Last month, I published the first post of my ‘photography-themed’ series. If you missed it, you can read ‘4 Never Before Seen Photos And Why You Need To See Them‘ and join the many readers who have already joined the conversations.
I want to thank everyone who left a comment and those who started conversations about the photos I featured. Honestly, the post’s success exceeded my expectations. I have a dedicated group of readers who love to engage, and for that, I am genuinely grateful.
December 2025
This month, I am not only showcasing five photographs (some of which I appear in), all with a Christmas theme, but I am also highlighting another WordPress gallery block you can use to display your photos and photography.
So, here we go. I’m excited to share five photos, three of which are new to my blog, each one posing a question. Feel free to leave a comment or write your own post with your answers. If you choose to write a post, you’re welcome to link back to mine so other bloggers can join the discussion.
1. When did you first meet Father Christmas?
I have to dig deep into the archives of my memory to recall the first time I encountered Father Christmas. I was six years old, and meeting the man I thought was the ultimate VIP (Very Important Person) was like waiting for the last biscuit in the jar.
It happened in a department store’s Christmas grotto, a place where the air smelled like gingerbread and desperation—not just mine, but also my sister’s, who was so terrified of Father Christmas that she screamed like we were evacuating from a man-eating, zombie, giant snowman! The whole store was probably questioning their Christmas spirit as they listened to her wails echo off the walls, rattling every bauble and piece of tinsel in the store.
However, on Christmas Eve, she had no problem with Father Christmas making his grand entrance into our home, as if he owned the place, and dropping off presents. After all, she was fast asleep, blissfully convinced that if she couldn’t see him, he mustn’t be able to see her!
The above photo was snapped one June while I was on a cruise, proving that you might just find Father Christmas on a beach holiday! So remember to be nice all year long, because you never know when you may be teetering on the edge of his nice list.
Do you have a photo of you with Father Christmas?
2. Have you ever baked a Christmas cake?
I distinctly recall my grandmother turning into a Christmas cake factory every year. I adored being her little helper, especially during the cake decoration extravaganza a few days before Christmas.
It was quite the spectacle watching her bake the cakes in September, then patiently unwrap them from their greaseproof swaddling every few weeks for a little “brandishing” with brandy. Who knew a cake could get an alcoholic makeover before the Christmas festivities even started?
I would sit there, as she dramatically stabbed the cake bases with a fork and spooned what seemed like an endless supply of brandy into the tiny holes. Of course, she’d also help herself to a few swigs of brandy while waiting for the cakes to soak up what she’s already spooned in. It was like she was giving them a little boozy makeover and joining in the festivities early.
The cake in the above photo was baked by me, but it wasn’t made the traditional way my grandmother prepared her Christmas cakes. I cheated by using a box with all the ready-prepared ingredients for making a Christmas cake. However, the magic of icing and decorating the cake was still present. And, of course, I carried on the tradition of a few glasses of brandy while feeding and decorating it.
If you’re wondering why it’s just a photo of the top of the cake, I decided it was the only part of it I felt I hadn’t cheated at. However, this made me start looking at all the different angles you can take photos, giving them a new dimension.
Do you make your own Christmas cake or do you buy a shop-bought one? And what’s inside your cake? Is it fruit-based, or filled with sponge, jam, and buttercream?
3. What’s your go-to karaoke song?
Get ready to cringe! I’ve totally lost track of how many Christmas parties I’ve attended over the years—seriously, it’s like my life turned into a never-ending Netflix series focused on festive cheer, and most of them were work parties, where the eggnog flows like water, and the awkward small talk is the real gift! From fancy dress to black tie, I’ve always got into the spirit of Christmas celebrations. And the above photo is no exception.
Taken in the late 1980s, I’m not entirely sure why I decided a bottle of bleach was the ideal choice for a microphone, but let’s chalk it up to a few too many festive glasses of sherry or eggnog that night! My outfit is a glorious testament to the era; I mean, who could resist the charm of penguins proudly dancing on my braces? Clearly, I was ahead of my time in fashion… or maybe just in silliness!
However, I still know the song I was singing when the photo was taken.
This song has become my ‘go-to’ whenever anyone puts a microphone in my hand. So, if you ever meet me, never give me a bottle of bleach or a microphone!
What’s your go-to karaoke song?
