BY ROGER WATSON ‘…surgeon’ The word penetrated the loud chatter, reached her ear and the ‘cocktail party effect’ kicked in. ‘Yes, I work locally. Love my job.’ She disengaged from the hungry gaze and the increasingly salacious conversation of the man who was speaking to her and tossed a glance in the direction of the voice she was actually listening to. She was not disappointed. … Continue reading CSM Christmas Story 2 of 3: A Christmas Party
BY ROGER WATSON The house was dark and quiet. It was Christmas Eve and the rest of the houses on the street were lit up and noisy. This one was dark and quiet but the owners were at home, he knew they were. He pressed the bell and knocked loudly and confidently on the door. Silence. He tried again with the same result. Then he … Continue reading CSM Christmas Story 1 of 3: Lace
VICAR Dear Readers of Country Squire Magazine, I trust that You are well. I hope that You are not too frustrated by confusing tier messages and have a pleasant Christmas prepared. I trust that You are not flooded either – there has been a lot of rain this last week or so, so it would seem. I notice at this time of year the look on … Continue reading A Prayer for the Overwhelmed
THE CITY GRUMP Some years ago* I sat down to a Christmas lunch at London’s most excellent Bleeding Heart Restaurant with work colleagues and, as is traditional, we kicked off proceedings with a mass cracker pulling. Out popped the usual paper hats and splendidly silly mottos, which as ever is a great way to get all of us into the festive mood. I particularly liked … Continue reading The Christmas Story – Brussels Style
VICAR Happy Christmas, Dear Readers of Country Squire Magazine! God Bless You and Your Families this Christmas Tuesday. As You sit back to swig another glass of wine, or tuck into another mince pie, please remember those who are alone this Christmas – that they may find solace. Please remember the homeless this Christmas – that they may find warmth. Remember too the poor this Christmas … Continue reading Happy Christmas
Ingredients: 325g plain flour 200g butter, chilled 125g golden caster sugar 2 tsp vanilla extract 2 large egg yolks Equipment: 2-3 baking trays lined with parchment paper and Christmas shaped biscuit cutters Method: Set the oven to 180C, 160C fan, gas 4. Place the butter, flour and sugar in a food processor and blend until it makes fine crumbs. Add the egg yolks and continue … Continue reading Christmas Shortbread
BY MANDY BALDWIN I just spent my first Christmas on my own and at risk of being accused of blasphemy it’s not as bad as I was led to believe. In fact, most of the stress of Christmas appears to stem from being with other people. When you think about it, this makes perfect sense. Despite the lights and the tinsel, the days of Christmas … Continue reading Home Alone
BY MANDY BALDWIN On November l4th l940, the Luftwaffe bombed Coventry, reducing its ancient Cathedral to rubble – one of the Baedeker raids, in which German pilots were directed to places of particular cultural significance or beauty in order to destroy them. On Christmas Day, the provost broadcast to the world that the people of Coventry would try to forgive the barbarians for this act … Continue reading In the Bleak Midwinter
Ingredients: (Serves: 12) 4 cloves garlic, sliced fresh rosemary sprigs salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 1 (2 to 3kg) whole leg of lamb Instructions: Cut slits in the top of the leg of lamb every few inches, deep enough to push slices of garlic down into the meat. Salt and pepper generously all over the top of lamb, place several sprigs of … Continue reading Garlic & Rosemary Roast Leg of Lamb
BY MANDY BALDWIN The famous Christmas fair at the Champs Elysee in Paris has been cancelled. The graceful steps at York Minster, where a church has stood since long before the original jihadis first rampaged, have been blocked by concrete bollards. Armed police will patrol Christmas venues in pretty, old towns all across Europe, where the cobbled streets are now blighted by defences against killers … Continue reading Nativeity
VICAR Happy Christmas, Dear Readers of Country Squire Magazine! God Bless You and Your Families this Christmas Sunday. Here is a Christmas Prayer for Peace by Rebecca Barlow Jordan which perhaps you can read when you get some rare Christmas peace and quiet of your own! Have a wonderful and blessed day. As they say in Spain, un abrazo. A Christmas Prayer for Peace … Continue reading A Christmas Prayer for Peace
BY JIM BROWNE Here at Country Squire Magazine we are the least alarmist people on planet earth and happily drink wine whilst puffing on cigars, listening to the wireless while perched on the edge of the bath. Nonetheless we thought it wise, since it is the week of Christmas, to point out some of the potential pitfalls for our furry friends. So you can avoid … Continue reading Christmas Dangers to Pets
BY MATTHEW CORRIGAN It’s Christmastime And Geldof’s here to rant and rave At Christmastime He tells us all how we should behave And from their world of plenty They invade our privacy The celebrity bandwagon’s here again Let’s say a prayer Prayer that it’s the last one Last Christmastime That they come to spoil the fun There’s a man on television He’s a … Continue reading Bandaid 32
