AND THERE ARE GOLD tinsel garlands strewn all about the place, gold cocktail shakers and gilded drinking glasses, all the Christmas cards have been written, but have yet to be posted, and a lull hangs in the air, intermingled with the scent of pine needles, shortbread and freshly ground coffee. There are still a million things to do, a million emails to answer, and work to be done, but it’s the very last week before Christmas and there’s a feeling of holiday all around, weekday nights spent by the fireplace in cosy pubs, windows glowing with fairy lights—and here, a flurry of holiday inspiration, this time, with a certain je ne sais quoi . . .
