What is your favourite Christmas Carol/festive song?
I love ‘Driving Home for Christmas,’ because for many years, when I was single, wherever I was in the world, I always went home. I also like the modern versions of songs like ‘Santa Baby’ that seem to play in Dorothy Perkins and Top Shop from November onwards. Festive tunes make me buy twinkly tops and ludicrous earrings, completely unwearable after December 29th – but all part of the seasonal rituals. However, if I had to choose one, Silent Night is probably the Christmas hymn that does it for me. Just hearing the first few chords gives me goose-bumps and as a little girl my chest would fill with Christmassy sparkles whenever I heard it – still does.
What is your favourite festive film/book or both?
It has to be ‘White Christmas,’ with Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney. I love the idea of being snowed in at Christmas - but only AFTER I have all the Xmas food and pressies in the house! Then let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! I think deep down we all want an old-fashioned white-fur-trimmed Christmas with songs around the piano... unfortunately it doesn’t always work out quite like that!
Favourite childhood memory for the season?
Tellingly, all my childhood memories revolve around food – and I’m not just talking about Christmas! Seriously I have always loved baking and was always by my Mum’s side in the kitchen watching, learning and waiting to lick the spoon (raw Christmas cake – as good as the baked stuff). My Mum still makes my Christmas cake and I use the season as an opportunity to try new ideas, bake for the family – and eat a lot of it myself. My Mum’s recipe for ‘Inebriated Christmas Tarts’ has always been a family tradition, made with a dash of Amaretto the taste takes me right back to Christmases past. The recipe is in my novel ‘Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes,’ and if you go to my blog you will also find several seasonal recipes for baked titbits to adorn your Christmas table.
Tree – Real or Artificial? Why?
We always had a real tree on the insistence of my husband and daughter, but every year it would fall out of its pot at some point and crash to the ground, usually in the middle of the night. Fed up of walking on pine needles until July, I bought a trendy black artificial tree in 2009 and decorated with new silver baubles. I want minimal chic in silver and black but my family always adds dodgy decs and battered old tinsel in rainbow shades when they think I’m not looking. In fact, the anticipated horror on my face when I ‘discover’ the ‘abuse’ of my tree has become a traditional part of our family Christmas!
Bucks Fizz or Mulled Wine or other?
I am a proud member of ‘The Bodacious Book Club,’ seven vivacious literary ladies who meet monthly at each other’s homes. A couple of years ago it was my turn to host the Christmas club and on the very last minute I wanted to make Christmas cocktails. I didn’t have time to shop so delved into cupboards and found a bottle of passion fruit syrup and a tube of edible gold stars (for cake decoration). I added a dash of passion fruit syrup to each flute of champagne and scattered gold stars into the glasses – I christened them Christmas Kisses and they are now as much a part of my Christmas as Santa.
Sue’s second book, Younger, Thinner, Blonderis out Autumn 2013.
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