What do you do at Xmas?

LadyMayBelle

Been thinking. This could be in a more general thread, but Im sticking it in the London one as we aren't that far away from 'home'.

I'm assuming the majority of people here have family back in Ireland. The usual drill for me and I am sure many others, has been to make the trip back home a few days before Xmas and glutton out in front of the telly with a selection box, see the family, and leave before any arguments happen

But as times change, people's plans change. So many people have left Ireland and now not many return for xmas as a)it costs a bomb and b) they have set up shop elsewhere. How will you spend your xmas, in Ireland or in London,do you save up all your annual leave for the xmas trip or not really bother?

enda1

This year I'll spend it in Dublin. At times I've spent it at the girlfriend's in France, but prefer it in Dublin. So Dublin it'll be.

BraziliaNZ

I know I'm not adding anything to this thread, but why do you care? Is this the best we can come up with in the London thread? You stay in London, or you go home are the 2 most likely options. So what?

LadyMayBelle

BraziliaNZ wrote: »

I know I'm not adding anything to this thread, but why do you care? Is this the best we can come up with in the London thread? You stay in London, or you go home are the 2 most likely options. So what?

Three reasons. One, it's a topical discussion at this time of year, with many people who originally came from Ireland living here in London now.
Two, it may open up ideas for those staying around over the holidays.
Third, personal gain, if it seems anyone is around over the Christmas I am happy to arrange a social event/activity for those who wish to join.

Delete it if you feel the need, it's probably better suited in the general chat thread if at all.

London threads vary.

frag420

I am going to Lanzarote baby...........oh yeah!!

afatbollix

Working christmas this year. Then off to my GF grandparents down in Kent after work on the 26th and flight back to knock on the 27th.

Having a new years party for my mates in London at my apartment and then off to the in laws for a few days after.

Keeps all the family happy as thats what christmas is all about



Can we have a beers at Hyde park? I do love the octoberfest tent...

silvervixen84

BraziliaNZ wrote: »

I know I'm not adding anything to this thread, but why do you care? Is this the best we can come up with in the London thread? You stay in London, or you go home are the 2 most likely options. So what?

Because the London forum doesn't have to exist purely for organising beers and for assisting people who ask about NI numbers or hotels. A little variety in topic isn't going to hurt anyone.

Back on topic - I'll be heading back to Cork a few days before Christmas. My parents will stuff me with food and drink and I'll catch up with close friends and family before flying back here on the 30th.

I'd like to think if I were settled here with someone local, we'd alternate spending every second Christmas in Cork. That seems fair.

frag420

silvervixen84 wrote: »

Because the London forum doesn't have to exist purely for organising beers and for assisting people who ask about NI numbers or hotels. A little variety in topic isn't going to hurt anyone.

Back on topic - I'll be heading back to Cork a few days before Christmas. My parents will stuff me with food and drink and I'll catch up with close friends and family before flying back here on the 30th.

I'd like to think if I were settled here with someone local, we'd alternate spending every second Christmas in Cork. That seems fair.

Woohoo birthday party!!

rainbow kirby

Heading to Dublin on the 21st, back on the 4th. Enjoying the fact that I can get two weeks back home for not very much annual leave at all!

The usual food and enough booze to take down a small elephant (and make me want to give it up for January!). December 30th is my and my OH's 2nd anniversary, and my best mate from college's 30th just after New Year's too, so keeping the festivities going!

83ste

This year I'm doing what I've done every year since I moved to the UK: driving home via the Holyhead ferry a few days before Christmas, spending the 25th with family and most of the rest of it watching a classic miniseries with my friends. This year's choice: Colditz.

Will head to a house party on New Year's Eve, but won't stay too late as I'm getting the ferry back again on New Year's Day to be in work on the 2nd.

biZrb

I don't go home often so Christmas is usually the only time I get to see everyone at home. I'm really looking forward to it this year as I'm spending a weekend in Sligo. I'll get to see a lot of my relatives there and spend some time in my favourite part of Ireland.

I'll be staying with my parents in Dublin and looking forward to getting spoilt by them but not looking forward to convincing my Mam that no I haven't lost weight and yes I am looking after myself in London and also my Dads 20 questions everytime I go somewhere; where are you going, who are you going with, what time will you be back etc!

Jamey

Flying home on the 20th - but haven't booked my return journey yet as I'm very indecisive about what day I want to come back. Not back in work til January 6th but would definitely like to be back a few days prior to that at least.

Am I right in thinking that if I wait to decide when I'm home when I want to travel back to London that I can just book on the ferry a few days in advance (rail & sail)? I've done that before but it wasn't around Xmas time so not sure how busy the ferry gets around New Year and if you need to book well in advance.

Playboy

Going home to Galway, just not sure how yet. Was thinking of driving but since the weather might prevent that or at least make it difficult then flying might be the safe bet.

