Christmas Tea

Christmas tea time and the cakes all done.

TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS

 

 

 

 

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a hamster.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.
And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer.

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

"Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! On, Cupid! on,  Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of Toys, and St Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.

His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"

 

The Christmas Ball (continues)

Joyous laughter fills the air as the children play pass the parcel and musical chairs. The music stops as sleigh bells can be heard  outside. Squeals of excitement as the children rush to the windows, and sure enough Father Christmas has arrived on his sleigh with a sack full of toys.

Families and children crowd around to see what he has.

 

 

 

 

After all the excitement the children make their way up the winding staircase to the nursery to play with their toys and then have a nap.

 

The parents and other guests enjoy a lavish buffet, such tasty food and drink and a chance to talk to old friends and make new ones. Then the dancing begins.

 

Cora is looking particularly lovely this evening in a gold satin dress, she has a full dance card and many a handsome hamster is waiting his turn to dance with her. The newly married couple are here but only have eyes for each other. The dance floor is full of very enthusiastic dancers. determined to make the most of this wonderful evening.

 

 

Lord Edwin and Lady Esther seen here at the front of the dance floor are starting off The Scottish Reel. The band entertains the gathering all evening playing the most popular dance tunes.

The night draws to a close as the clock strikes twelve. There are some very weary hamsters making their way home, they have had a wonderful night at The Hall and will remember it for many years.







 

The Christmas Ball

The evening is cold and bright with a starry sky, a layer of snow is on the ground and music can be heard coming from Huntingdon Hall as the guests arrive.

The maids are in the entrance hall taking coats, hats and ladies wraps, the butler is standing in the main doorway to the ballroom announcing the arrival of each guest, then they go on to greet their hosts Lord Edwin and Lady Esther.

A waiter is on hand to offer them a glass of mulled or rose hip wine then on to greet friends and old aquaintances, while the band on a raised dias at the front of the hall plays on.


The arrival of The Lord Mayor with his wife and daughter
 



Clarence is next, greeting old friends as he enters the hall.

 



The festivities have begun.

 

Preparations for The Christmas Ball

Only a couple of days to go till the Christmas Ball at Huntington Hall.

The outdoor staff have been busy placing lanterns on poles either side of the driveway to light  the way for the carriages to the front door. The drivers will be sent to the kitchen for a glass or two of warming mulled wine and no doubt some hearty pies to eat.

Everyone is running around with holly, ivy and mistletoe to decorate the entrance and ballroom itself. The gamekeeper and his boys had the job of cutting it from the woods, their final task was to bring in the yule log for the fire.

The staircase is swathed in ribbons and bows and large bunches of red berries. and ballroom mirrors shine to perfection reflecting the garlands about the room.

The stone fireplace with it`s roaring log fire has been swept and made ready with a huge basket of logs to be placed appropriately, ready for the arrival of the huge yule log which is to be placed on top.

 The maids have been cleaning and polishing for days and are laying the buffet table with a long snowy white tablecloth. the candelabra`s are polished and gleaming and placed at intervals along the length of the table.

The Butler is making sure the footman are setting out the silver cutlery and glasses correctly and ordering some flowers from the hall`s extensive conservatory to decorate the table.

Cook has been preparing for days, getting in a good stock of fruit and vegetables and flour and lard for the pies, the kitchen under maid has been peeling vegetables for days and will be glad when it is all over, but of course the most delicate of desserts and sweets and syllabubs can only be made the day before and stored in the cool pantry or ice house in the garden. So it looks like cook and her staff will be working very late for the next few nights.

Lord Edwin and Lady Esther will be entertaining some of their friends from London who will be staying for the Festive Holiday so rooms have to be made ready with clean linen and freshly picked flowers and a  fire in each room to air them.

Lord Edwin has left instruction with the butler that some of his vintage port is to be brought up from the cellar for this occasion.

All is now ready.

Heavy Snow Over night.

Wow!  The fresh fall of snow is beautiful it glistens in the weak sunlight of early morning, the only marks left in the snow are from a rabbit making it`s way home.

