in September. He’s just packed up from an Icelandic salmon-fishing expedition and is on a pre-season, high-protein, lowcarb diet to make sure he gets his belt done up and to stave off recurring gout issues.
Call me boring but the good old 24 days of advent (opened daily with a proper calendar, none of this chocolate nonsense) and 12 days of Christmas are plenty for me. Our mum maintained a manageable balance of excitement and sanity throughout December. We wrote elaborate letters to Santa and were so excited we fought over who opened the calendar doors to see if there was a robin or shepherd behind it. We weren’t allowed to decorate the house until days before Christmas so there was brilliant, glowing hysteria by Christmas Eve. How dull it would have been strung out over four months.
But there we are, the festive period now seductively jingles its ditties at us for a third of a year and we lap it up joyfully while buying the latest in new and improved tinsel, superior baubles and spruce-scented accoutrements to make Christmas really special.
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Esta historia es de la edición December 2017 de The Field.
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Rory Stewart - The former Cabinet minister and hit podcast host talks to Alec Marsh about the parlous state of British politics, land management and his deep love of the countryside
The gently spoken 51-year-old former Conservative Cabinet minister is a countryman at heart. That's clear: he even changes into a tweed waistcoat for the interview, which takes place at his London home and begins with a question about his precise career status. Having resigned from the Commons and the Conservative Party in 2019, the former diplomat and soldier has reinvented himself, first with an unconventional but promising run as an independent for the London mayoralty (abandoned because of COVID19 in 2020) and then as a media figure, co-hosting one of the country's most popular podcasts, The Rest Is Politics, alongside Alastair Campbell, the former Labour spin doctor.
Fodder
Local fare with the feel-good factor.
Celebrating the game changers
Once served only in the traditional manner, the fruits of our forays now find their way into all manner of diverse and delicious dishes, say Neil and Serena Cross
The first civil engineer
John Smeaton left an indelible mark on the field of engineering and, three centuries after his birth, his legacy remains as strong as ever
School spirits
From grey ladies and ghostly gardeners to more malign entities, public schools are a rich repository of unnatural phenomena
'A long way from Piccadilly or Pall Mall'
Marking 150 years since the birth of Sir Winston Churchill, Dr Conor Farrington explores this eminent statesman’s often-overlooked 1907 tour of British East Africa: a journey rich with enchanting natural beauty and sporting adventure
Top of the pups
Canines in all their guises were celebrated at The Field Top Dog Awards lunch at Defender Burghley Horse Trials whether eager on the peg, patient at home or perpetually making mischief
Angling for success
It’s never too early to shape up for next season’s salmon and trout, and these top fishing schools are here to help
Talking scents
The canine nose is an astonishingly complex piece of biotechnology that man has harnessed for sustenance and sport for thousands of years
Wall-to-wall excitement
Criss-crossed by formidable drystone walls, the High Peak Harriers’ scenic country provides a day out with an exhilarating difference
