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    Christmas Thoughts - Ellie Raven!

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    "Christmas should be a time to contemplate people in less fortunate situations and to give thanks for the friends and family you have in your life. You shouldn't feel under pressure to spend money on gifts, especially when you don't have it. The best gifts you can give and receive, are spending time with the people you love!"



    Ellie Raven
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    Christmas Thoughts - Family!

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    Yesterday we put the Christmas decorations up at home; my Aunty was reluctant at first, since she normally decorates the house in December. Along with my Cousin Rachel, we did eventually persuade her to at least bedeck the sitting room.

    This will be the first family Christmas I have been a part of in many years, probably about twelve in total. The festive season was always a happy time for me, magical and full of wonderful memories, spent with family and friends, but somewhere down the line all that changed and Darrell and I spent every Christmas on our own.

    As a couple we very much tailored Christmas to our own needs, often inviting the odd waif and stray, who had nowhere else to go, giving them a Christmas meal and drink or two; it's what friends do, in the spirit of the day. It does always seem odd to me, that with all the friends we had as a couple, we were never invited somewhere for Christmas, but I understand this is a time for families and we really didn't fit into that mould.

    My memories of Christmas go back as far as my early childhood, walking down stairs in the early hours, to find a lounge full to bursting with presents. The morning spent with my parents and an evening at my Nan's house, only a short walk away were all part of the annual festivities. These were fun filled, joyous Christmases surrounded by family, playing party games, eating copious amounts of food, drinking a Babycham or two and opening gifts, under a large tree.

    Of course Christmas does change the older you get; most people have their own children and their celebrations evolve to encompass their new role in the World. Darrell and I never had kids of our own, consequently Christmas Day gradually became quieter and quieter until we moved to Spain and never really celebrated the season at all. That was a sad irony for me; the person who enjoyed the fairy lights, Christmas Carols and giving of gifts, had become bitter and resentful; by the time last Christmas arrived, I was reluctant to celebrate at all.

    This year I am thankful to be around my kinfolk and can put the last twelve Christmases behind me. I am looking forward to spending quality time with those close, especially since I am not working on Christmas or Boxing Day. Darrell will be ten thousand miles away, over the other side of the World with his Mother on December the 25th, the only blot on my festive landscape....I can only look forward to a time when we can celebrate Christmas together once more, no longer estranged from family and loved ones and firmly back in the fold!
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  • Published on

    Christmas Thoughts - Katie Gillett!

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    "I’m American, my husband is British and together we have a 3 year old son. Now that he’s getting older and becoming more aware of traditions and holiday festivities, we decided to fly to the states for Thanksgiving and will spend Christmas at home in the UK.

    It’s sometimes tricky keeping our visits balanced and families happy, but it’s important to us to start our own family traditions. Seeing our son’s eyes light up with all the magic that the holidays bring is truly the best gift. It’s our turn now!"


    Katie Gillett
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    Supermarkets!

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    Ah, supermarket shopping, the bane of my life, it is the one part of the week I hate. Usually my Aunt Trisha undertakes the weekly trip to procure supplies, but today I was persuaded to go into town with her and my Cousin Rachel. Trisha and Rachel had to buy some Christmas cards and since I had a day off, I towed along. The weather wasn't great  and it was pretty miserable outside, but spending time with family is good, rain or shine.

    As you would expect, my favourite supermarket is Tesco; I work there, how could I say anything different. In all seriousness, I actually enjoy walking around the isles in this Fratton store and find the whole encounter far more enjoyable than many other retail experiences. In the past I would rush into a superstore, grab what I needed and run out, equally as fast. To be honest, having an Aunt who does the shopping is a bonus. It allows me to avoid those gleaming, inviting shelves and keeps my money firmly in my pocket. Going back ten years, I spent far more than I needed to. If I look back to 2006, I could spend a hundred and fifty pounds a week on food shopping and probably a lot more if I am truthful, so I am glad I am not doing the same today. It is easily done here; the variety and amount of goods on offer is huge and I am easily led!

    Spain really changed my shopping habits; the supermarkets there were terrible. The service was the worst in the World, one would queue for half an hour just to join another queue to pay for ones shopping and the staff were rude and unapproachable. Equally the choice on offer was horrendous and as a couple we would have to cook everything from scratch; there were no short cuts.

