Forget Halloween, while much of London was walking the streets bespattered in fake gore last Thursday night, I decided to get a head start on Christmas at the Country Living Christmas Fair. I wandered through the surprisingly large Business Design Centre making mental notes for Christmas presents (80% for me rather than my nearest and dearest, but still…), sampling some Yuletide treats and daydreaming about the seasonal display I would put on if (strike that) when I win the lottery.

Note to self for next time, if you have a delicate nose or are in the middle of a bout of cold, it would be best to avoid the section of stalls filled with dried oranges, cinnamon sticks etc. Think walking past a Lush shop to the power of ten. The pictures below include a very fragrant reindeer and Father Christmas (mostly covered in dried strawberries, of course).

While the majority of the stands were focused on consuming Christmas in many forms, I was delighted to see that books represented for those like me who see the holiday as synonymous with the giving and receiving of excellent reads. Persephone Books fitted right in of course with their choice list and perfectly matched endpaper designs. Perhaps I’ll leave a not-so-subtle hint for Persephone book-tokens lying around somewhere, ahem, for someone to pick up…

Lesley Crooks, Sales & Digital Manager