4. What’s your favourite Christmas tree ornament?
My favorite Christmas tree ornament is a jolly old Father Christmas in his sleigh, dramatically being yanked along by two reindeer who have clearly lost the plot; they’re now engaged in an epic showdown over who gets the last carrot that all the kids left out, while Father Christmas just sits back, chuckling with a mince pie in one hand and a glass of brandy in the other, thinking, “This is the real Christmas spirit!”
As Father Christmas steers his sleigh joyfully, all those glasses of brandy would probably get him into trouble if he were caught by a traffic officer. However, as he’s flying, rather than driving on roads, hopefully he won’t get into any trouble.
Over the years, I have collected many Christmas tree ornaments. This one is only a few years old and was bought online from a well-known London store. Yes, it was expensive, but the joy it has brought is worth every penny.
Do you have a favourite Christmas tree ornament? Share the details or a photo with us.
5. Is this how Christmas makes you feel?
And finally, is this how Christmas makes you feel?
Whether it’s before or after Christmas, most of us will find ourselves feeling deflated, like a poor reindeer caught napping three days after the big day—let’s just say, even Rudolph looks like he needs a strong cup of cocoa at this point!
The look on its face says it all and reminds me of those confusing days between Christmas and New Year, when the days of the week all blend into one. “Is it Monday or Tuesday? No, it’s Wednesday, isn’t it, or was Wednesday yesterday? Hang on, wasn’t it Thursday yesterday?”
The Slideshow Block
This month, I am displaying and featuring the ‘Slideshow’ block. Here are my five photos, all in the slideshow block.
You can select as many photos as you like for your slideshow. Captions you have added to your photos also appear, but unfortunately, and this is something I dislike, the captions cannot be centred.
You can set the slideshow to manual, so readers must click to view the next image, or select an autoplay option. If you choose autoplay, you can also decide how many seconds pass between each photo (I chose 4 seconds).
Another option is to add a transition. You can choose slide or fade for your photos. You can also select the image size: small, medium, large, or extra large. I decided on the ‘Large’ option.
All of these options can be found by clicking on the image and choosing the ‘Block‘ option.
Click the following link for more information about the Slideshow Block.
How to make a photographer’s day.
Next time you leave a comment on a photography post, instead of saying ‘Great photo,’ explain what it was about the picture that made you think it was great. Was it the subject, the lighting, the scenery, the angle it was taken from, or the emotion it evoked when you saw it?
It only needs to be a few lines, but the people you leave the comment for will appreciate the feedback much more than when all you say, time after time, is that it’s a great photo.
Do you have a photo of you with Father Christmas? Do you make your own Christmas cake or do you buy a shop-bought one? What’s your go-to karaoke song? Do you have a favourite Christmas tree ornament? How does Christmas make you feel?
Linking to Sunday Stills hosted by Terri Webster Schrandt – Theme: Festive Red and Green.
The featured image in this blog post is taken from Pixabay. AI checked spelling and grammar mistakes.
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That’s a wonderful photo of you and Father Christmas, Hugh. I’ve never had Christmas cake, but yours looks delicious. Hubby bakes peanut butter cookies, and that satisfies my sweet tooth. I’m not much of singer, but enjoy listening to others who have the nerve to karaoke. I have many small old-timey wooden Christmas ornaments I bought years ago in Helen, GA, and love them all.
I leave a comment where I have a connective interest, and feel it is constructive. Since I no longer run my prompt, I have more time to read, and comment if I choose to do so. I feel communication with fellow bloggers is important, because that’s the best part of WordPress, IMO.
I wish you and yours a wonderful holiday season, Hugh.
Peanut butter cookies sounds mouthwatering, Eugi. I’ve always liked peanut butter, especially on hot crumpets just out of the toaster.
I wish I had kept many of the Christmas decorations my parents had. Sadly, my father threw them all away after my parents got divorced. I enjoy looking at vintage Christmas decorations as they always bring back many happy memories of Christmases past.
I agree with what you say about engagement with other bloggers. I comment if a post inspires me and I have something of value to add. I never leave short non-engaging comments just to prove I’ve visited. They should be on Santa’s naughty list.
Season’s Greetings to you and your family, Eugi.
I love looking at other’s pictures because my family never took any. I’ve done all the things here. My go to song is Born To Be Wild. Your pictures helped me remember the fun. Thanks 🤣😎🙃
I’m delighted all those fun moments came to the surface while reading this post.
Keep on singing.
Loved this trip into nostalgia land. Only once did I come close to karoke – I chickened out and got my husband to do it for me. I’m such a bad singer that I didn’t want the humiliation of being on stage.
