Fernhurst festivities

Christmas is only two weeks away. Garry and I are racing to catch up with friends and family before we depart for Russia. Today I dashed down to the village of Fernhurst for lunch with the family. Garry elected to stay home. Fernhurst is about 45 miles south of London, nestled in verdant valley and surrounded by traditional woodland.

My cousin Nicholas recently bought a house in the village. It's a short walk from my cousin Hilary's house and my Auntie Shirley's home. Nicholas' new home was selected as today's dining venue. The house is surprisingly large, situated on the edge of the village overlooking the church graveyard and tree-clad farmland. It's a lovely brick house with a mossy, tiled roof and huge back yard. It even has its own circular brick well conveniently situated by the back door.

The village has a long history. Stone Age remains litter the area and the Roman used local clay for crafting roof and floor tiles. The name Fernhurst is derived from a Saxon name, 'fearn hyrst' meaning 'ferny wooded hill'. The oldest building is St Margaret, the local church. It was built around 1100 and was named after Margaret of Antioch, the Crusaders' favourite saint.

Fernhurst Post Office

Everyone was in fine form today. Auntie Shirley was looking lively. Hilary's husband, David, was in good health and Carolyn, Nicholas' wife was cooking up a storm in the kitchen. After a leisurely lunch, we went for a brief walk in the local woods. By the time we'd gathered coats and scarves, darkness was setting in and rain was starting to fall. It was quite the quintessential English thing to persist with our walk.

Upon our return, the girls, Hannah and Ellen, presented a Christmas show they'd prepared. Ellen played the piano while Hannah sang a song they'd written about the sun and planets. Hannah then finished the show with a delightful dance routine. Christmas performances are a popular tradition in England.

To complete my day of festive traditions, David and I cut berry-laden holly branches in the back yard for me to take back to London. I'll whip them into a Christmas wreath or table centre-piece for when friends comes for dinner next weekend. I saw people buying holly at the markets yesterday, paying £10 for a small bundle. A bargain!