Christmas tour of the UK

Celebrating Christmas 2014 took me and Tim on a tour of the UK - from last-minute shopping and carols in Bristol to flying visits to the Peak District and West Yorkshire, and the days themselves at home in East Yorkshire. Christmas Eve was just as it should be: it started with tea and tea cakes with good friends at Drewton's Farm Shop and Cafe in South Cave, where the staff were clad in festive jumpers and the last few grouse were advertised for sale.

After an Italian lunch at The Gallery in the village centre, we saw out the day at Grandad and Pat's. Tim sampled his first taste of Frumity (a love or hate thing, and the traditional Christmas Eve dinner in our family - he liked it!) and we had a competitive round of Articulate. At home that evening, we decorated the Christmas tree while listening to carols. Christmas Day dawned bright and sunny, and tempted us out for a crisp walk.

It was our first Christmas without Grandad Mawson, and he was very much missed - especially his cheerfulness and jokes, his endless topping up of sherry glasses, and even the gruesome tales he enjoyed telling as soon as we had sat down for dinner! But it was a happy occasion with lots of smiles (as I think the photos show beautifully - especially the moment Will handed Nanna her 1500 tea bags; perhaps less so the moment Dad was handed his anti-ageing cream!).

Tim and I succeeded in cooking our first Christmas dinner - and apart from burning the mash, we think it went quite well.. Elsa prepared a tastier version for round two on Boxing Day. Luckily, after an energetic walk through the foggy forest in Elloughton Dale, we were ready for more indulgence. And you can never eat too much at Christmas, can you?

P.S. Note the cute tree decorations made by Tim's 3-year-old niece Charlotte