Lucia

The Swedes celebrated St Lucia on Monday.  There were, and are, various events around London to celebrate it too, however by the time I found out about them they were fully booked, much to the disappointment of my girlfriend.  Instead I watched the SVT programme online.

After having had it described to me, I was expecting to see the hair of a pretty blond being set on fire by those jealous of her looks, in some sort of weird pagan festival harking back to witch burning.  Just shows what I knew!

It was in fact lots of nice songs, hymns, folk songs and modern songs, sung by a choir of boys and girls with candles (the boys with odd pointy "dunces" hats made of paper), along with some professional singers, held in a church. It felt a little like a christmas episode of songs of praise in fact, but certainly nice enough that I will make the effort to go to one for real next year.

With christmas definately just around the corner office parties have sprung up.  I have mine tomorrow, then an ex-workplace one on Friday.  Not only that, the third test starts overnight, and after englands decimation of the aussies last time out I am expecting revenge from the baggy greens.  It could be painful, but I'm hoping not.

By the way, cryptic crossword 2 is now out!