I started making Christmas cake about five years ago. It’s a risk venture since I’m a baker’s daughter so I know whatever I make will have to pass scrutiny from the master. The cake is good but the icing leaves a lot to be desired.
If you think you are a bad singer, don’t ever ask me to sing for you. Honestly, everyone within 10 miles will be protecting their ears.
I’m glad to hear you make a Christmas cake. For me, icing and decorating the cake is the fun part. I’m sure your dad likes what you bake. I love a slice of Christmas cake with a cup of tea on Christmas night. Yes, I always keep a space for a slice, even after the turkey dinner.
great post, Hugh! I love the reindeer, worn out at the end, and I so get that, but lots of fun beforehand )
Like blogging, Christmas is all about the fun for me, Beth. I may feel worn out by the 28th December, but it’s the wonderful memories of Christmases past that also keep me going.
same!
I had a history of being afraid of costumed creatures as a child. I stayed well away of all the scary characters at Disneyland, crying if they got too close.
My husband and I have managed to keep the holiday season pretty low key but I imagine my parents felt much like that reindeer when my brothers and I were little.
Enjoy your Christmas cake… it looks yummy!
Thank you, Janis. The cake in this post was one I baked over 10 years ago. That year, we held a Christmas cake and drinks party the day before Christmas Eve, and the cake was all gone within an hour. However, the drink was also flowing.
I really like these photos Hugh and the idea behind the post, I may well nick the idea next year if you don’t mind! And I agree with bloggers deserving more than a standard message, bloggers are supposed to be creative people, surely they can do better with a little more effort.
Your photos all feel fun and uplifting and that’s a big part of what Christmas is supposed to be about, so thanks for sharing!
Paul, feel free to do a similar post next year. When somebody tells me that I have inspired them, it makes my day!
I think often that time is a problem for many bloggers when leaving those short, unengaging comments. But if only they used that time to leave one meaningful comment every now and again instead of believing that they have to leave a short comment just to prove they have visited. For me, one meaningful comment every now and again is worth hundreds of those awful short comments. Getting an engaging comment makes all the difference, whereas getting a short unengaging, uninspiring comment makes me feel deflated, like the reindeer in my last photo on this post. Nobody should believe they have to prove they visited any of my posts let alone believe they must prove it by leaving a comment. Blogging should always be about the fun, and is a marathon, not a sprint.
I love that you shared these old photos of you, Hugh! Too many bloggers don’t share pics of themselves, and it’s a bit sad. I suppose they’re wanting to be careful or anonymous, who knows? Part of the joy of blogging is to get to know other bloggers either online or the lucky in-person meetings. Thanks for sharing the slideshow block, I’ve only used it once.
Please feel free to to link this to my latest Sunday Stills post if you wish. This is pretty festive and red & green colors abound. I hope you are enjoying “The Most Wonderful time of the Year!”
Hi Terri, some bloggers are shy and do worry about revealing their identity. I remember a blogger who was a school teacher and who wrote about the mistreatment she was having at work. She wrote it all down to get it out of her system but was terrified her boss would find her blog. Thankfully, he/she didn’t, but it helped the blogger concerned. She went through a lot of stress, but writing it all down seemed to help.
Some also use a pseudonym to protect themselves, especially during these times of identity fraud. It’s seldon I write about myself other than what’s on my ‘About’ page, as I never think anyone will be that interested. Well, apart from the scammers, maybe. Then you have the bloggers who reveal everything everyday including what they ate for breakfast. I always avoid those blogs as hearing what somebody had for breakfast everyday isn’t something I am interested in. But I know some bloggers love to read that kind of stuff. I guess it’s down to what interests us.
I’ll certainly link back to this week’s Sunday Stills post. I didn’t think it made the cut, so thanks for the thumbs up.
Yes, I’m loving these ‘run-up to Christmas’ days. They always take me back to the buildup of excitement when I was a child and bring back so many happy memories.
I love this post Hugh. Great questions and photos. I may try and create a post later and ping it back. That photo of you signing karaoke is a classic. The attire is fantastic with the skinny tie and I love seeing the bar behind you, definitely a sign of the times. Great post and thanks for showing the sidebar feature, I will have to check this out also.
Wayne, I saw your link, although haven’t read your post yet, so thank you for linking back and answering my questions.