Santa thinks the snow must have been falling all night long as it is so deep he almost loses his boots as he trudges across the yard to the barn to feed his reindeer, they are nice and warm greeting him in their own familiar way, calling out to him as prepares their magical enriched breakfast. He talks to everyone and makes a special fuss of them as he pours out their food. He has to be sure his reindeer are all fit and well and ready for the long journey ahead of them in a few days time.

It will soon be time to gather together all the presents for the girls and boys and check his list to make sure he has`nt forgotten anyone but right now Santa thinks he will have some fun and make a snowman in the yard. Some coal for eyes and larger pieces for buttons and the new scarf and hat that have been waiting for just such an outing and the snowman is complete.  A pile of snowballs at the ready, Santa is hoping someone will come round the corner and have a snow ball fight with him.

The Lord Mayor

Arthur an albino hamster is very well thought of as The Lord Mayor of Huntington. He is seen here wearing his official chain of office and carrying the keys to the city, they go everywhere with him.

Arthur has lived all his life in Huntington and knows every inch of the city. He has been happily married a very long time and has six children, several quite grown up now. He has been voted Mayor at many elections over the years and won every time. He is devoted to the job always putting the welfare of his public before everything else. Often a family gathering has been cancelled when at the last minute a call for a judgement on some issue or other takes him back to his office, much to the dissappointing look of his wife.

Arthur is looking forward to Christmas when he will have at least two days holiday and time to spend with his family.

Cora

Cora is the eldest of `The Lord Mayors` children, she has lead a sheltered life, fussed over by Nanny and Mama but of course when her five other siblings arrived she had to learn to share which came hard to Cora.

Now Cora is eighteen and pleased to be the eldest as she is the first to go with Mama to the theatre and allowed to call on Mama`s friends for afternoon tea, and has her own dress allowance to use for all the fashionable items a young lady requires.

The Christmas Ball at Huntingdon Hall is causing great excitement in the house and Cora`s younger sister`s want to go but Mama has been firm with them and said when they are eighteen they may accompany them to such an event.

Today Cora is having a fitting for a new ball gown of gold satin trimmed with lace, it has gold shoulder straps and neck band which is so fashionable. Mama has treated herself and Cora to a new fan as it can get awfully hot on such occasions.

Mama `The Lord Mayor`s Wife`

Mama is a lady of much standing in Huntingdon she is married to `The Lord Mayor` and has six children, three girls and three boys. She lives in a beautiful Tudor Manor House on the outskirts of town. They employ a house keeper, two maids, a cook and a nursery maid for the youngest of her children.

Mama leads a very busy life, attending different functions and Gala Dinners with her husband, all of which she must be attired in the very latest fashion, so several days a week trades people come to the house to show Mama the latest fashionable clothes and accessories.

The Lord Mayor and Mama have been invited to `The Christmas Ball` at Huntingdon Hall along with their eldest daughter Cora.

Lady Esther and Mama have been the very best of friends since they were girls and her husband and Lord Edwin often go for a relaxing afternoons fishing together at the Halls well stocked river when work permits, while Lady Esther and Mama have tea together.

The Mayor and his wife have been talking about finding their eldest daughter a suitable husband and when the invite arrived for `The Christmas Ball` it occurred to them both that this might be the very opportunity they have been waiting for, as there will be many eligible bachelors there amongst the hundred or so guests.

 

Lord Edwin of Huntingdon Hall

Lord Edwin`s family have owned Huntingdon Hall for many generations and employ a great deal of staff in the hall and on the estate.

According to Lord Edwin the most important people employed at the Hall are `The Butler`,  `The Housekeeper`, `The Cook` and `The Game keeper`. There are numerous maids and footman and too many gardeners to keep count of but they all do a wonderful job and are paid accordingly.

The forthcoming `Christmas Ball` will need a lot of organising so numerous meetings with the butler cook and housekeeper are taking place at the moment.

