Reply to Rebecca #27

Special Christmas edition

Dear Rebecca

Today was the sort of day one could either hunker down and wait for the rain to stop, or to venture into the metropolis in search of Yuletide thrills. Elaine and I chose the latter option, in order to have a look at the St Pancras Station Christmas tree, more of which in a moment.

London weather, by Terry Freedman

We also popped into five bookshops to look at books we simply don’t have time to read, followed by a visit to a supermarket to lug back supplies.

Strangely, although the journeys were super easy — London’s public transport infrastructure is wonderful — we were tired. A quick look at the pacer app on my phone suggested the reason:

That’s right: over 9,000 steps, in pouring rain, carrying shopping. So that was the mystery solved.

As for the 301 calories burned, we soon rectified that bit of sensibleness by purchasing a packet of two iced buns that had been reduced in price. We scoffed one each after our evening meal, meaning that people will soon be seeing a lot more of us.

And on the subject of seeing people, I’ve come to the conclusion, after 30+ years, that Elaine and I are fundamentally incompatible. My idea of a great Christmas is to take a mild sedative on Christmas Eve and wake up when it’s all over on New Year’s Day. Or, failing that, to tell everyone that we’re going away for Christmas, and then stay at home with the curtains drawn, not answering the phone. A bit like Joe Cocker in his song Dangerous Mood:

I parked the car down the street, and I unplugged the phone,
So it would look just like ain’t nobody home.

Elaine, though, has merrily gone along with the whole business, with the consequence that we will have company virtually non-stop. I can’t wait for January 2nd.

Back to that Christmas tree. As I said in Start the Week #52:

According to the St Pancras Station website, the tree is 12 metres tall, and…

… features a whimsical design with a winding staircase and 270 shelves adorned with over 3,800 hand-painted books, including timeless classics like Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" and C.S. Lewis' "The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe."

Within this majestic tree are eight cosy nooks where visitors, young and old, can immerse themselves in the magic of Christmas, figuratively and literally. Each booth is equipped with speakers that allow you to select a five-minute excerpt from an audiobook, exclusively provided by Penguin Books. You can choose from a selection of sixteen different audios, featuring authors like Charles Dickens, Beatrix Potter, Zadie Smith, and more. It's the perfect free attraction for families or a relaxing stop on your journey through St. Pancras.

It certainly is quite magnificent. We sat in one of the booths and listened to a five minute excerpt from an audiobook of Jeeves and Wooster, read by Richard Briers. It’s a lovely idea. (Mind you, I was rather disappointed with the selfishness, or at least thoughtlessness, of a woman who was sitting in a booth talking on her phone. It’s not as if there’s a shortage of seating elsewhere in the station.) Here’s a selection of pictures:

The figure in the bottom left-hand corner is Sir John Betjeman. The top right pictures show the selection panel in the booth we sat in and the speaker. The photos of Hatchard bookshop are relevant because Hatchards sponsored the tree.

St Pancras Station, as well as being quite beautiful, as I think you’d agree, is a gateway to Europe. From where we live we can, with only two train changes, travel to Paris and beyond. Astonishing.

Now, to your letter, which is, after all, what I’m supposed to be answering here. Delightful and entertaining as it was, I’m afraid it has done nothing to convince me of the joys of audiobooks. The five minutes I spent listening to one today also failed to persuade me. But thank you for a veritable feast of audiobook information.

As for your photos of the road lines being all wonky, I think straight lines are overrated. In any case, the second photo, which I’ve reproduced here, has a special significance:

Photo from Google Street View

You will have noticed that the road in question has been named after our cat, Willow, who looks like this:

Willow self-portrait

We’re brothers you know.

Enough of this persiflage! I have to burn off the calories I consumed with that iced bun I mentioned, so I thought I’d turn the TV off manually instead of using the remote. I am very much looking forward to your ‘letterospective’, in which you will be remembering the highlights of our correspondence over the past twelve months. I have to warn you in advance, though, that I deny everything.

To anyone who has virtually steamed open this letter, catch up with Rebecca’s reply (next Wednesday) by subscribing to her newsletter now. Rebecca muses about getting lost, getting arty and getting old. She is one of the best writers on Substack, and her articles are always rich in terms of illustrations and incisiveness.

Dear Reader, I'm lost

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