Do you remember that Christmas episode of “The Good Life” where Margot orders the whole of Christmas from Harrods? It doesn’t arrive on Christmas Day (say what? Who delivers on Christmas Day?), so they have a jolly old homemade style knees up round at the neighbours, while Jerry has political Chicken Pox? It was a cracker (pun intended) of an episode, but the thing that got me was how disdainful all the characters were of Margot ordering “Christmas to arrive in the back of a van”. Like somehow it was less, somehow not as virtuous or Christmassy as it would have been if she’d gone out herself and dragged it into the house while singing White Christmas.
But that was the 70s and oh how things have changed. Almost my entire Christmas arrives in the back of a van these days. Not all at once and not from Harrods a la the Leadbetters, but delivered all the same. I’ve outsouced nearly my entire Christmas operation. And yet I don’t think people would be disdainful of me for doing that these days, would they? Home delivery is such a regular part of my life my life why should it not be the backbone of my Christmas prep too?
You see I gave up trying to Christmas shop with the masses years ago. Seriously who needs that stress? Food and drink will mostly be courtesy of Ocado this year, via the Christmas Eve delivery slot I proudly booked back in October. The only exception to that is the turkey. Although I usually order and have delivered my Turkey most years, this year we decided to try the local butcher. Fingers crossed for that!
Gifts are predominantly from places like Amazon or other online specialists (one of whom I can’t mention for fear of giving the game away!)
Decorations are never replaced in this house, but this year’s decoration has come via notonthehighstreet.com. Personalised and unique and delivered.
This year’s Christmas jumper was even delivered by the lovely people at Next online.
Yes I have used the occasional physical shop, particularly those local to me to provide my Christmas cheer. And in a nod to Tom Goode, our parsnips will be coming from Bens allotment, but largely, and I have no issue with this, Christmas is coming in the “back of van”.
The chacters of that Good Life Christmas special had a lovely Christmas in the end, but I honestly think they shouldn’t have been so scornful of Margot wanting her Christmas delivered in a van.
She was clearly just ahead of her time.
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