Lord Edwin hires out some of his land to the local farmers and the gamekeeper has one of the estate cottages near the woods where he can look out for poachers.

Lord Edwin and Lady Esther are very friendly and appreciate their staff`s hard work and when they are too old to work, a cottage on the estate is made available for them and they are looked after very well, often a basket of fruit and vegetables are left on their doorstep to save them having to go into town.

Lord Edwin is having a fitting today for a new jacket of the finest material and a blue silk shirt in readiness for the Christmas Ball.

Lady Esther of Huntingdon Hall

Lady Esther has been married to Lord Edwin for many years and lives in Huntingdon Hall, her husbands family residence for generations.

The family crest is shown above the main entrance door that leads into the magnificent hall where all of Lord Edwin's descendants portraits are hung. The hall has many doors leading from it.

The first one goes into the library which is oak panelled and has row upon row of leather bound books and a superb reading area where Lord Edwin reads his correspondence and smokes a cigar.

Another door  leads into the drawing room which is lavishly decorated and has some beautiful pieces of antique furniture. Lady Esther entertains her friends that come calling here.





From another huge doorway with double oak doors the famous ballroom comes into view where countless generation have enjoyed musical evenings and parties and flamboyant balls.

Lord Edwin and Lady Esther are very busy at the moment getting ready to hold a Christmas Ball, it will be a spectacular affair with the butler announcing every ones arrival and staff to take the ladies wraps, and bring them drinks.

On a raised area the musicians will play while games and dancing takes place on the wonderful dance floor.

A banquet is planned with the most adventurous dishes to please everyone, it will be held at the other end of the ballroom where the waiting staff can attend.

Most of the towns nobility and well known folk will be attending.  They have been told they can bring their small children with them if they so wish as they will be present for Father Christmas`s arrival and after playing a game or two and receiving a gift they will be sent up the enormous sweeping staircase to the nursery for a nap. The adults can then enjoy the evenings entertainment.

The Wedding

           Timothy and Rose`s Wedding Day has finally arrived.

 

 

 

 

A beautiful bright and sunny day, not a cloud in the sky.

 

Rose is looking radiant in her cream embroidered satin and lace wedding dress and wearing the 

pearl necklace that Timothy bought her especially for the wedding, and carrying a bouquet of roses.

 

Timothy is a little bit nervous but looks resplendent in his grey morning suit and top hat, the red bow tie sets off his outfit perfectly.

 

Great Uncle Horace and Aunt Maisie were invited to the church and of course had to have their picture taken with the bridal party.

 

Mr Proctor the photographer was very busy getting everyone in the right position for a wonderful set of photographs of the special day.

 

Daisy and Benjamin were very good and walked nicely up the aisle behind Rose but Benjamin had a few tricks to play on the happy couple before they left the reception.

 

 Rose and Timothy pose for a picture with the very

                 important wedding ring.

                                                                                   Benjamin and Daisy looking as though butter

                                                                                               would`nt melt in their mouths.



`The Flower girl` & `Page Boy`

Young Daisy is to be `Flower girl` at her sister Rose`s forthcoming wedding, and Benjamin
`The Page Boy`

Daisy is so excited at being a flower girl, she truly looks the part in her pale pink lace dress with rosebuds. Her pearl necklace is a copy of The Bride`s a special treat for the day. and of course she will be carrying a single rose.

Benjamin is Daisy`s cousin, he was not very happy at the idea of being a page boy and having to dress up in a sailors outfit. He has mischief in his eyes I hope he behaves himself on the day.

Rose `The Bride`

Rose works in the village milliners shop where she sells hats, gloves and veils to the discerning ladies of Huntingdon.

She is highly thought of by the ladies and often asked to bring samples to their homes where they can view them in private and sometimes match them to their favourite outfits.

Rose is trying on her bridal outfit today in readiness for the big day.

Timothy The Bank Clerk

Timothy works in Huntingdons largest Bank as a Clerk.