    I did become very self sufficient when I lived in Gran Alacant; living frugally, I spent no more than 20€ a week on groceries. What I did buy, lasted me a long time and I was able to make more than one meal with only a small amount of food; my days of living like a King were well and truly over and I had to learn a whole new way of life. If anything Spain taught me how to survive in a very unforgiving climate, so returning to Britain has been a breath of fresh air and reintroduced me back to civilization. I am jesting of course, Spain is as civilized as the UK, it just does things very differently.

    When we got to the checkout today, there were no bags for our shopping and we had to use flimsy plastic carriers to take our purchases home, one bag splitting as soon as we left the car park, spilling shopping everywhere. This annoyed me, as you would expect and I vowed never to shop in ASDA again. Of course I will, but it just underlines why I shop at a particular outlet in the first place. It's not just about how much things cost, it's about the service you get and the attention you receive when you actually pay your bill. As a checkout operator, I am well versed in how to address members of the public. I have always worked in a retail environment so always treat customers how I would like to be treated. It really doesn't take a lot of energy to be polite and I am absolutely passionate about giving the best service I can, as I believe others should also!

    So from an experience at the checkouts today I have rambled on about shopping long enough. This is what I love about blogging.....Sometimes it's the strangest situation that triggers a memory or gives one the motivation to write about a particular subject. Working in the retail sector gives me an valuable insight into the workings of a busy, supermarket, so when things go wrong while I am out shopping, I become more critical than I normally would. Running out of carrier bags is not the end of the World, but it is rather infuriating for the customer; I am proud to say it has never happened where I work and I hope it never happens again where I shop!
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    Girls!

    Friends claire-coe
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    Hey all,

    Hope you’re having a good week!

    So today is all about girls… girl power, independent women, sisters doing it for themselves! Don’t get me wrong, this is not a feminist post!

    I am just a HUGE, firm believer in girls sticking together as girls. I’ve experienced A LOT of bitchiness aimed at me throughout my life and I really really do not take it well. I beat myself up, wonder why these girls don’t like me. I then spend hours on end replaying what I heard or saw and dissecting it in my head.

    I must say now, I am in no way an angel here, I have definitely bitched about people in my life and I have said some horrible things which I have really beat myself up about after.

    My point in this blog is, girls, let’s just be fu**ing nice. If someone’s hair looks great in their photo, tell them. If someone is going on holiday, tell them to have a great time. If someone is having a hard time, check in on them.

    I’ve never been a huge girlfriend kinda person, I’ve always got on with guys as the bitchiness is very minimal. I do, however, have very few, very close girlfriends who I would do absolutely anything for.

    So girls, let’s start being great people, let’s start complimenting randomly, looking after each other and thinking before saying that comment that could potentially really bloody upset someone.
    Girl power
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  • Published on

    Christmas Thoughts - Stephen C Hick!

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    "So, someone asked me to get down my thoughts about Christmas and not to swear – so here goes.

    Every culture with a cold dark winter puts a festival in the middle of it, it basically stops us from killing each other, and ourselves, the fire is stoked the food and drink flows freely, people literally “eat, drink and be merry”. These traditions far predate christian worship and nor are they owned by modern day pagans, it predates every known form of worship.

    Christmas, holidays, xmas, nadelik (that’s Cornish btw), midwinter, festival whatever you want to call it it is yours alone and it is everyone’s. We have private rituals and great acts of public togetherness, it brings out the best in us and it exposes our worst, we see the best as people genuinely try to give goodwill to all and the worst as we see loneliness and poverty all around.

    To quote freely “ask not what xmas can do for you but what you can do for xmas”, human kindness is so underrated, it does good and it makes you feel good and if you can do it for xmas why can’t you do it at all times of the year? Your overworked neighbour will still be overworked in spring, the bullied kid down the road will still get bullied in summer, and you’ll still tut next year at the lonely old lady on pension day holding up the queue because you’re in a hurry because she hasn’t spoken to anyone in over a week and is literally dying for a chat.

    We can all make a difference, we can all be kinder, we can all take the time to love more, hate less and potentially change or save someone’s life with a kind word and a cuppa. How good would that make you feel, imagine a genuine season of goodwill that lasts all year long x"
    Stephen C Hick

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