BrokenArrows

I'm heading back on the 21st. A birthday in Dublin and then onto Sligo. Down to Galway then for a 12 pubs on Stephens day.

Reekwind

I'll be heading back probably around the 20 Dec and probably via the sail rail. Have to firm up a few dates before I book (soon-ish).

Christmas and the week before will be spent in Dundalk (no finer place for it!) but I'll get up to Dublin for a few nights, particularly New Years.

Then I'll fly back the 02 or 03 Jan, depending on the flight prices. Which, again, I must book soon-ish

Really looking forward to it all

ballsymchugh

Playboy wrote: »

Going home to Galway, just not sure how yet. Was thinking of driving but since the weather might prevent that or at least make it difficult then flying might be the safe bet.

usually it's the other way round. the weather screws up with flights etc leading to last minute rushing to the ferries. it takes a serious storm to stop them, and even at that, the big ferry is very reliable.

i'll be driving home again, probably on the night of the 20th. not sure if it's worth hanging around for monday to get home shattered on Christmas eve.
plus the last weekend before Christmas is usually a cracking time to be out at home.

FTA69

I've spent the last two Christmases in London and I'm f*cked if I'm doing another one. I booked my flights six months ago and they cost me around £150 from London to Cork return. I was working every Christmas in the pub trade up until now and it usually consisted of me and a load of other Irish bar staff getting demented after work and sobbing into a bottle of whiskey. Great days.

exiledelbows

Usually go home but off to New York this year. Am seriously considering Sail/Rail for future Christmases, as you're getting to Dublin for cheaper than the baggage fees Ryanair charge you.

pirateninja

Heading home on the 22nd. Usually himself would fly over on the or I'd fly back to the UK on the 27th to spend time with the other families but this year flights were ridiculous so we're meeting in Edinburgh on the 30th for Hogmanay!

Fysh

Myself and the OH have a three year rota - one year with my folks, one year with her folks, one year at home. Works out reasonably well, given that our families are far enough distributed that visiting both in the one year is impractically expensive.

Scarinae

I will be home from the 18th December to the 5th January –two and a half weeks! My family will probably be sick of the sight of me. I’m going to continue going home for Christmas for as long as I can, it’s too impractical to go and visit my boyfriend for Christmas and anyway I don’t feel that a hot Christmas would be quite the same

LadyMayBelle

http://www.thejournal.ie/home-for-christmas-survey-most-missed-1174856-Nov2013/

Almost half of Irish Living Abroad don't make it home for Xmas

And before anyone wants to slate me and say 'it's not like we live in fecking Antarctica! It's not that expensive to get home!' there are many other reasons people can't and won't get home.

I'm thinking of going home on ideally the 21st, maybe the Friday but ideally the Saturday and flying back to London on the 29th I think. Will be the first time away from home in New Years and Im happy obout it!

enda1

LadyMayBelle wrote: »

http://www.thejournal.ie/home-for-christmas-survey-most-missed-1174856-Nov2013/

Almost half of Irish Living Abroad don't make it home for Xmas

And before anyone wants to slate me and say 'it's not like we live in fecking Antarctica! It's not that expensive to get home!' there are many other reasons people can't and won't get home.

I'm thinking of going home on ideally the 21st, maybe the Friday but ideally the Saturday and flying back to London on the 29th I think. Will be the first time away from home in New Years and Im happy obout it!

Em. Ireland is not home for me, though I am Irish. I think it's rather presumptuous to think we all feel estranged from the Emerald Isle.

LadyMayBelle

enda1 wrote: »

Em. Ireland is not home for me, though I am Irish. I think it's rather presumptuous to think we all feel estranged from the Emerald Isle.

I don't think I did but didnt read the article feeling the journallist did either... hmmm.. I call London home a lot these days..

Thinking of the sail and rail option this year, but might be a bit mad going to Galway.

enda1

LadyMayBelle wrote: »

http://www.thejournal.ie/home-for-christmas-survey-most-missed-1174856-Nov2013/

Almost half of Irish Living Abroad don't make it home for Xmas

And before anyone wants to slate me and say 'it's not like we live in fecking Antarctica! It's not that expensive to get home!' there are many other reasons people can't and won't get home.

I'm thinking of going home on ideally the 21st, maybe the Friday but ideally the Saturday and flying back to London on the 29th I think. Will be the first time away from home in New Years and Im happy obout it!

LadyMayBelle wrote: »

I don't think I did but didnt read the article feeling the journallist did either... hmmm.. I call London home a lot these days..

Thinking of the sail and rail option this year, but might be a bit mad going to Galway.

I wasn't meaning to be antagonistic but, and I don't mean to be now, but I'm sorry, you rather clearly did state that Ireland is home for the Irish, not just for you.

