Christmas is coming!

Today Sian and I went shopping to Liverpool. Since we discovered an easy and cheap(ish!) way to get into the city we've been going more often. Sian wanted to get some stuff at Primark and we went there first, after a small digression up Castle Street (Memory Lane for me) where I showed her the office building where I worked on my first job 30 years ago!

I could not believe my eyes when I saw the above display in Primark, and risking being arrested as a possible terrorist, I got out my compact and took this photo to put on my blog. It's a CHRISTMAS DISPLAY. There are SANTAS and SNOWMEN. But it is (and I checked) still AUGUST. I feel a Quiet Rage - type rant coming on!

It's bad enough that in the UK you start seeing "Back to School" promotions in shops before the six week summer holiday has even started! Or that you can't buy summer clothes in the shops after early July without rooting through crowded and confusing SALE racks because the autumn/winter ranges are all on display. I hate the way the minute the New Year celebrations are over Easter eggs appear in the supermarket to say nothing of Valentine's Day cards and gift suggestions. But to see displays of Christmas decorations in AUGUST is taking the bloomin' you-know-what! I'm outraged! Christmas starts earlier and earlier these days - I really wish it was illegal to start with the Christmas hype before December 1st. I adore Christmas but the past few years I've found myself getting bored with it long before the day itself actually arrives. The "Festive Season" seems to start sometime in late September and wears itself out long before December 25th in my opinion....Maybe I should start a campaign to restrict "Christmas" to December!
Rant over...

Apart from my horrific discovery in Primark, we had a great time. Sian was thrilled to see the Everton Mascot on Lord Street. I am so going to miss my girls when they are back at school!


The building with the coloured pipes outside it is Costa Coffee in Liverpool One. I have been trying to get a photo of it for a while now. This was taken with the compact but I've finally got a composition I'm happy with - so i may revisit it with the D80 sometime.

Let me be the very first to wish you all "Merry Christmas" for 2008 .....