Hello booklovers, Welcome to the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year! As of tomorrow, bit by bit the days will start getting lighter. In this Pagan spirit, festival volunteer and visitor Elizabeth has chosen ‘The Holly and the Ivy’ as the carol behind Advent door number 21. Elizabeth writes… Of all the trees […]

Hello booklovers, Christmas is drawing every closer, I do hope you are still enjoying our festival Advent calendar. I mentioned in a previous post of mine the timeless memory of childhood Christmas plays, complete with tinsel halos floating above small heads, cotton wool beards adorning little Father Christmases and the strapping of tea towels around […]

Hello booklovers, Behind door number 19 we have a delightful piece courtesy of lovely committee member Jez, also about the depiction of nature and wildlife in Christmas carols. Jez writes… ‘I was minded to talk about nature in carols and Christmas songs and stories. It has been the custom for many centuries for greenery to […]

Hello booklovers, What brilliant contributions we have been having from our wonderful volunteers over the past two weeks of Advent. Today it is my turn to pick our festive tune. On the week before Christmas, I thought ‘Away in a Manger’ would be perfect as the carol hiding behind today’s Advent door. ‘Away in a […]

Hello booklovers, Advent is flying past and it isn’t long until the festivities can truly begin. I do hope you have been enjoying our festival Advent calendar and that it has been adding an extra bit of festiveness to each passing day. Day 17 on our Advent calendar comes from local business proprieter John, who […]

Hello booklovers, I hope you enjoyed our first installment of William’s take on the carol ‘Good King Wenceslas’ as much as I did. As promised, the conclusion to the tale if our offering behind today’s Advent door. Enjoy! William writes… “Brother, it is good to see you on this cold night.” Wenceslas tried to look […]

Hello booklovers, I get the lovely job of picking the festive song for our Advent calendar today. In true mellow and festive fashion, I have picked ‘The Christmas Song’, one of my all time favourites which never fails to cultivate that warm Christmas feeling. Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Jack Frost nipping at your […]

Hello booklovers, I hope you are feeling suitably festive as we draw closer and closer to Christmas day! Today’s musical choice comes from our wonderful committee member Jez, who recalls a tune from her childhood Christmases, ‘In Dulce Jubilo’. Jez writes… ‘The hymn I have chosen is In Dulce Jubilo.  It was my favourite when […]

Hello booklovers, I can’t believe we are half way through Advent already. Today’s festive tune comes courtesy of Anna, who you may recognise as the author of advent door number 5, Paul McCartney’s ‘Pipe’s of Peace’. Anna has selected ‘O Little Town of Bethlehem’, with words by Bishop Phillips Brooks and music arranged by Ralph […]