Christmas Spirit

Forgive this mention of the C-word so early into the season (of Autumn), but as they say, Christmas is just around the corner. My youngest asked me to count the weeks until the big day the other evening and I duly counted through my phone calendar. 13 weeks and counting!!!

Our annual trip to the Spirit of Christmas Fair is looming and the two girls aged ten and seven will be joining me. I do feel that children add an extra sparkle to the festivities. Whether they look through a lens with awe and wonder, or get up to general high jinks and mischief, display impatience and/or genuine joy at anything and everything Christmas, the holiday season is not complete without them. Seeing Christmas through the eyes of our two girls must be something truly magical.

The Spirit fair was first launched in 2001. Now based at Olympia London, there are over 700 brands to shop from, Spirit of Christmas is your go-to seasonal shopping destination. Unrivalled shopping and a wealth of festive inspiration, Spirit is Christmas joy in a bottle.

2023 sees the return of workshops. Offering inspiration and hands-on experience, visitors can enjoy a range of complimentary interactive sessions covering a broad range of Christmas ideas and gifts. The new official restaurant partner is acclaimed Spanish chef,  José Pizarro, with a tapas menu that showcases his signature dishes

Some of my favourite brands never fail to return time and time again. The Universal Soul Company rounded by Sara Griffiths is one of these. Sara Griffiths is the real deal. Hailing from QVC fame (those jobs are highly sought after and very competitive), the USC is a place for healing and positivity. One pump of the soul mist, and there I am, back on the mat, feeling all lightness and calm. From handbag sized sprays to luxury diffusers, you will leave Sara’s stand floating on a cloud.

Whatever your feelings are about Christmas, Spirit is sure to put a smile on your face. This year, the fair runs from 30 October to 5 November. We must just bump into you among the gifts and cheer. This year, Christmas starts at Spirit!

It's been birthday week for Little Lu. Lots of lovely presents all round and lots of lovely wishes on Facebook and by snail mail too.

We started with drinks and dinner with my fiancé and six friends at the Smithfield Bar and Grill. The service was excellent, the company fantastic and the food, very good indeed. I had calamari for starters, shared a chateaubriand with Mr Cross for mains, and had a lovely warm chocolate dessert with ice cream, with a candle in the middle with everyone singing Happy Birthday.

The next day, we went to see Fugitive Pieces at the Prince Charles cinema in Leicester Square. Reminded me a bit of Captain Corelli's Mandolin, which is not how I remembered the book.

Yesterday, the fiancé took me to Le Caprice for dinner and then we went on to the opening night of Cosi Fan Tutte at the London Coliseum (ENO). The only disappointment with Le Caprice, was that the bang bang chicken as a starter tasted like a jar of Sun Pat peanut butter had been emptied over it, but otherwise, it was an excellent meal, and the staff were very attentive. Beware of the 12.5% service charge and cover charges which are automatically included.

Cosi Fan Tutte was excellent, although being Mozart, each line is repeated about four times, because of the symmetry of Mozart's music. Ah well, it was nice to see some familiar names in the orchestra from my Royal College of Music days.

I'm now exhausted after three nights out on the trot. Maybe old age is getting to me, who knows, but I love my sleep and was glad that I didn't need to wake up at 7.10am this morning.

Thanks to everyone for a lovely week, particularly to Mr Cross, kiss kiss.