The View from Here - St, Mary's Church Adderbury 5th December 2014

Our Church was all aglow with the reflected light and warmth from the encircling collection of St. Mary's Christmas Trees gloriously dressed and garlanded  for this Festival weekend and the gathered congregation chatted amicably as we waited for folks to stop looking at the Christmas trees and for the performance to begin.

Donald McCombie's story - WWI Remembered "The Story of the Dancer" is a fictitious tale based on the 1914 Christmas truce when opposing soldiers and officers broke ranks across No Mans Land, greeting each other with gifts of food and cigarettes, played a game of football and sang Christmas carols.  The 1914 truce provided a brief  respite of hostilities for the forces actively engaged in fighting in various places like Ypres, Belgium and "particularly in Saint-Yvon, known as Saint-Yvon, in Plugstreet/Ploegsteert Comines-Warneton)."

We were entertained to a wonderful evening's performance by Adderbury Village Morris Men of word, song, music and dance and we eagerly joined in with their carol singing, tremendously applauding their efforts.

It was a brilliant evening.....and here are a few photo shots of the evening....

Here is my own tribute to this 1914 Christmas Truce, published in 2009...

Christmas in the Trenches

Christmas came once to that war torn world
In Flanders' Trenches where battle held sway
And soldiers stopped fighting
Broke ranks became men
Sang favoured carols
In that mud hell on earth
Stood together shared rations
Men and Officers, theirs and ours
All ranks together
A brief respite from hostilities
Hankered after longed for pastimes
Found a football, gamely played
In teams in the mud
Fought together for a friendship
To counter that awfulness of living


Margaret Halstead


My thanks for the quotation regarding "Plugstreet/Ploegsteert" which comes from Wikipedia.

The View from Here - Adderbury, Oxfordshire

 It’s that special time of year again for the Christmas season is here once more

“Surely not!” we cry, “how the time flies, how busy we’ve been these last twelve month but, surely, it can’t be Christmas again, so soon!”

It is that time of year again, and for some the need to be busy about Christmas has been of urgent necessity since the late summer, with food establishments offering their catering services for festive dining and wining, office parties, Christmas and Boxing Day eating and seasonal accommodation for family parties who might like to celebrate the festival away from home.

We celebrate the Season with joyful happenings and events, commemorate past events in word and song and recreate the essence and spirit of Christmas in every village, town and city across the land.

Here in Adderbury, it’s the weekend for “Adderbury St. Mary’s Christmas Tree Festival, with live music, for a Christmas Tree Wonderland” of lovingly dressed and decorated trees, sponsored by local businesses, organisations and community groups.  There’s free entry with donations to St. Mary’s Church and the Children’s Society and the Festival is sponsored by Banbury Litho, Berkley Homes, Bloor Homes, Edd Frost and Daughters, Gracewell Healthcare and J&M Humphris.  Other sponsors include Kevin Behan, J & S Auctions and Cotefield Nurseries.

Live music came from the following musicians – Revd. Stephen Fletcher and Chris Holmes, Christopher Rawlins Primary School, Wheatsheaf Consort, Church Junior Choir, Jeremy, Sebastian and Harry, Ukulele Band, Katherine Chapple pupils, Bellringers, Adderbury Morris Men, Sara and Chris Homes and the Adderbury Ensemble.

For weeks, the creative spirit has been abroad everywhere with groups designing and making their own unique decorations for Thursday’s tree dressing day.  Well into the evening, for those who are captive at work during business hours, folk are beside their tree trimming, tying and adjusting their wonderful assortment of crafted decorative items.

We of Adderbury WI were there in force with members’ beautifully produced and decorated salt dough angels, doves, trees, bells etc. all glittered and beribboned.  Our tree was dressed and tied up with bows and garlanded with white lights as our collective sighs went heavenwards for the fun and pleasure derived from the time-honoured act of Christmas tree dressing.

The competitive spirit was alive and flourishing with visitors encouraged to vote for their favourite tree, over mulled wine and festive eats and treats, generously  supplied throughout the weekend by the Children's Society.

On Friday evening the Adderbury Village Morris Men performed – WWI Remembered – “The Story of the Dancer” by Donald McCombie, a “fictitious tale based around the 1914 First World War Christmas truce”.  A story to commemorate Christmas 1914 when opposing soldiers and officers broke ranks to celebrate Christmas Day, exchange gifts of food, drink and cigarettes, play a game of football and sing Christmas carols.  Theirs was a brilliant performance of Donald McCombie’s words and song, music and Morris Men dancing.

On Sunday afternoon a Victorian Carol Service will be held at 4.30pm at St. Mary’s Church.

 On Saturday morning, at the Library, Focal's Festive Morning  with free glass of punch or soft drink, craft stalls, raffle and festive refreshments.  Story book reading to a young companion was great fun.

 I also visited Adderbury for Market by the Green at The Institute for a delightful Craft Market, which I thought was another food market.   Festive refreshments were there and people were enjoying the opportunity to sit down and relax between purchases.

Tricia of Aunty Alice - hand knitted accessories & gifts

The Flower Seller - Sarah Demirtges

The stalls were all particularly pretty and very appealing, these pictured were delicious!

Tricia Lusted of Aunty Alice for her beautiful alpaca yarn "hand knitted accessories and gifts". Contact - tricialusted@gmail.com

The Flower Seller of Adderbury; Sarah Dermirtges with her "hand-tied bouquets and market fresh flower boxes". Contact details - 'phone no. 07989 383 959.

Jem's Gem Box "Lead a Charmed Life" for "European Style Charm Bead System and Fashion Jewellery & Sterling Silver Designs".  Contact details - 'phone no. 07796 85 8855 and find her on Facebook! - www.facebook.com/jemsgembox

The Coven Spa for "Exquisite Scented Candles and Spa Products" by Theresa Mayne and Anita Bal.
Contact details - "Follow us on Twitter:@thecoven2012 and www.facebook.com/thecoven2012

Market by the Green at Adderbury's Institute

Jem and her Jem's Gem Box stall

The Coven Spa

The Coven Spa