Christmas Day 2021

Christmas 2021 has, so far, been fairly similar to that of 2020. This is hardly surprising seeing as we are still in the midst of a pandemic. A few months ago, it appeared to be on its way out, but the nasty little blighter had a sting in its tail and has returned with a vengeance.  Admittedly, for the time being at least, restrictions aren’t any way as stringent as they were last year, but there’s still a feeling of wariness over mixing too much with our fellow human beings, and that is having an effect on the number of people leaving the sanctuary of their own homes.

That said, the Bailey family doesn’t tend to stray far from home at Christmas time, as all three of us prefer to enjoy the festivities within the comfort and familiar surroundings of our own four walls. However, with 12 full days away from the workplace (three of which have elapsed already), I just know that I will go stir-crazy if I don’t manage to get out and about.

The weather is looking pants at the moment, and the forecast for the next 10 days isn’t much better either. It appears that we are stuck with a series of rain-bearing fronts moving in from the Atlantic, across the bulk of the country, that will bring a gloomy end to what for many, has been a gloomy year.

I had planned to get some walking in, and I probably still will because, as the saying goes, there is no such thing as bad weather just inappropriate clothing. All the same, it’s not much fun making one’s way through the rain and the mud but having said that it would be immensely satisfying to knock a few more miles off from the still to be completed, North Downs Way. The end is nearly in sight, as far as that endeavour is concerned, and with around 35 miles left to cover, I should be walking into Farnham, to claim my end of trail certificate, sometime in the spring.

Meanwhile, on the home front, the kitchen cupboards are full to bursting point, which ties in with my theory that there’s something in the female psyche that goes with the hunter-gatherer instinct, which is to make sure the family doesn’t go hungry. We’re not going to go thirsty either (at least Matthew or I won’t), as there’s sufficient beer in the house, to float the proverbial battleship!

Talking about beer, I decided not to bother with a mini keg this year, as even though the contents of a 5-litre mini keg will keep for a week or so, it does get a bit boring sticking with the same beer over an extended period, especially when there are so many other beers to choose from. So, it’s bottles and cans only, instead of draught, but with a myriad of different beers I’ve managed to accumulate over the course of the past few months, I won’t want for variety.

It’s interesting that some of these bottles have been kicking around for several years, and they include an admittedly shrinking selection of monastery beers from the St Bernardus brewery, at Watou in Belgium, plus various other strong ales and barley that I’ve accumulated over the years. There’s an Imperial Stout from Gadd's, and another strong stout from Three Legs Cross, whose brewery I visited with Retired Martin, back in February 2019. No doubt most of these will be drunk over the course of the Christmas break.

As for the main event, there were just the three of us sitting down to an excellent roast turkey dinner, and it’s been the same for quite a few years now. I’m not complaining, as despite what traditionalists might say about Christmas being a time for family get together's, I’m not convinced. I’m also sure that I’m not alone in this. My father much preferred to spend a quiet Christmas in his own home, but dutifully went along with my mother, who liked to keep open house, or go off visiting other family members – normally that of the youngest of my two sisters.

Poor old dad used to end up driving all the time, and whilst he was never much of a drinker, missed out on the enjoyment of a beverage or two with his Christmas dinner. I can sympathise with that, as when I first moved in with Mrs PBT’s, some 36 years ago, her sister used to host the extended family at Christmas. With Eileen not driving, Christmas day was usually a pretty sober affair for me.

Yesterday was similarly restrained as whist I did rather over-indulge on the food front (I do the enjoy the vegetables and all the trimmings that go with Christmas diner), I was quite restrained on the drink front. After getting up late, we decided to skip breakfast. Mrs PBT’s got the turkey ready and in the oven, leaving Matthew and I to "pig-out" a bit on nuts and nibbles.

After exchanging and opening our presents, I found myself rather
tempted by the Terry’s Chocolate Orange that was included amongst my gifts. Chocolate and beer are not a good combination, so I had a mug of coffee instead. It wasn’t until the dinner was almost ready to be served that I cracked open a beer – Thornbridge Jaipur. Pale, hoppy and bursting with citrus and other fruity flavours, this was a good beer to start off with, and one to stimulate the appetite – not that it needed much stimulation!

I then opened a bottle of Fuller’s 1845, a beer that requires little in the way of introduction, and one which rarely does it disappoint. This fine, full-bodied, and well-hopped amber ale has accompanied my Christmas dinner for more years than I care to remember, so much so that it has become something of a tradition.

Also, as in previous years, we ordered our Christmas “bird” from Messrs. Wait & Rose, and true to form, they once again came up trumps. Mrs PBT’s cooked the turkey crown to perfection, and after letting it “rest” for the requisite time, served up some really tasty, juicy and succulent slices of meat. This, along with plenty of roast potatoes, roast parsnips, sprouts, broccoli, red cabbage, pigs in blankets, bread sauce and plenty of gravy, meant that once again, she had certainly done us proud.

I was unable to resist the temptation of "seconds," which meant leaving the Christmas pudding until the evening, and whilst I had intended accompanying the pudding with a bottle of Rochefort 10 that I’d left out on the back step to cool, in the end, I opted for coffee. My thinking was that whilst the rich, dark and nutty flavour of this 11.3% Trappist Ale, would have gone well with the vine and other fruits of the pudding, the sweet and creamy brandy sauce it was drowned in might have rather spoiled the match.

There was the usual dross on the TV, but as Mrs PBT’s is something of a tele-addict, there was no escape the run of “celebrity nonsense” and “Christmas Specials.” One thing that continues to puzzle me, is why does it always snow in these dreary series? It rarely snows in real life, any more at Christmas, so why do these lovey producers and directors think it has to in their “make believe” worlds?

We watched the re-make of the H.E. Bates “Darling Buds of May” series, the one starring Bradley Walsh, as a very different Pop Larkin, compared to that portrayed by David Jason. My curiosity had been sparked, after walking in onto the film set at West Peckham, back in October, and as someone familiar with this tiny village, I could see why it had been chosen as the backdrop to the Christmas Special.

The programme was slated by the critics, but if you accepted it for what it was, and just let your imagination run freely, then it was the ideal piece of light entertainment to round off Christmas Day. Whilst watching the episode, I enjoyed my final beer of the evening - a bottle of Aecht Schlenkerla Märzen, Bamberg’s best known, and most distinctive Rauchbier.

It was the perfect beer to round off the day, and on that note, I wish everyone a happy, peaceful, prosperous, safe and above all healthy New Year.