Ollie gets ready for Christmas

Snow in St. Albans

We've had a recent cold snap and pretty much six inches of snow. This type of view is unusual in the UK. Very cold, snow has come and the sky is cloudless. It reminds me of winter in Westchester. He is the view looking out and away from our house. This was taken on 17th December. 

On the 18th we had another fall of snow. It was the last Saturday before Xmas day, so likely to be busy for shopping. George and I went into town to get some presents and watched the cars trying to get up the  hill. Mid-morning they were just managing it, by mid-afternoon, there was no way a non-4x4 was going to get up any of the hills around St. Albans. It was like a spectator sport.

I took a couple of pix in the market. Here is the stall that sells ornamental birds for ponds and back gardens.

Here is one of the bakery stalls. It was getting difficult to make out the different types of bread!

The next day, Sunday 19th December, the Allens, from across the road, and the Barnetts all went sledging (sledding) in Verulamium Park. We spent some time close to the Abbey first of all. 

Then walked down past the lake, past the (reputedly) oldest pub in England and over to the Roman wall where there is a decent slope and an excellent view of the cathedral. 

George has braces

George becomes even more of a teenager as he acquires a set of braces. For the first few days he is in some pain and can't eat properly then things begin to calm down a little. He is a little self-conscious ( I would be as well, and indeed was when I had something similar) but in a couple of weeks things settle.