Christmas Advent Windows

After 18 months of pandemic, SJS felt that people needed more socially distanced socialising with some colour and fun brought to the neighbourhood – as can be seen by these beautiful photographs.

15 households in St John’s, decorated their front windows/gardens with a ‘grand unveiling’ of their creative offering to a very appreciative audience (adults and children alike). Some hosted mince pies, chocolates, mulled wine and other non-alcoholic drinks. There was singing, accompanied by the Chair of SJS on the recorder (one of the many skills needed for this job!), to keep the tune. By the 24th, the musical accompaniment had expanded to include the accordian, tambourine and shakers. Some played recordings of Christmas Music in the background. The windows all told a story (eg see ‘The Christmas Spider’ – from Western Ukraine) culminating in the main story of the season ‘The Nativity’. Each gathering, on the pavement outside the house, took a few minutes to as long as we could bear the cold. A collection tin was on hand for any donations to SJS but our main aim was for neighbours to come out and share a moment of chatting and laughter in our wonderful pocket of London.