Our First Christmas Down a Devon Country Lane

 A Very Different Christmas in 2020

Preparations for our first Christmas here took off a little earlier than we normally would. A consequence I suppose of having two young children in our household and schools finishing on the 17^th December. We have three Christmas trees in total, one in Caro and Benji’s sitting room, one in their entrance hall and one just outside our porch, all decorated and lit; with outside lights on gutters, in and around trees and “the deer” grazing on the lawn adding to the festive mood! Two of the trees are rooted and will be planted in the grounds at the end of the festive season.

Like most families we had been planning and looking forward to a full five-day celebration with both daughters, their husbands and all four grandchildren. Covid19 ward duty meant that we might not see so much of Nick, but at the moment that’s simply the life of a doctor in so many parts of the world. As Christmas Day approached yet another U-turn by the government reduced the five days to just 12 hours.

 

We enjoyed a beach picnic at Hope Cove on Christmas Eve. Another plus for our new location! This is a super little coastal village just half an hour away with three small sandy coves, thatched cottages and a great pub (sadly closed).

 

Nick was working all day Christmas Day but a sudden change of shift requirements meant that he was able to join us for a late afternoon Christmas dinner; Clare and the boys having arrived at 7.00am. Half an hour’s drive for them but they still arrived before I was up and about!

It was a lovely day with no politics and lots of fun and food to be enjoyed throughout. Our gifts were very well received – the boys with their fins and snorkelling masks, the girls with roller boots. Ettie decided she wouldn’t take hers off all day and succeeded to learn both inside and out without too many falls. The boys already discussing the best places to explore along the local coastline.

Leaving the younger children at the house with Caro and Benji doing prep for Christmas dinner the rest of us set off on one of our local walks across the fields and along the lanes around us. At one point we look south to the sea and north to Dartmoor before returning along a flooded lane. Half way through the thirty-metre puddle we heard a car approaching and were relieved when the driver waited until we had reached the other end before coming through, lowering a window to call out her Christmas greetings and give a friendly wave!

Considering cooking on an Aga was a fairly new experience for any of us our Christmas dinner was a tour de force and with ten of us gathered around the table we were able to really enjoy our first Christmas here Down a Devon Country Lane.