Always Winter but Never Christmas?

Hearts sink as the snow falls in choking, fluffy flurries from thick conglomerations of clouds and we shiver bound by the icy snow in a Narnia-like winter. The cold lifted for a momentary week which gave us the faintest of warm hopes but then the frost and snow returned so that the winter seems endless in its sparkling eternity, the cold gripping the heart and searing the lungs.

Despite this, there is a festive, cheerful warmth in the lead up to Christmas. At home myself and Rosie (another intern) created our own Christmas tree! We trudged up to the park near my house and gathered (along with some odd looks!) ivy, holly and branches, then became very liberal with some white and gold spray paint. We made some pomanders (oranges covered in cloves, smell delicious!) and hung them on like baubles which along with some gold ribbon, stars and fairy lights created the illusion of a tree. The lounge now looks and smells very festive.

At the office, work continues as normal although there's a tree, fairy lights, snowflakes and some eye-achingly bright tinsel to bring that Christmas flavour on rather chilly mornings. Last Tuesday I drove myself and my boss Sarah down to Birmingham in a rather epic 7am till 8pm journey, touring the area on a venue hunting mission for a fundraising dinner we are holding in the area next March. Exhausting but rather fun, something we will be doing lots of as we have 10 dinners to organise next year!