Today I set up my Christmas tree... and discovered that the fairy lights I bought around quarter of a century ago in 'Do It All' (W H Smith's DIY chain of yesteryear) in Warrington no longer worked.  Likewise the IKEA candle bridge I bought in the Warrington store also around twenty-five years ago.  You just can't get the quality nowadays!

The tree, along with most of the baubles, was bought in Beatties, Northampton, a store that, having been subsumed by House of Fraser finally closed this year after being a place I loved to visit since it opened in 1977!  The tree is of an age with the lights.

Underneath it my grandma's Christmas table cloth, Polish linen, a gift from my Aunt in Australia somewhere around 1980.

Decorations include several given me by friends' children, some hand made, mini nutcracker dolls my sister brought me back from Germany even before I had tree, tinsel from Woolies... and so it goes on.

There is something special about the cluttered mix of glorious tat that carries within it so many memories.  Seems a little strange not having the lights - maybe next year I'll buy some new ones, but for now I am happy with my unlit tree.