Christmas 2017 part 3 - 6-10 December 2017

So continuing my blog of my Christmas celebrations in 2017 - on 6 December I went to a concert in Sale.  On the way to the concert I had a meal at the Greek restaurant near to Sale Metrolink station - Sokrates Taverna - and ordered keftedes (Greek meat balls) as a starter and moussaka as the main course - £12 for two courses was a very reasonable price.  The starter came quickly, and the moussaka took a long time to come.  The reason was that everything is cooked from fresh, none of the food is pre-prepared.  Unfortunately I had to eat the moussaka very quickly, but it was really delicious.

The reason I was in Sale was that I went to the Sale Gilbert & Sullivan Society Christmas Concert.  It was not what I expected, and there was not enough Gilbert & Sullivan for my taste, but it was, nonetheless, an enjoyable evening.

The next day, 7th December, I caught some of the Manchester Civil Service Choir performing Christmas Carols at the People's History Museum (and I sang a few carols to myself as I was listening to them sing) and viewed the extent of the Cîroc around the Christmas Tree event at New Bailey (which was not very inspiring).

In the evening I met up with a friend and we sent to the Houghton Weavers Christmas Concert, in Prestwich, which was fun!

On Friday 8th December I went to Liverpool.  Liverpool Philharmonic Hall sent me an email close to my birthday offering me a free concert, and one of the options was A Russian Christmas on the afternoon of the 8th.  It was very good, and a very pleasant way to spend a Friday afternoon.

In the evening I watched another Christmas film on YouTube, this time it was "A Royal Christmas" - with the compulsory happy ending.

On Saturday 9th December we had snow!  I had planned to visit the Christmas Tree Festival at Oldham Parish Church and thought should I, or shouldn't I?  In the end I did go, and was pleased that I had ventured out.  It was, as always, a lovely event to do, and is now a firm fixture in my Christmas calendar.   In the evening I went to Didsbury to hear the Manchester Bach Choir sing Bush's Christmas Cantata.  That was pleasant, but it was a bitterly cold night and perhaps I might have wiser to stay at home.

On the 10th December I didn't do anything particularly festive, but did go to my choir practice which is always good fun.

Christmas 2017 part 2 - 1-5 December 2017

This post covers the first 5 days of December.

On 1st December I went to the theatre to see "Nativity: The Musical".  I did not know what to expect, and clearly expected something else.  I had thought the 'children's parts' would be played by adults - they were played by children.  The audience whooped and applauded everything the children did.  Obviously a large number of parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins etc were in the audience that evening.   There were a lot of 'in' jokes - which sent the audience into laughter many times, and I did not get many of the jokes.  Presumably they alluded to X-factor, or I'm a Celebrity, or Big Brother, or other shows of that ilk.  I got the impression that this audience would be on its feet immediately the curtain came down at the end of the show (which devalues standing ovations).  Since I was not enjoying it, I fled at half-time.

I went home an watched another Christmas movie - this time "A Hobo's Christmas" which was all about reconciliation.  A lovely film.

On 2nd December I went to the Manchester Museum of Transport for their event "A Christmas Cracker" which basically has stalls selling timetables, bus memorabilia, tickets, books, model buses and anything else to do with buses and transport.  This was my second annual visit, and I came away with some bus photographs and some timetables from Cheshire.  

In the evening there was the RSCDS Manchester Christmas Dance.  Numbers were disappointing, but there was a nice atmosphere, and we had a number of new dancers, who seemed keen.  It was a lovely evening.

3rd December was Advent Sunday.  I visited the Christmas Model Railway Show in the Barnes Wallis Building, and in the evening went to the Advent Carol Service at St Ann's Church.  When I got home I watched the film "The Homecoming: A Christmas Story" on YouTube.

On 4th December I watch another film on YouTube: "The Gathering" (from 1977).  I really loved this film.

On 5th December I had plans to watch the Nutcracker (a live streaming from the Royal Opera House in London), but the price of cinema tickets to watch this was exorbitant.  Instead I watched another lovely film on YouTube "The Christmas Tree".

Christmas 2017 part 1 - November 2017

My Christmas celebrations for 2017 started early.

On 11 November I went to the Manchester Craft & Design Centre for their Christmas launch event "Christmas Starts Here".  The Centre was busy and there was some seasonal music, but it didn't really feel like Christmas ... perhaps it was too early.

My choir, the Sunday Boys, visited Birmingham the week later for a concert in the foyer of the Birmingham Rep Theatre.  I got a glimpse of the Christmas lights which was really nice.

I next went to an organ recital at St Ann's Church on November 21 - and a number of the pieces were dealing with Advent.  Pieces included “Choral Preludes for Advent” (JS Bach), “Choral Prelude on Veni Emanuel” (Flor Peeters) and “Fantasia on Veni Emanuel” (Heathcote Statham)

It was starting to begin to look like Christmas.  On the following Friday I attended the Anthems for Advent at Cross Street Chapel.  I have done this now for a few years.

Next was a visit to the Garrick Playhouse Theatre for Alan Ayckbourn's "Seasons Greetings" which was very funny.

Christmas felt like it was getting closer.  There was a Christmas bake sale at work in aid of the Encephalitis Society, and I decided I would try and watch a Christmas movie on YouTube each day in the run up to Christmas.  The film I watched on St Andrew's Day was "A Princess for Christmas" - which of course has a happy ending.