A different perspective . . .

Well, we've been and 'gorn' and done it, as the saying goes. For years I've been threatening to drag the family away for a few days at Christmas and after 30 years of hosting the family Christmas, we took the plunge and decided to spend Christmas away from home.

Not sun-soaked beaches for us, or alpine resorts but a lovely, comfortable, peaceful cottage a few miles from Salisbury and within driving distance of the New Forest for our Boxing Day walk.

Overall I think it was very much a success. Of course we missed being in the parish for Midnight Mass and exchanging Christmas greetings with all our friends there but we went to a lovely Midnight Mass in Salisbury and it was quite nice for a change to be the 'visitors' in the parish rather than the 'welcomers'.

We had booked the cottage on the internet but it was even better in reality than in the photos and description on the web site. We had lots of space for just the four of us and everything was provided - just down to us to provide and cook the Christmas lunch. Luckily all my 'menfolk' are always very willing and helpful in the kitchen so it worked very well.

I don't know that I would like to do this every year but it was the most relaxing Christmas for quite a while.

On the way home we stopped for a good look around Salisbury Cathedral and I couldn't help smiling to myself when the Cathedral guide took us to the tomb of St Osmond and explained what an important part he had to play in the building of the original Cathedral at Old Sarum and in the formation of the Sarum use and rite.

I say I smiled to myself, as the previous evening we had been to Midnight Mass in the Catholic church opposite the Cathedral which is dedicated to St Osmond. I wonder what the saint in question would have thought of the strange situation where his remains are laid to rest in the Anglican cathedral on one side of the road whilst Mass is being celebrated in the Roman Rite on the other side of the road in a church dedicated to his memory.

A day off and a day out . . .

We had a lovely day out last week on my day off. We went to do a 'recce' of the holiday home that we've booked for Christmas.

We couldn't find anywhere available right in the New Forest where we wanted to be but found a very acceptable place not far from Salisbury which is a beautiful Cathedral city and not that far away to drive into the New Forest for exploring (weather permitting & fingers crossed!) on days out.

We don't take the opportunity often enough to have a day out as a couple, I think, and it was good to be just the two of us for a change.

We were lucky to have chosen a beautiful sunny day for our outing and having located the cottage, we then set off to explore Salisbury. I can't remember if I've visited the town before but I was very impressed. I think most Cathedral cities are very attractive with a good combination of historic buildings and modern amenities.

We strolled through the town and everyone seemed to be enjoying the sunshine -what a plethora of fantastic coffee shops and patisseries - my idea of heaven!

On my 'to do' list was also 'find the nearest Catholic church' so armed with my printout from the web we located the nearest Catholic Chapel in Downton (no Abbey in sight!) and also the beautiful Pugin church of St Osmund in the centre of Salisbury. We're hoping that we'll be able to go to Midnight Mass there on Christmas Eve.

The Cathedral has a very interesting exhibition of life-size sculptures of people dotted around the Cathedral (outside) and they were even to be found in the cloister and the quadrangle.

We didn't want to be too late getting home so set off on the return journey in the early afternoon. We found a lovely pub for a super very late lunch on the way home - one to remember for our trip in December.