Christmas Day and After

All dressed up for Christmas Day: white crocheted dress made by my wonderful grandmother for my birthday this year, red tights from M&S or similar such place, patent leather and gold t-bar shoes given to me by a friend, and a black and gold ribbon in my hair.

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. Mine was lovely and very relaxed, begun at church with the midnight candlelight service, followed by lovely presents opened upon waking up in the morning, phone calls to loved ones, and tasty food consumed in good company.

Today, a reinvigorating bicycle ride took me to Regent's Park for a stroll. I love going for a walk on Boxing Day - it's always such a relaxed and friendly atmosphere as everyone has gone into slow motion after Christmas Day feasting and napping.

Boxing Day aside, I just love Regent's Park in winter. It always feels wonderfully Victorian to me at this time of year. I especially enjoy it on the bitterest of days, when you have to walk briskly to keep out the cold and you can feel the redness growing in your cheeks. Or when it's misty and atmospheric and you truly expect to hear the clip-clop of horse hooves behind you or to pass mysterious men in capes and top hats. Even on relatively mild days like today, the season brings a distinct calm, stillness and quiet to the park, which feels like stepping back into another time...