Nearly Christmas.....

Hoorah - it's nearly here!! Christmas that is......

Sorry I've not been on here to tell you all thats been going on, but the buzz of Christmas is well and truly here at the Victoria Inn - so not toooooooo much time on my hands!! Well then, where shall I start - well the week started with a Carol Service round the tree thats just outside our pub in the car park - a good couple of hundred people attended and many of them found their way into our pub.. ... A great atmosphere was in the square and it's fantastic that just three months in to our arrival we already have people greeting us by name - everyone's just so welcoming.

A fantastic atmosphere was also inside the pub - until a customer decided our tree looked better on it's side on the floor than upright and fully decorated...!!! Nothing that wasn't quickly put right. Mysteriously - some of the prettier baubles have disappeared as well........... mmnnnn.!! Oh well, just another excuse for a trip out and a bit more shopping! The 'Fat Face' girls came back for their Christmas meal that night as well - and as usual, those girls really know how to enjoy themselves!

Wednesday evening I visited our Church (Holy Trinity) for a Christmas Cornucopia of carols and readings by the Alvington Singers (a chamber choir made up of individuals from the South Hams area) and blooming good it was as well........ a couple of carols I had never heard before and also some great readings. A fabulous way to feel even more festive.

Thursday saw myself and the staff busily preparing for the Harbour master's Christmas bash on Friday- thanks be for Gloria (my bar manager) who used all her skills to turn our (fairly dark) upstairs restaurant into a dazzling seating area with every nook and cranny clean and every bit of glass and cutlery positively glinting in the coloured fairy lights. James meanwhile was downstairs firmly ensconced in his kitchen working his magic on the food. The Harbour master's party was REALLY well behaved........ I had expected raucous behaviour and had hidden the garden gnomes safely away - but they were models of good behaviour - if not quite sobriety!!

Saturday was fairly quiet - and SOH and I had the chance to relax with Strictly Come Dancing - I was screeching for Tom to win........and then we had a wander out and a little time for just the 2 of us. Just as well really, because today the Christmas holiday makers started to arrive and we had every table taken in the pub by 1 o'clock. I have already met a couple of the parties that will be sharing our Christmas Day with us - and they are delightful, so I'm looking forward to that even more now. We're ready for the big event - table plans have been written, James knows who's having what to eat, Tim has ordered in loads of beer and wine (just for me!!) I'm just holding my breath that all goes well.....

I doubt I'll get the chance to blog again this side of Christmas, so to all of you who read my ramblings I'd like to wish everyone of you a very, very Merry Christmas - eat and drink as much as you like, (calories don't count at this time of year) enjoy time with your families or if alone enjoy the peace and quiet(!), watch all the soppy old films for the umpteenth time - and spare a thought for us and my staff...........

Merry Christmas everyone, much love - Liz x x x x