It's been distinctively festive in Cardiff this year. The city always puts on a good light display, lighting up the castle and the main shopping streets, and that annual favourite, the Winter Wonderland, is like a Christmassy beacon, with its open-air ice-rink and fairground rides.
I love walking around after dark, looking at the lights and doing a spot of window-shopping. We're lucky to have lots of buildings of architectural interest, some Victorian shopping arcades, and a large outdoor Christmas market, which all help give that nostalgic festive feeling.
Up the Valleys where I live, there aren't generally big Christmas light displays in the towns, as many councils are facing huge cutbacks and can't even afford to keep the normal streetlights on overnight. This has meant that individual residents seem to have made much more of an effort with their lights - driving down the street the other night I was amazed at how many people had gone to the trouble of decorating the entire front of their house, with lights in all of the trees in their garden, Santas crawling out of chimneys, and reindeer gallivanting across lawns! I know home light displays are a big thing in the USA, but this is the first year I've noticed it on such a scale here in the UK. Because we haven't been able to put up any decorations yet this year because of ongoing DIY dramas, I'm very appreciative of the efforts my neighbours have gone to.
How Christmassy is it looking where you live? Are you out panic-buying last-minute presents today? I've finished the Christmas shopping, but we are panic-decorating in a bid to get the living room to a reasonable standard before Christmas Day!!
I love Cardiff's Victorian arcades, they're so pretty. Cardiff as a whole is lovely.
ReplyDeleteThings are pretty Christmassy where I am - Bath, as always, has gone all out, and my hometown has some nice decorations up. The Victorian town hall was taken over by a local arts group, so this year the Museum has put their Santa's grotto up in there; it's suitably atmospheric!
Sounds perfect, a grotto in a town hall! I'm still lauging over the controversial Christmas tree story you shared with us x
DeleteThat first photo is stunning - new camera treating you well? ;) there's nothing down my street of terraced, largely student houses, but back home in Colchester where I come from we've got an estate where two houses in particular seem to compete each year to see who has the gaudiest display. I, personally, love it when people make an effort. If they can afford the electricity bill, why not?! Fingers crossed your living room gets itself in order! I've just taken delivery of re-stuffed sofa cushions and a charity shop sideboard... *now* my house is looking more ready for Christmas! CC x
ReplyDeleteOo new sideboard, how exciting, I look forward to seeing some pics when you get round to it. Right, no more time online for me, have get back to painting... X
DeleteYes please do share some lights!! Thanks for stopping by x
ReplyDeleteCardiff looks beautifully festive! There are far fewer decorations here in Sheffield than there used to be in previous years, but there's still a nice vibe in town. Thankfully my shopping is done, so no frantic last minute stuff for me! xxx
ReplyDeleteThe shops are so stressful, well done for getting everything done x
DeleteOh, I love those kinds of decorations :) We don't have much decoration, but after cleaning tomorrow I'll bring in the Christmas tree and maybe it'll feel more like Christmas. In the kitchen we have a light star decoration which is really nice. In the town centre there are christmas lights as well, they're smaller but more modern than the previous ones and I like them. I could go shopping there every day just to see them, but sinve I've already bought all presents I'll stick to cleaning our apartment and making christmas food :) Ham is in the oven, gotta go look if it's ready. ^^
ReplyDeleteI love the sound of your preparations! Hope the ham turned out well x
ReplyDeleteIt's pretty Christmas-y here, actually. A lot of people put lights up, and there are a number of big public displays as well. It's really nice, especially since it's warm and rainy and we still haven't had any snow to speak of. No white Christmas here... :(
ReplyDeleteI like the display in the mall, it looks really nice. It will never not amuse me that what we call TJ Maxx here in the US is TK Maxx in the UK. I wonder what's up with that.
Ooooooh shiny Christmassy goodness! ;) I do a LOT of greenery and twinkly lights inside but outside has always been a more subtle affair, this year I've gone wild with a Willow Reindeer by the front door and a twinkly star in the window, but I always love seeing others efforts! Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a great 2015! x
ReplyDeleteHow fabulously festive! My town hangs Christmas lights around the streets in a couple of highly trafficed areas, puts snowflake shaped lighted decorations on some streetlights/lamp posts, and festive little banners on certain others, but that's essentially the gist of the decorations that the town itself puts out. Thankfully a lot of families still hang lights and decorate their homes to some degree, so that helps keep most neighbourhoods looking quite seasonally celebratory.
ReplyDeleteHappiest Christmas Eve, Eve wishes!
♥ Jessica
That's a brilliant bit of good ol' Blighty spirit....definitely think the UK is most pretty at Christmas and there is a true sense of giving. London is looking lovely too with lights and even the masses of crowded streets seems to add to festive feeling. Here's wishing you a fabulous Christmas my dear!
ReplyDeleteMay x
PS: Running Christmas GiveawayS....last day for a Londoner to win one free Pass for 6 Open Classes (worth £40) with The Cat Pose (Zen Yoga). To enter London Giveaway 1 & International Giveaway 2: http://www.walkinginmay.com/2014/12/benefits-of-zen-yogaand-london-giveaway.html
Wow beautiful photos!! So sorry about you being ill at Xmas that is such a pity !
ReplyDeleteLove from Paris
xx
Lorna
http://lornasharp.blogspot.com
I hope you had a lovely Christmas. Gorgeous photos. I've also been super impressed by the decorations in the houses around here, so pretty. Spencer refuses to get up on a ladder and put lights up the front of the house which upsets me :(
ReplyDeleteP.S. Thanks for the comment on my blog, braxon hicks are your bodies way of preparing you for contractions, mine aren't too painful yet, it just feels like my stomach clenches up, but aparently they will still getting painful soon!
Leanne - A Slice of My Life
Oh wow these photos are absolutely stunning.
ReplyDelete