<p><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning /> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas /> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables /> <w:SnapToGridInCell /> <w:WrapTextWithPunct /> <w:UseAsianBreakRules /> <w:DontGrowAutofit /> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]> <object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id=ieooui> </object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Christmas Nights</p> <p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal">A few days away in Wales gave us the chance to attend the Christmas Nights event at St Fagan&rsquo;s: National History Museum in Cardiff. It is almost ten years since we took in this event for the first time and it has certainly grown both in terms of activities and popularity. Last time we took part in the carol singing in the chapel only a handful of people were Welsh speakers and so only one carol was sung in Welsh. This time the chapel was packed (about 200 people) and with many more Welsh speakers present the carols were sung in a mix of Welsh and English, no problem for my OH but my son and I were challenged. I used to sing in French, German and even Latin at school but had at least some grounding in the language first. However, Welsh sounds beautiful and the rousing singing meant everyone joined in with gusto.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The Museum has a large number of historic buildings that have been saved and moved to the museum site when they have been under threat. A great many of these would have been lit simply by the light from the fire and candles and so visiting the buildings in the evening at this time of year gives a real feel for the buildings and how they were used. The smells of smoke from the fire and the tallow candles and the simple furnishings make them all the more real. People are advised to bring a torch but there really is no need. Even within the buildings a few moments and your eyes adjust to the light levels and all becomes clear.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal">A number of customs are carried out and explained by actors. These included the Mari Lwyd and Hunting the Wren, the subject of one of the pictures here. Both events involved people going from door to door. For the Mari Lwyd a horse&rsquo;s skull is carried and some say it represents the horse turned out of the stable to allow Mary to give birth, but on this occasion we were told it represented the donkey that carried Mary to Bethlehem. Whatever the real reason the singers perform a song which must be followed by one from within. This carries on until one group cannot return a verse. If that is the people within they let the horse inside. If the travellers run out of verses first they must leave and try elsewhere.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The old shops sell their goods including Christmas sweet favourites and there are a small number of fair rides. Entertainers such as stilt walkers and fire jugglers are scattered around the site, Father Christmas is snug in one of the old houses and the Working Men&rsquo;s Institute had a puppet show this year. There were crafts to take part in and crafts to watch such as a working blacksmith forge and a cooper making barrels.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal">One terrace of cottages are furnished in sequence through from the 1800s to 1950s and for this season the living areas reflect this with decorations becoming ever more elaborate and the lighting changing from candles, to lamps to electric light.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Three hours is simply not enough to take it all in and we certainly hope to be back again before too long.</p>

<p><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning /> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas /> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables /> <w:SnapToGridInCell /> <w:WrapTextWithPunct /> <w:UseAsianBreakRules /> <w:DontGrowAutofit /> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]> <object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id=ieooui> </object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--></p> <p class="MsoNormal">We don&rsquo;t seem to be fitting in so many trips to local seasonal events this year but we have made it to the Christmas event at Waddesdon Manor in Buckinghamshire. This National trust property decorates one wing, known as the Batchelor&rsquo;s Wing, using a different theme each year. For the past couple of years this has featured one of the five European countries where the founding sons of the Rothschild dynasty made their fortunes. Waddesdon was built by one of these sons but this year the theme is Italy for his brother Carl.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Huge trees are set up in the various rooms and amongst the usual baubles are items related to the theme. Decorations included carnival masks in the Venetian themed room and miniature picture frames and paint brushes in the room dedicated to great Italian artists. The film The Italian Job was marked by a tree garlanded with miniature &ldquo;gold&rdquo; bars with models of Minis and a coach suspended fro the branches. The formal dining room decorations were inspired by the citrus groves with towering displays of fruit and swags of olive branches whilst the smaller dining room was dedicated to Leonardo as an engineer and mathematician with protractors, rulers and set squares marking the place settings.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal">For children, the staircase display told the story of Befana who brings toys to Italian children on the Eve of Epiphany and scenes from Pinocchio&rsquo;s adventures were spread through the ground floor rooms including a particularly amusing &ldquo;whale&rdquo; bursting through the bathroom window and disgorging Pinocchio and Giuseppe into the waves.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Carl Rothschild was based in Naples, an area noted for creating wonderful crib scenes. An example was set up in the Billiard room and in a nearby room a tree had been decorated all in red to represent Vesuvius.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The rooms and setting remain the same each year but the variations in decorations and hidden details make it well worth making a return visit, helping to instil the Christmas spirit.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Photography is not allowed within the house but the grounds are open and lighted trees are dotted around. The birds can still be viewed in the aviary and indeed they seemed more vociferous and visible than on summer visits. A reindeer trail leads down through the children&rsquo;s play area to the Stable block with shop and caf&eacute;. In the early years of this event the house stayed open until 6 so the full effect of this could be enjoyed but now 4 is the closing time. Visiting at this time of year gives quite a different perspective on both house and grounds and certainly sets us up for the festive season.</p>