Happy Christmas...and first world problems

Happy Christmas all. The household, in a slightly tetchy mood I must confess, is moving to its big day, not without a few moral and political dilemmas.

I bought a couple of nice new decorations for the tree, including the Union Flag glittery specimen on the picture. I acquired it online late at night, and was instantly accused by the younger members of the family of having bought a UKIP ad. So, since when, I thought, had the Union Flag been owned by UKIP? But I carefully hung it next to the American Navy banner, and thought that they cancelled each other out.

The tree is, as it happens, where our first world problems began. That is to say, we discovered that the remote control for the Christmas tree lights (flex free) had run out of battery -- and this was not the size of battery sold in the local garage, or local Co-op or local wherever. Eventually the husband tracked one down in the city centre branch of Maplins. At this point, even the most ivory towered don begins to see a flash of light. 'Hang on', you say to yourself, 'we are scouring the town for a battery for the remote control on the elegant German, flex free tree lights, when there are people in supposedly leafy Cambridge who haven't got the cash to have a chicken for lunch, or presents for the kids.'

I'm trying not to be pious but it's not a circle that is easy to square.

 

There are all kinds of good things going on just nearby. Wintercomfort is relatively well known But I am told that at least one pub in Cambridge is having openhouse and free food for all comers on Christmas day. And I have tried to turn some of the spending patterns of the elite into a bit of a rule. To put it bluntly, if there is anyone in this country who spends more on Christmas drink than they give to charity, then they might find that a prompt to look at their priorities. Not a bad, bottom line, rule of thumb.

Meanwhile our cake, hand made by yours truly, has been decorated by the daughter in a neat tribute to some Kenyan rock art (on the left). OK, I know what you are thinking ... just how pretentious and first world is that? A bloody Christmas cake doing its post colonial thing? But she has been working in Kenya and has just been to a cultural festival there which showcased the work of the African Rock Art Trust.

If there is anything that this little cake on this little blog can do publicise that excellent group, then I'm OK