His Great Uncle Horace is the Bank Manager, so he has someone to look up to and he tries very hard to progress in the Bank by going to special classes after work to advance his accounting skills.

Timothy wants to do well for another reason, he is marrying his sweetheart Rose and needs a good job so he can afford a nice home for his bride.

Today Timothy has gone to the tailors to try on his wedding suit and hat just incase any alterations are needed but everthing is alright so he can relax as the Wedding Day draws close.

Clarence The Harpist

Clarence has just returned from London where he performed with `The London Hamster Orchestra`
he is a very talented Harpist and travels all over the country with the Orchestra.

He is home for a brief holiday and looking forward to catching up with old friends and the latest news.

The local public house is the best place to hear every thing that is going on so Clarence works behind the bar to help his Landlord friend for a few evenings while he is home.

Mr Proctor `The Photographer`

Mr Proctor is a professional photographer.

He opened his shop in the busy High Street in Huntingdon five years ago,
his black and white photographs are wonderful. Folk say it is difficult to stay still
for the required amount of time for the exposure of the photographic plate to take place
but the results are worth it.

Many soldiers going away to war are having their pictures taken to give to
love ones before they leave.

Mr Proctor takes bookings for Portraits. Family Groups, Armed Services and Weddings.

The Knitting Grannies

Martha and Minnie are the only twins in the village. They live together on the High Street in a lovely old house next to the Coaching Inn.

They talk incessantly during the day but as evening falls they settle down with their knitting and love to listen to the gramophone.

Martha on the left is wearing a pink and white summer dress with a lace collar but in the evening she likes to have a light shawl, she is knitting a warm wrap for the autumn.

Minnie is the eldest by 1 minute and shares the knitting pattern, their wraps will be identical when finnished.  Minnie needs her spectacles to read the knitting pattern, she keeps dropping stitches, think she needs new spectacles.

Master Jamie

This is Master Jamie, he is starting High School today so a smart school uniform is called for, a yellow blazer and cap with a blue checked shirt and of course a new school bag.

The Star Gazer

Johnathan`s main hobby is star gazing he is totally engrossed by the planets and constellations. He is also a little absent minded about time even though he has a pocket watch, he sleeps through the day and stays awake all night studying the stars through his telescope. Here he is on his way back from the observatory, tired and weary but so happy, to have seen a shooting star for the first time ever. He is awfully keen.

Johnathan often dresses in the dark so always wears brightly coloured clothes so he can find them, today he has an orange waistcoat and hat with a yellow shirt which is set off beautifully by his beige fur.

Gus The Baker

Gus owns the best bakery in the village. He moved there a few years ago and has
made a great success of the business. His bread is much in demand.

He cooks through the night and sells to his customers as they make their way to
work in the morning, the smell of new bread fills the air enticing customers into his shop.

Grandma`s New Hat

Grandma is off to town in her best green dress to buy a hat for a very special occasion, her niece Rose is getting married in a months time to her sweetheart Timothy.

Grandma lives on the outskirts of town with her husband William a retired game keeper, she has worked hard all her life caring for her family and now the children have grown up and left home she has a little more time for herself so a trip into town to buy a new hat is quite a treat.

Rose works in the village  milliner`s shop so she will find Grandma just the right hat.

A Musical Evening at Huntingdon Hall

Lord Edwin and Lady Esther are holding a musical evening at their home, Huntingdon Hall.

Lord Edwin is a magnificent pianist and accompanied by his beautiful wife Lady Esther they set
the tone for the evening .

Lady Esther has a superb voice, trained at the best finishing school and loves to perform for
their friends.



Clarence from the neighbouring town was brought up in a very musical family, everyone had to
learn to play an instrument and his happened to be the harp. He plays it so well he is often seen at
one of the Hall`s prestigious evenings.



The twins Martha and Minnie are always invited to the hall for such occaisions, never without
their knitting but much loved by Lady Esther who thinks they are quite eccentric.

Huntingdon`s Resident Artist

Jeremy is out for a stroll, searching for inspiration for his latest masterpiece.

