While Blackpool is covered in a pandemic blanket, a group of Liverpool residents saw their chance to shine. And they took it.
This weekend I realised how much I’m going to miss doing fun christmas activities with the kids. No grotto’s, no wandering around the city centre and waterfront, snapping daft selfies with the fun windows displays and giant Liverpool ONE Christmas tree. We’ll even miss our annual trip to Alder Hey to see the ‘best Christmas tree in the whole city’ according to my 9 year old.
I know Christmas is going to be different this year. Granddad wont be with us. We;re going to my mums for the Christmas weekend, in an attempt to help her through the grief of losing her husband. I haven’t bought as many gifts this year, I am sending more Christmas cards than usual. I am using the wrapping paper left over from last year, and thanking my lucky stars that all my Christmas tree lights are still working.
We’re all cutting our cloth, in different ways. Trying to keep each other safe and well, but still reaching out because a kind word, card or gesture can make all the difference after the year we’ve had. Not that January 2021 is going to be vastly different, but we have hope.
It’s in times like these that kindness really matters. Being able to make someone else smile, for absolutely no other reason than, it’s a lovely thing to do, is a blessing in itself.
A group of residents in Dovecot, Liverpool, have decided to club together and decorate their street in Christmas lights, for others to enjoy, througout the festive period. Peasefield Road is a crescent of three bed houses in L14, about 5 miles from the city centre. It’s not an affluent area. I can say that, because it’s my area too. People do alright.
This spectacle has brought a little bit of joy to so many in the last couple of weeks. Including us. We washed up after dinner and wandered over to see if for ourselves. It didn’t disappoint.
Offering so many photo opportunities and selfies, this suburban street had more of a carnival feel to it, despite everyone keeping their distance and some wearing masks too.
Residents and homeowners had gotten crafty to decorate their front gardents and driveways. Lollipops made from pool noodles, sweets make from footballs and wrapping cellophane, all manner of illuminated nativity scenes and festive figures adorned the houses, from one end to the other. There’s so much to see.
It’s free. You can just turn up after dark, and walk along to enjoy the lights strung from house to house and all the garden scenes. What a lovely, kind gesture for other people to enjoy. The electricity bills must be through the roof!
The whole experience brought back a little big of Christmas cheer and we all realised how much we needed it. Tree officially up, turkey in the freezer and advent calendars at the ready. It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.
Kate Reilly James 