You can't manufacture nostalgia.* It pops up naturally or it's not there at all. Not in any real way. Attempts to force fond feelings of yesteryear can only ever ring hollow no matter how much we want them to emotionally nourish us.
How do I know this? Because the other day I found myself buying Twiglets. The reason? Because IT'S CHRISTMAS. The problem? Twiglets were never a Bond family staple, in December or any time of year. I've tasted them about ten times in my life whilst visiting other people's houses. I like them. Hurrah! But I'm pretty sure I've never bought them before. So why now? Don't be silly. You know why. Because IT'S CHRISTMAS! For some reason we spend ages attempting to create nostalgia about a time we may never have experienced for real. It's why I like snowy winter scenes despite experiencing a white Christmas maybe once or twice in forty-six years. It's why I'll watch the entire series of Fanny Craddock Cooks For Christmas even though it was broadcast three whole years before I was born. It's all about the image, the manufactured vibes, the LOOK of the thing. Whether it's filled with the joys of nostalgic warmth is highly debatable.
Except... except.. except sometimes it's real. A few years ago, at this time of year, I was walking through Borough Market. It was late-aftenoon, getting dark, and the crowds were dwindling. To one side of the market was a kids' choir. A local school were fundraising; carolling away for the benefit of us all. As I walked past, they began a new carol. Not one of the cosy classics you'd get on a compilation CD or hear on TV. None of your Ding Dong Merrily on Highs, or Away in a Mangers. This one was proper old school; I'd never before heard it in the wild. The Angel Gabriel From Heaven Came. You know it? It's churchy, riddled with organs and incense, and sent me straight back to primary school. The thing is, pre-national curriculum, a lot of my school day seemed to be spent practising carols. The rest of the year that was repackaged as hymn practice.** Either way, that afternoon in Borough Market, I was right back in 3rd year juniors, circa 1987. The smell of the hall polish, the sounds of the dinner ladies behind the shutters, and the sight of the music teacher - often inexplicably in a neck brace - exhorting us to shape our mouths to her specific instruction. That's your nostalgia, right there. It stopped me in my tracks. Literally. I stood and listened and felt huge swathes of empathy for the school kids. I had been them. I was them. It was 1987 all over again. So yeah, Twiglets? A perfectly acceptable shopping item. But let's not pretend they're anything other than a tasty, salty, snack.
 |
| My Insta story from the week. All the links you need are in the paragraph. |
Writing News
Struggling for stocking fillers, presents, or excellent reads for cosy winter nights? Excellent! Look no further. Leeza McAuliffe Has Something To Say and Leeza McAuliffe Has Loads More To Say are available now. For the old child, young teen, or adult who enjoys reliving their youth. Or, if you know a grown-up who enjoys a contemporary look at adults attempting to adult, here's Carry the Beautiful and Assembling the Wingpeople. You could do far worse, let me assure you.
 |
| Ralph Feinnes is excellent in Conclave. |
There's been a burst of spy shows recently. Are we calling it the Slow Horses effect? No? OK then. The Day of the Jackal's last episode will drop on Thursday. It's been a blast. Then there's a new show on Netflix, whose trailer has similar vibes. Black Doves is top of my watch list, not least because it stars Sarah Lancashire. That's a quality assurance stamp, right there. Amidst all the spy stuff, I've also found myself diving into another genre. The genre of papal intrigue at the vatican! The Robert Harris book, Conclave has been adapted into a film called - well it's obvious really - Conclave. It seems to have got a limited release round my way. No matter, it was proper gripping and I've seen it twice. Clearly not pope-satiated, I remembered the excellent Netflix film, The Two Popes, starring Jonathan Pryce and Anthony Hopkins. It depicts the imagined relationship between Popes Benedict and Francis over the years between their elections. Well worth your time.
 |
| Not the prettiest but it tasted beautiful. |
You mean apart from Twiglets? There have been other festive-inspired purchases as well. Asda do chocolate orange dusted almonds which, to my mind, is the only way to eat a nut. I've also got myself into Chai. Usually I've made my own with a pan of milky tea and a bunch of spices. This year I thought, naaah and bought the instant version. Happily, it's good! Finally, in Food and Drink news, I made a leek tart (I had a bunch of leeks to use up) and it was fit.
Out and About
There was a family meal for my mum's birthday. Fourteen of us in my local pub, then back to mine for drinks and cake. Then there was a friend's dinner party, (I can't say dinner party without feeling incredibly grown up and of a higher class than my gut-identity) and finally, I got into my car yesterday, drove for a few hours, and began a pre-Christmas jaunt. More of that next week. Until then...
...have a lovely week, folks.
** I had a colleague whose kids were at a Catholic primary school. She once said in the staffroom, 'They can't read or write but they know how to sing.' It tracked.
No comments:
Post a Comment