Sunday, 23 November 2014
Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore
I walked down to The Grove yesterday afternoon, it is I suppose the main street in town and was closed to traffic for various events building up to the official switching on of the Christmas lights. Not as you know that I'm a fan of these things, in fact I left about 40 minutes before the big countdown and 20 minutes before Santa was due to arrive. I'd really had enough of all those festive tunes that weld themselves inside my head and pop out when I'm ironing or dorissing. However the entertainment I saw was good but I did notice a big difference between a Yorkshire Christmas and a Scottish one. I'm used to the stirring sound of the bagpipes, here we have a lovely brass band that delights me just as much.
Gone too are the Scottish dancers, no more strip the willow or dashing white sergeant, now it's Morris dancers with painted faces and strange costumes banging sticks, and sometimes knuckles.
These differences really confirm that I'm in a new place and bring back memories of how we had to adjust when we moved to Scotland 26 years ago.
The Christmas lights by the way are beyond tasteful, mostly simple white strings of light in the trees and complementary features touched with gold on the lamp posts. Yorkshire is big but it isn't always brash. So pretty that we finished our walk today back in town so I could take some more photographs for you.
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I don't think there is a much more stirring sound than a brass band. You'll be humming those carols before long! Those decorations do look very tasteful.
ReplyDeleteLooks very pretty. If decorations are up here I haven't seen them. Though tv commercials have been doing Christmas forever the parades and bands don't start until the Thanksgiving Day parades.
ReplyDeleteWhat beautifully restrained lighting. Good ole' Yorkshire!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful Christmas lights. Our town's were turned on over the weekend, and I must say they look lovely and rather tasteful, too, for a change!
ReplyDeleteYour town looks tastefully festive. It's the big light switching on event here today, complete with the Man in the Red Suit and real live reindeer. Get us!
ReplyDeleteHow lovely! Very tasteful lighting indeed! Ros
ReplyDeleteBrass bands always make me cry - and as I too live in Yorkshire, you can imagine how awkward that can be! You do have gorgeous decs in your new town xxxx
ReplyDeleteI have a friend that plays in a brass band in Wiltshire, lovely sound, although of course, The Floral Dance always springs to mind when I think of one. Love the lights, very pretty. We're going to Northern Michigan for Christmas so I'm not doing much in the house this year and it feels so odd without the little touches and all the lights in every room.
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