The twelve days of christmas
At the darkest moment of the year when the nights seem endless and the days very short comes that most joyful festivals the celbration of the birth of Jesus christ the light of the world. christmas is a truly magical season bringing families and friends together to share the much-loved customs and traditions that over the centuries have come to surround this heart-warming and deepley symbolic occasion.
Christmas eve and christmas day are not icluded in the Twelve days of christmas which starts on boxing day, or St Stephen's day and finish on twelfth night or Epiphany when the Christ-child was shown to the Magi 6th Janaury each day represents the twelve months of the passing year.
Christmas is not just a time of feasting and receiving but also a time of giving when good King Wenceslas trudged throught the freezing snow on the feast of stephen to take food. wine, and logs to a poor man he was setting the scence for the old English custom of boxing day The name stems from the distribution of food and money - Christmas boxes to the less fortunate members of the parish. Jesus once said "that the poor will always be with us"
I was deeply moved after I discovered that a homeless lady called Josie was found dead in the Easton Street car park next to the Union Baptist Church High Wycombe on Christmas morning 2006. For some years with members of the Isis Scout Fellowship Allison and I had been helping to run a full christmas dinner that guest's pay for with all profits going towards helping to of set the cost so that local people in oxford who might be on their own on christmas day could celebrate christmas with dinner and a small gift. At the city salvation army building. In 2007 I joined a local group of people and together we brought christmas presents for folk in one of the towns night shelters - This year 2008 we thought it would be a great idea if a group of us shared the cost so that Christmas food and a gift went to folk who were staying in one of the Oxford homeless Shelters. In 2009 we hope to be able to increase our good works towards those who might be homeless at christmas or spending christmas day alone.
New Camera
I have a natural liking to the Nikon range of camera's while my son Peter is more towards the Canon range of camera's This has lead to some very interesting discussions on the merits of both manufacturers products the end result - Peter brought a canon EOS 1000D and I brought the Nikon D60. Today we thought that we would try our new camera's out. As the weather was a little on the cold side I thought it would be more comfortable for us if we chose places of interest that were indoors.
The Oxford university Botanic garden was our first place of call. The Conservatory rebuilt to the original Victorian design in 1973 but using aluminium rather than wood & iron. With slate staging with plants grown in terracotta pots is a recreation of how such a conservatory would have looked in the nineteenth century. The highlight of the year is a Christmas display which revolves around all of the plants you need in order to make a Christmas pudding. We also visited The Palm house and the Arid house. Before heading to
Christ Church Cathedral.
The Cathedral offered the opportunity of a photo-shoot in an historic building that is a place of worship and of course the add challenges of limited access and poor lighting. we focused upon taking images of some of the stain glass windows and the nativity scene my results are some what lacking and a second or third visit will be required to make up for lost opportunities. Leaving the Cathedral we walked to the Covered Market.
Oxford covered Market This time of year the covered market looks out standing with all kinds of birds, and animals hanging on display out side the butcher shops a must place to take a few photographs.
Platform 8 victoria Station
88 years ago at 20:32 on November 10th the body of the British unknown soldier then known as the unknown arrived back home. The coffin rested there overnight and the next morning was taken on a gun carriage to Westminister Abbey for internment inside the great west door where the unknown soldier lies today.
On platform 8 each year at 20:32 A bugler sounds the last post after the two-minute silence a member of the Western Font Assocation reads Laurence Binyon's words
"they shall grow not old as we that are left grow old
Age shall not weary them nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
we shall remember them".
The ceremony ends with the Reveille a wake up call to new life and continuing armed conflicts of our modern world.
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