Am I the only person that doesn't live in an idyllic Christmas village???

[BankerMommy2010]

Dont get me wrong, I live in a lovely village, its quiet and surrounded by fields and farms... but reading on here everyone seems to have gorgeous village bakerys (we have a greggs) pubs with roaring fires (we have a pub no fire) carols around the Christmas tree, and lots seem to start Christmas eve by lighting their real fire :-0 it paints an idyllic Christmas setting in my mind...

[LynetteScavo]

Um, I live in a rubbish sort of village because it's joined onto the town. So I'm really in suburbia.

We don't have a bakers.

We do have a cheese shop though. The queue outside in the rain last Christmas eve was ridicuous. I got soaked.

I have no idea if the pubs have log fires as I've never been in. But I doubt it. You have to go down the road a bit, to the new housing estate at the other end of the village for carols around the Christmas tree.

But there are a couple of large houses around the corner from me who do mega and very tasteful Christmas lights all over their house.

[SarahAndFuck]

I live on a main road.

We are opposite woodland, but at the back it's all houses and flats.

Best of both really. We do have an independent butcher but our baker is Cooplands. Our pub has no fire and I work in it so we shall not be setting foot in it if I am not working.

We can go to the Children's Centre for carols around the tree and the Christmas Children's Service as it's joined on to a United Reform Church.

If we had a village Christmas tree then someone would steal it or set it on fire.

But we do like to go out on Christmas day and walk in the woods and we do have lovely neighbours who grow stuff on allotments and bring us some. We can usually rely on being given our Christmas veg.

Our fire is one of those black gas stove type things that you can see the flames of through a glass door. Our fireplace was made for Christmas really.

[mamapants]

I'm not that sure why a bakery is christmassy but we do have a bakery in the village. Numerous pubs but only one with a fire.
There is carol singing by the school. We also have a big xmas parade which is pretty cool, all the kids get to march through the village behind a samba band, there are stalls, the lights are switched on, there are shows and stilt walkers, fire poi and all sorts. Which is pretty special.
We also have events in the local museum with free mince pies. Xmas train rides. Ummm probably more stuff I'm forgetting.
We won't be living in the village by this xmas though, but think we will still go to all the events.

[usualsuspect]

I live on a council estate.

[mamapants]

Oh and santa rides through the village on a truck

[BankerMommy2010]

Not saying a bakery is Christmassy, but you know when you watch Christmas films and everything is lovely amd they fetch fresh bread etc... I was just reading though some of thechChristmas eve threads and some people seem to have perfect Christmas card christmas' (does that make sense)

[mamapants]

Ok with you now, think staff in our bakery are too grumpy for it to be picture postcardy.
We often get snow though does that count?

[MrsMongoose]

I live in the centre of Manchester. It is Christmassy, just in very different ways.

[ouryve]

We didn't even have a Greggs. We had a Peters, and it closed down.

And every year, the local school kids decorate a tree on the green and every year, it's vandalised.

[Tommy]

no-one does!! This is what I really dislike about Christmas - all these films, programmes, magazine articles etc giving the impression that everyone else is having this pseudo "perfect" Christmas when the reality for most of us is not that at all.
Make Christmas what you want it to be

(and remind me not to click on Christmas threads before the middle of December.....)

[ouryve]

Oh, we get LOTS of snow. Enough to share for 3 out of the past 4 years.

[Methe]

I live in a 80's ugly as sin ex council house in the Black Country. Christmas is still Christmassy! Secretly though I'd love to live somewhere with a big bay window for a Christmas tree and a church over the road with some robins on the gate eating holly in the snow or something

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

we have a jd wetherspoons with a fire
two bakeries - greggs and percy ingles
a little toyshop
charity shops

but in the main town there's a market and it's quite festive

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

Oooh yes we used to have a tree on the roundabout with a few half hearted scabby lights.(out of reach )
But now there's no tree even

[attheendoftheday]

I live in a lovely village in terms of being picturesque. Not so much in terms of facilities, which amount to a library bus once a fortnight, that's it. We do get lots of snow, but also get snowed in a lot. It can be great, but in my experience small rural villages are full of very odd people.

I am often at people describing lovely Xmas eve looking at the shops and having hot chocolate. We will go for a walk instead. Just like we do a minimum of twice a day, everyday.

[BankerMommy2010]

Attheendoftheday... you sound like me, lovely village with not alot going on! :)

[CherryMonster]

i live on a council estate too. we dont have a pub, we have a greggs, no christmas tree anywhere outside, no coffee shop or anything. i hate it.

[GladbagsGold]

LynetteScavo I think we may live near each other... is there a fancy dress shop near the cheese shop?

[BeaWheesht]

No I live in a soulless new build estate.

[attheendoftheday]

Banker it is lovely, unless you run out of milk or like to have heating without lighting a stove. I like it really, but the colder weather is unfortunately reminding me of what a pita winter can be.

[cheekycherryza]

I live in a once horse town that you blink and you've missed it. They put up a few lights and the little shopping precinct puts up a few garlands but believe you me it's FAR from picturesque.

[VivaLeThrustBadger]

I live opposite our little village green.

In early Dec a massive tree is put up on the green, the road is closed to traffic. We have a big lighting ceremony and everyone sings carols and drinks ghluwine.

We don't have a bakers or a Greggs though. The newsagent used to do lovely hot sausage rolls and crossiants and pain au chocolates and fresh baguettes. Sadly they've stopped.

Not sure if the pubs have fires, probably not.

And Santa comes through on a truck every year with a fire engine escort.

[jennymac]

I always think when you read magazines where "celebs" (usually interior designers, like Lawrence LB or people like Kirstie Allsopp) talk about their typical Christmas day and it always sounds like something in a film where it is all perfect. I keep thinking, surely they must be lying or at least exaggerating somewhat. My Christmas days to date, which have always been fun and lovely, tend to be more random and chaotic - think loads of kids, mess and noise and never a seconds peace to watch the Christmas movie in the afteroon!

[neontetra]

My village has some of this - we do have carols on the green, and lots of other Christmas events, many organised through the church. I do feel we are very lucky to live here. No bakery though. The pub has a fire, and many very drunk regulars!

[OctoberMoon]

Where do you all live? Where are these villages? North, south?

I live in a village within a city, so best of both worlds. My village is lovely, and we have a bakery we also have about 10 pubs! Can't think if any have log fires though? I'm quite involved with the Church, we have carolling, a lighting of the Christmas tree ceremony, the schools in the village have christmas fayres etc. We also have a Christmas farmer's market, and our 1930's style cinema shows Christmas films. I love my Village.