and the award goes to...

So in our very own little version of the New Year's honours list who made our 2017 Christmas/New Year?
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Of course the easy answer would have to be family - we may be a small family, but our Christmas was both uniquely ours and fun from our now traditional home made chicken pie for Christmas dinner to a new tradition of adult Christmas Eve boxes (home made pyjamas - thanks to Minerva Crafts for supplying great fabrics - sorry Mum the colour came out of your red leggings!), snowball games with Navi the German Shepherd - catch is not one of her best attributes - and the joy of settling down at teatime to watch Doctor Who (when everyone else has gone elsewhere!)

A Christmas Eve Eve trip to the Lowry to watch the wonderful production of Elf. We had no idea what to expect of the show but it actually bought tears to my eyes with the most amazing ending - snow, starlight and Santa flying - magical and we're over 50! 
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Winter family walks, long lunches (afternoon naps!) and catching up with films and box sets all topped off with an almost perfect New Year's Eve spent in and around Manchester with our cameras . From Alan Turing in the morning, reflections in Canal Street, to a coffee stop and lots of photographing in the new amazing building that houses the Mackie Mayor food court (first of two places that day where I wish I had taken my camera into the toilets!) in Manchester's Northern Quarter (the best place for interesting photography in Manchester and one of several places where they filmed Captain America!). A brief stop to spend some Christmas money and then into the glorious Manchester Cathedral beautifully decorated for Christmas. Amazing views from a 10th floor room in the always excellent INNSIDE (most courteous and friendly staff followed by amazing breakfasts - chocolate yule log for breakfast on New Years Day though?!)
​All we need now is a break from work to recover!