The implication was that we make a conscious choice at times not to go to Ireland as if that's the default place to go. For many and I'm verging on this, London/UK/elsewhere is the default place to go. It requires for me a conscious choice to go to Ireland.

LadyMayBelle

Fine, each to their own I guess. My error was in explanation. Just because someone is born in Ireland, or lived in Ireland for a period doesnt mean it's home. I know that. I don't always say it's home, i call Ireland and London home interchangebly as evidenced in my messages and even profile, it's a transitional process for some.

ballsymchugh

enda1 wrote: »

I wasn't meaning to be antagonistic but, and I don't mean to be now, but I'm sorry, you rather clearly did state that Ireland is home for the Irish, not just for you.

The implication was that we make a conscious choice at times not to go to Ireland as if that's the default place to go. For many and I'm verging on this, London/UK/elsewhere is the default place to go. It requires for me a conscious choice to go to Ireland.

jaysis, of all the things to pick up on. given that she quoted thejournal.ie, your gripe should be with them.
for many people (NB not all!) who've had to emigrate, ireland is still referred to as home

ballsymchugh

LadyMayBelle wrote: »

I don't think I did but didnt read the article feeling the journallist did either... hmmm.. I call London home a lot these days..

Thinking of the sail and rail option this year, but might be a bit mad going to Galway.

if you buy the sail-rail ticket here, it'd probably still be cheaper than buying a ticket for public transport from whatever airport you fly into to Galway.

a lot of people don't factor in the last leg of the journey into the booking. it doesn't always end in Dublin and may be only 1 or 2 pounds more to get to your final destination

Fysh

enda1 wrote: »

Em. Ireland is not home for me, though I am Irish. I think it's rather presumptuous to think we all feel estranged from the Emerald Isle.

enda1 wrote: »

I wasn't meaning to be antagonistic but, and I don't mean to be now, but I'm sorry, you rather clearly did state that Ireland is home for the Irish, not just for you.

The implication was that we make a conscious choice at times not to go to Ireland as if that's the default place to go. For many and I'm verging on this, London/UK/elsewhere is the default place to go. It requires for me a conscious choice to go to Ireland.

Mod hat on:
It may not have been your intention, but these posts have come across quite clearly to me as spoiling for a fight for the sake of it or trolling. Given the overall thread direction and, to me at least, fairly obvious intention of LadyMayBelle's initial comment upthread, I don't see what you expected to add to the conversation by posting like this, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't continue in this vein.

If you're interested in starting a discussion about what national identity means for Irish emigrants living in London, I'm sure we'd get an interesting array of contributions from the regulars - but that's best suited to its own thread.
Mod hat off

jonnyfingers

We're heading back to Waterford for a week. Cramming in seeing both sets of families, attending a wedding and doing some stuff for our own wedding next year so I don't think it will be overly relaxing!

We're back here for New Years though, first time in a long time when we won't be with family. Which opens the questions, is anyone else around London for New Years and if so what are your plans?

exiledelbows

Just a heads up for anyone using Gatwick over Christmas, rail services are severely affected on the line from Victoria and LB from 24 December to 2nd January. Details here: http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/58839.aspx

As Gatwick is my Christmas airport of choice most years (much better at coping with snow than LHR), I figure this info might be important to some people.

afatbollix

Cheers just booked car parking so...

LadyMayBelle

Realised I never commented on my own thread.

Havent booked flights or anything yet, but gonna head back to Galway on the 20/21st, not sure which yet, and come back on the 29th for work the week of the 30th. This is a first for me as I usually stay in Ireland till about the 6th. Guess it means the others in work can take a bit longer off to spend with their families and I can save my A/L, plus it's never busy that week in work.

fluke

Oh yeah...going home a few days before the 25th. London is home too but its always a 2nd home. I spent one Christmas away from my home place and after that I said never again would I do it like that. That being said at that time I was travelling completely solo without any solid connections at the time.

jonnyfingers

LadyMayBelle wrote: »

Realised I never commented on my own thread.

Havent booked flights or anything yet, but gonna head back to Galway on the 20/21st, not sure which yet, and come back on the 29th for work the week of the 30th. This is a first for me as I usually stay in Ireland till about the 6th. Guess it means the others in work can take a bit longer off to spend with their families and I can save my A/L, plus it's never busy that week in work.

We're doing the exact same thing. Usually stay at home until after New Years so will be a bit strange this year.

Henry9

I usually go back home to Kilkenny, but this year I'm hanging around.
A combination of leaving it late to book anything and recently moving flat to North Lon money is short anyway.

Zippy1991

Heading back to Ireland on the 21st and staying in Dublin before heading home on the 22nd.

Back up to Dublin on 28th for Leopardstown and Leinster v Ulster

Back to London on 4th to start back at work on 6th.

Flights were £150, bloody left it too late to get the sail rail home so all of the above are **weather permitting** !!!