Siouxie

I don't know TO's music scene but Timothy's in Etobicote I am told has some good bands as does Rock n Docs in Mississauga.

BristolUK

That could be the downside to it though.

I lived in what was once a small village but is now more like a town - 11,000+ population. Two pubs opposite each other, another 50 yards up a side street and another 50 yards up the road from the two opposite each other.

Loads of people would call in at all four on xmas eve meaning glasses got used at three or four times the rate as usual. There may not have been a glass ready for you - not only more used than usual but the packed pub meant collection of used glasses slowed down too.

If you were staying at the same pub for the night you had to guard your glass from when you emptied it to the next round. Then fight your way to the bar and back again, but with your hands full, it's hard to get through the crowd and you might only have half a pint left.

And that ignores the likelihood that at some point you'd have silly string in your beer.

After a few xmas eves like that the joy dissipates somewhat. Or it's miserable gitness.

Mallory

dbd33

The Rex.

BuckinghamshireBoy

What happened with Jeff's place? Did it get re-invented?

Paul_Shepherd

Thanks Siouxie, I will bear those in mind, but I am meeting someone downtown on this occasion.

Thanks, I hadn't heard of that place....is that downtown?

Paul_Shepherd

Its all about training Bristol.... buy the barmaid couple of drinks at begining of the night, you don't suffer from the ceasing to exist at the bar then, then learning to carry multiple pints while activating your force field around you to prevent any flayling arms spilling,pints, or go up in twos to the bar, that helps with all the above..... however when you get older, it does become less fun....and miserable gitness starts to set in....still a great atmosphere though....it beats tumble weed blowing down the street at 5pm!

MillieF

Jingsamichty

Just got in from a chilly night out at the Weinachtsmarkt (Christmas market) - hundreds of stalls all along the river and around the central church area, every second hut is a gluhwein hut! It's so popular, absolutely heaving! You simply can't imagine 80% of the population of a Canadian town going out for an evening wander between 6-9pm having a few drinks and a wurst (sausage) on a weekday night.

God how I love Europe.

BEVS

It is the two week shutdown here in New Zealand when most families go away camping and the like. MrBEVS however will be on-call. He is most years.
So we will be home in the heat for Christmas but may spend a few hours at the beach weather permitting.
Not sure on food atm. We have some really good friends who will come over for the day. They are ping-pongers who returned to N from the UK 2 years ago but are now once again looking to return back to the UK. Long story.
I may still buy a turkey although they are stringy affairs here really. The weather isn't that good for a Xmas roast but I still may go with that.

Other than that it will be quiet ( bit boring) as always. NZ doesn't tend to do evenings or festivities as such. Most all shuts down & bed by 9pm is de-rigeur. ZZzz.

BristolUK

Always liked German Christmas Markets. Favourite was Rüdesheim. Nice one in Brugge too, though obviously not German. Weird thing about the gluhwein, I wouldn't touch it in any other situation.

The timing of those trips would really put me in the mood for xmas.

BristolUK

It's quite hard to imagine that. 30 years ago I was taking sunshine breaks in the Canaries for the first two weeks in December. Slurping sangria or a cold beer at the bars after a hard day at the pool, beach just behind the palm trees, lights reflecting on the water after the sun had set...and then the bars would be putting up the decorations. That seemed weird enough.
Like most of NB I think. It struck us immediately we moved here. We'd be sitting out on the deck at 10.00pm with barely a light on in the surrounding houses, seemingly everyone tucked up in bed. Or with electricity disconnected . And we live in Sin City, as people on Prince Edward Island might call us.

Partially discharged

PEI must be very staid and dull. I've been in Moncton and never thought it as Sin City.

scrubbedexpat094

We are heading to the Cook Island of Aitutaki this year. We leave Auckland on the 21st and get to Aitutaki on the 20th! I love a spot of time travel! Plan to spend our time swimming, snorkelling, kayaking and drinking cocktails. We fly home on the 31st and arrive in Auckland on the 1st Jan, craftily managing to avoid the enforced jollity of New Year .
We aren't buying presents for each other which is liberating.
We 'did' Christmas with our friends on Sunday, although I can't get used to the lack of veg at a Kiwi Christmas. It was all salads, which is just wrong! I'm not one for mixing hot and cold foods together.

We aren't putting the tree up or any decorations this year as:
A) I don't see the point;
B) I'm feeling fairly miserable this year and;
C) refer to A & B

dbd33

Dunno. The reverence in which Mr. Healey was held put me off going there. I expected it to be ersatz in a House of Blues kind of way, corporate entertainment. Mind, I expected that of B.B. King's and was far wrong.