The questions 1 Where does the Yule Cat devour people who don’t have new clothes?2 Who successfully answered the radio advert: “Astronauts wanted, no experience required”?3 Which story popularised the eating of turkey at Christmas?4 Who signed his letters to Queen Elizabeth I as “007”?5 What is the most abundant metal in the Earth’s crust?6 … Read more
Born in Hertfordshire, Sarah Hadland, 54, attended Laine Theatre Arts college in Surrey. From 2009 to 2015, she played Stevie in the Bafta-nominated sitcom Miranda, and her other television work includes Horrible Histories, Waterloo Road, W1A, The Job Lot and Daddy Issues. This Christmas, she appears on The Festive Pottery Throwdown and The Celebrity Apprentice, and … Read more
I’m treading dangerous ground critiquing classics such as Jacob’s cream crackers and Carr’s table water biscuits, some of Britain’s most nostalgic family foods. There’s nothing wrong with a bit of comfort eating, especially at Christmas, but both are also symbols of our industrial food culture: bland, beige and unadventurous. That said, maybe they’re just the … Read more
It was Christmas Eve, 1987. The cold war was beginning to emit its last frosty guffs, Thatcher had set her sights on gay children, and Michael Fish was keeping his head down. In England’s deep south, my sister and I conspired in our bedroom. We are twins: she got the brains; I, being the eldest … Read more
Christmas for me began as a summertime celebration in New Zealand, with long days and warm evenings. Twenty-plus years on, the wintry cosiness of a UK Christmas has taken hold. Now, my essentials include perfectly crisp roast potatoes with plenty of gravy, and sprouts (non-negotiable). Even my young niece and nephew love them, which is … Read more
My partner and I are professionals in our early 30s. We’ve been together for five years, and long-distance for the last three, but have just moved back in together. While we were long-distance, we both had difficulties in our work. She had important exams, and it’s taken a long time for me to get into … Read more
Before you see them … Plan breaks in your scheduleSpending time with difficult family members requires careful planning, says Katie Rose, a therapist registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and the founder of TherapEast. “If you’re going to stay with somebody for three or four days, find ways to politely give yourself … Read more
Christmas Day Felixstowe, SuffolkA proper community affair, with hundreds of participants resplendent in festive finery racing into the North Sea at 10am sharp while much of the town gathers along the promenade to watch. The event raises funds for St Elizabeth Hospice, and every year brings new tales of heroics and even romance (there’s been … Read more
Jason, 63 Ally notices the occasional looks people give us, and her response is to ask me to give her a kiss in front of them When Ally and I first met, she was 25 and fresh out of uni, and I was 47 and recently separated from my wife. I walked into work every … Read more