|
NOTICE anything odd about this picture
(above) taken in Beam Street, Nantwich, on October 16, 2008? Blue skies,
sunshine - both unusual these days, when the weather has gone mad,
in that its late even for an Indian Summer. But take a closer look at above
street level. Yes, those are Christmas decorations.
True, they are not lit (I
don't think they're the lighting type), but the powers-that-be have
beaten even the keenest of the domestic Christmas lovers who like to
be the first to have the Christmas tree in
place by erecting it on December 1.
Right is the view along
Church Lane early in November. See below for more street
scenes - and a surprise at a Nantwich church.
Not that Nantwich is alone.
The town of Coleford in Gloucestershire hit the headlines when they
had even more obvious Christmas decorations up even earlier - Father
Christmas, trees, tinsel, the lot. Their excuse? They were put up by
volunteers and "it takes so long to put up the decorations we have
to start early". Also, they can only work on Sundays. And for health
and safety reasons - all those
 checks
that have to be made . . .
I 'm not sure who put up
the decorations, but I shall ask someone about the early
action. Watch this space.
It is already the case that
decorations (such as the snowflake, left) stay up all year round -
for cost reasons? Maybe this new lot will not be taken down after
Twelfth Night. The metalwork by which Christmas trees are attached
to shop fronts have also become a permanent fixture.
I do know that it is the
Lights Switch-on Evening on The Square on
Saturday 22nd November,
from 4.30pm to 5.30pm, but surely it doesn't take five weeks to put
up the town's decorations?
"To every thing (turn,
turn, turn) there is a season (turn, turn, turn) . . ." says the
song. That is no longer the case (except for Victoria plums - which
I love - but which have only a limited season). Some superstores are
already selling mince pies, and hot cross buns have forsaken Easter
(well, Good Friday) and seem to be available all year round. Easter
eggs, at least the cream-filled ones, are another year-round treat.
Remember when you knew it
was July because there were strawberries in the shops? Now, they
too, are on sale for much (if not all) of the year. It's no fun
any more. No sense of something to look forward to.
LATEST - Right: The Christmas tree
goes up in
The Square on November 18, ahead of
the
Switch-on of the lights on the 22nd.
|
