Country Living UK December 2021

As I write this letter, my final one for 2021, I find it hard to believe that the end of the year is almost upon us. Over the past few weeks, I have enjoyed a bit of seasonal foraging on my daily walks as I have focused on gathering pine cones and fallen branches from the ancient woodland around me. This Christmas, I want to bring some more of the outdoors in, and adding the natural aroma of pine to the house is a wonderful, more natural, alternative to scented candles. Truth is, I have been more than a little inspired by Alaina Binks, our talented home and crafts editor, who told me that every Christmas her festive tree (locally sourced) is laden with festoons of paperchains, which she remakes every…

“I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields, that it kisses them so gently?”Lewis Carroll, from Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There TAKE YOUR TIME… BURNING A YULE LOG Meditate on the Christmas season over the flickering flames of a Yule log. The practice dates back to pagan solstice celebrations when an entire tree was burnt over the Twelve Days of Christmas. In these days of central heating, a symbolic log will suffice: oak is traditional in England, birch in Scotland. Logs should ideally be lit with the remains of the previous year’s, so save a bit of the wood and keep the festive fires alight for years to come. THE BIG REVEAL OF OUR NEW BOOK! Featuring iconic shots from CL photographers, A Year in the Country is our…

Natural SELECTION Small WONDERS Life’s little LUXURIES Home COMFORTS Art and CRAFT Stocking FILLERS Join us at our Country Living Christmas Fairs in London (10-14 November), Harrogate (25-28 November) and Glasgow (2-5 December). To find out more, visit countrylivingfair.com or @clfairs FOR STOCKISTS see Where to Buy *MONTY & CO OFFERS A TAKE BACK RECYCLING SCHEME WHERE CUSTOMERS CAN RETURN THEIR OUTGROWN STYLES FOR A 50% CREDIT VOUCHER OF THE ORIGINAL RETAIL VALUE TO SPEND ON A NEW STYLE.. *SETS VARY IN PRICE BASED ON SIZE OF THE ACORNS AND THE COLOURS EACH CONTAINS AS SOME PIGMENTS ARE MORE COSTLY. RESEARCH BY DAISY BENDALL. PRICES AND AVAILABILITY CORRECT AT TIME OF GOING TO PRESS. PLEASE CHECK ORDER TIMES WITH EACH MAKER PRIOR TO ORDERING. POSTAGE COSTS ARE NOT INCLUDED. PHOTOGRAPHS BY EMILY COOPER; BEN LAWTON; DAFYDD DAVIES, GEM…

It’s that time of year again, when we prepare ourselves for the epic stories of Christmas – and by that I don’t mean the Virgin Birth. I’m referring to the unforeseen events that can so easily hijack our best-laid plans. You know how it goes: you’ve posted the cards, ordered the food and wrapped the presents. You’re feeling rather smug (if exhausted), priding yourself on your amazing organisation, when – bah humbug! – something comes along to throw a spanner in the works. It can happen at any time and is hardly surprising given the pressure we pile on ourselves to get everything just right for the big day. My Christmas calamities often seem to involve trees. I’m not a fan of the ubiquitous, non-needle-dropping blue spruce. I understand the convenience…

Charles Dickens wrote about Christmas like no one else. I revisit A Christmas Carol every year during Advent. Nothing puts me in the festive spirit quite so much as his timeless story of love, family and second chances. Another, less well-known seasonal tale of his is A Christmas Tree, a tender reminiscence on Christmases past, with different moments inspired by various decorations on the tree. When the story was first published in 1850, Christmas trees were a relatively new tradition, but Dickens’s descriptions of twinkling candlelight and bright ornaments quickly captured the nation’s imagination. “I have been looking on, this evening, at a merry company of children assembled round that pretty German toy, a Christmas Tree,” he wrote. “The tree was planted in the middle of a great round table,…

PERFECT SCENTS FOR CANDLES CINNAMON & BERGAMOT Recreate the fragrance of mulled wine with a blend of warm, peppery-sweet cinnamon and spicy orange bergamot. Cinnamon and other citrus notes also work well together. SANDALWOOD & PINE The earthy, amber scent of sandalwood adds warmth to the Christmas tree aroma of pine. Pine and cedarwood also make an excellent winter forest blend. FRANKINCENSE & MYRRH These biblical fragrances combine the rosemary-like tones of frankincense with the resinous, slightly liquorice-esque myrrh for an intense, warming candle scent.…