He studied art for many years at one of the best schools of art, followed by `The Grand Tour` to take in the magnificent places such as Florence, Rome and Venice to name but a few.

On returning to Huntingdon he has made quite a name for himself as a famous landscape and portrait painter.

Lord Edwin of Huntingdon Hall has commissioned Jeremy to paint his lovely wife Lady Esther`s  portrait, the work, a study of Lady Esther in her blue and cream satin ball gown, is coming along very nicely. 

The portrait will hang in the main gallery along side his own and Lord Edwin`s ancestors when finished.

Catapillar Races

 

Here is a picture of the making of the catapillar and jockey.

The Catapillar Races was quite an event. Rupert and Grandpa won on two races out of four
The trouble with catapillars is they take so long to get to the winning line. Still there was lots of fun and George the jockey in his racing colors of lime green and purple was the favourite.

Rupert and Grandpa had a great time, met up with some old pals and had one more drink before heading home.

Rupert and Grandpa`s Day Out at The Races.

Rupert is dressed in an expensive blue jacket and hat, bought especially for the occasion. He really does`nt  need an excuse to buy new clothes,  he has several wardrobes full but he does love to be smart.

Rupert is a very interesting character he had a privileged upbringing, going to a very good school and then on to medical college where he studied  to become a doctor but he soon got bored with all the learning and book work and left after just two months. He has regretted it many times over the years but settled down to generally doing whatever pleases him which is not very much, so it is not surprising  that racing takes up most of his time these days.

Today Rupert is meeting Granpa  in town for a day at the races. They met at `The Huntingdon Hall  Shoot` many years ago when Granpa was game keeper and have been friends ever since.

Today they are meeting for a quick drink at `The Queen`s Arms` Pub in Huntingdon, with time to compare notes on the runners and riders of today`s races before setting off. 

Grandpa`s Day Out.

Grandpa lives on the outskirts of Huntingdon in a little estate cottage with his wife Mary.  They have lived there all of Grandpa`s working life as he was game keeper to the prestigious Huntingdon Hall. Lord Edwin the owner has kindly allowed them to live there rent free for the rest of their days as Grandpa was such a good worker.

Today Grandpa is off to town to meet up with his very good friend Rupert who is taking him to Huntingdon Races.  It is a rare treat for Grandpa and he has been looking forward to it for some time.

He sets out with his walking stick in hand and spectacles in place so he doesn`t  to miss a thing, now he is ready for a great day out.

Huntingdon Bank

It`s very cold this morning as Great Uncle Horace makes his way to work in his red winter coat.  He is bank manager to Huntingdon`s largest bank, a position of great aurthority.

He hurry`s along with briefcase in hand only stopping long enough to wish good morning to his customers as he passes by, he needs to be early today as he has to attend an important meeting.

Great Uncle Horace looks a little stern but has a heart of gold, always helping folk where ever possible.

Going to Market

Huntingdon is a market town in eastern England, the hamsters that live here are very friendly and can often be seen early in the morning going to market to stock up on vegetables.

Aunt Maisie has a very large family, five little ones and of course her husband so she needs an extra large shopping bag.  The trouble with Aunt Maisie is she loves to chatter and it takes her most of the morning to go to market and back again as she keeps bumping into people she knows and wants to talk and find out the latest news from them.

Making the Hamsters

These are my tools and equipment for making the hamsters. There is very little machine work as it is mainly hand stitching.

These are my hamsters of all different sizes before they have an identity. Each one has his own characteristics and when clothed they then become an individual.



Welcome to Huntingdon

The Hamsters of Huntingdon shown in this picture are of my own imagination and design, crafted in my studio in South East England.

I adore making each hamster which is only 3.5" (9cm) tall.  They each have their own special characteristics and tale.

The story all started here in a sleepy little village in Victorian England.  A place where tiny hamsters live, work and play.

Follow me here for up to the minute news and creative photos of the latest residents of Huntingdon.
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