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Updated: 21 March 2008
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CHRISTMAS CEREMONIES
On Thursday 6th December the Christmas tree lights will be switched on in Trafalgar Square, London. The ceremony has taken place annually since 1947, so is very much a twentieth century ritual. The tree comes from the pine forests surrounding Oslo and is a gift from the Norwegian people, given in gratitude for Britain's support of Norway during World War II. It is usually a Norwegian Spruce (Picea abies), around 20m tall and is carefully selected by Norwegian foresters then nurtured for many years before its journey to London begins. The tree is decorated in the traditional Norwegian style with vertical strings of white lights. The ceremony is attended by the Lord Mayor of Westminster and the Mayor of Oslo and of course very many Londoners whence the countdown to Christmas can be said to have begun in earnest.
The Christmas tree ceremony at Church House is less grand but is nonetheless one
of our favourite events of the festive season. We travel to Cranborne Manor to select
our tree and choose the same species as the Trafalgar Square specimen because it
scents the house so beautifully. The Manor sits on Cranborne Chase, once a medieval
hunting ground popular with King John (of Magna Carta fame). Today's Manor is a very
modern enterprise, fully engaged in earning its living in the 21st century. It has
a garden designed by John Tradescant in the 17th century -
The remainder of our Christmas preparations centre mostly around food! We have a
turkey and a large piece of ham on order from Holebrooks, our wonderful butcher located
just 3 miles away in Sturminster Newton. The shop is now run by farmers Al and Nicky
Wingate Saul and they have transformed a failing butchers shop into a thriving business.
There is a real enthusiasm for locally produced food in Dorset and we are able to
buy superb meat produced no more than 12 miles from our doorstep -
We make a dark fruit cake for Christmas and while I realise that this tradition has not transferred successfully to the New World, it is still really important in England! There are plenty of cakes to buy in the shops but we make our own several weeks before Christmas, so that it has time to mature. The first step is to prepare the dried fruit. Glacé citron, lemon and orange peel are finely chopped by hand, then mixed with sultanas, raisins, currants and cherries then soaked overnight in a few tablespoons of dark rum. The cake is made next day with the best butter and eggs, flavoured with spices, citrus zest and dark treacle then baked slowly for around 3.5 hours. Once cooled, a light dose of rum is administered before being wrapped and stored in a cool part of the house. The cake will be iced with a homemade almond icing around 21 December and Lucy will complete the final touches with holly leaves, ribbons and any pretty decorations she can find. This cake is best served in very small slices, perhaps with a little port or madeira wine and is definitely not for you if you are calorie counting!
We hope that you are enjoying your preparations for the Christmas season and that your family traditions will be upheld this year and into the future.
With our very best wishes for a joyful Christmas and healthy and happy 2008.
Paul, Susy and Lucy Wilson