If I could travel back in time, I’d find it difficult not to choose going back to Christmas in the 1970s and 1980s. I can’t believe some of the fashion of the day, and have no idea what happened to that skinny tie. I was working in Selfridges in London when that photo was taken. It was a departmental Christmas party which were always lots of fun.
That sounds like a fun Christmas party Hugh!
Hi, Hugh, what a fun idea and thanks for sharing your Christmas experiences. Since Father Christmas or Santa Claus is/was not part of our culture. When I grew up the “Christkind” (Christmas child/Christmas angel) brought the presence. Only when we moved to the US Santa Claus became part of our Holidays too. So, I met him for the first time at the age of 28 (but from afar, since our daughter was too afraid too to visit him… lol).
Thank you, Erika.
I love hearing about all the different Christmas traditions, so your story about the Christmas child/Angel bringing the gifts is new to me.
Your daughter sounds like she had the same idea as my sister about Father Christmas. I never saw Father Christmas as being scary, but I know many children do, even though he brings the gifts on Christmas Eve.
I am sure I would have been scared too as a little child 😄
I was never scared of Father Christmas. He was like a superhero to me. But my sister had other ideas.
Delightful post Hugh! I don’t have any pictures of me with Santa but I do have one of my son on his lap which I adore. I have a couple of favorite ornaments – both handmade. I’m not much of a singer so if pushed I’d probably sing Row, row, row your boat …. Baking is not one of my skills although I do have some very expensive vanilla from Hawaii!
So I recall, Jan. That vanilla is worth its weight in gold. I hope you get to use it.
Thanks for answering the questions. I’m not sure what happened to all the handmade Christmas tree decorations I made. I think my parents may have thrown them away. I did make rather a lot, most only lasted one Christmas before falling apart, though.
I enjoyed this fun festive post. The photographs and commentary are the best of Christmas. I don’t believe I ever met Father Christmas as a child. I only did that with my own sons much later in life. I bake my own fruit Christmas cakes every year. This year I made 9. I give most away as gifts as I have a fan club. I’ve never sung karaoke. My favourite decoration is a beautiful fat fairy with small wings. She makes me laugh. I enjoy Christmas and making Christmas treats and food.
Thanks for answering the questions, Robbie.
The beautiful fat fairy with small wings sounds a lot of fun. I’m glad she makes you laugh. How long have you had her?
9 Christmas cakes is a lot, although I remember my grandmother also making a lot of Christmas cakes. It was fun watching her, although I always enjoyed decorating them most of all. She’d always allow me to stir the mixture and make a wish.
I totally agree with this sentiment,
“It only needs to be a few lines, but the people you leave the comment for will appreciate the feedback much more than when all you say, time after time, is that it’s a great photo.” However- I follow (as many do) ALOT of blogs, and sometimes it is just not time feasible to leave more than a Great photo, love this, fabulous. I appreciate when people do leave more than 2 words, but certainly understand when they don’t. Sometimes I just do not have time but still want whoever to know I did see their work, and leave a short 2 words. Some days(like right now) I have plenty of free time and will browse through the many blogs I follow and leave an extended comment.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on leaving short comments.
Do you feel obliged to always leave a comment on all the posts you visit? I’m only asking, as I’ve found that many bloggers who do, often feel obliged to do so because they think it’s something they must do. However, over the years when talking to many bloggers I’ve hardly met a blogger who says they’d be upset if somebody did not leave them a comment as prove that they visited. I don’t know how many blogs you follow, but I only follow about 75 and sometimes I struggle to visit and leave comments. Now, I visit when I can and comment when I can. And nobody seems to mind at all. In the 12 years I have blogged, I’ve only come across one blogger who was upset that I did not comment on all her posts. And she was sometimes publishing more than three posts a day. I took the decision to unfollow her when somebody told me that blogging was a marathon, not a sprint.
And there are many other ways we can support bloggers by clicking the ‘like’ button or sharing their post on social media.
But it’s good to hear that you do leave longer comments when you have more free time. Those comments are so valuable and I know that the bloggers you leave them for will be overjoyed that you took some of your valuable time to give them valuable feedback on their post.
I love this post, Hugh. All of us have had brothers or children who screamed at meeting Santa. I often worried about the person in the outfit having trouble hearing at the end of the day!
I am baking a Guinness chocolate cake with a raspberry filling this year – my son-in-law loves it. Noit sure about frosting – maybe just powdered sugar. And my favorite karaoke song is Moonlight in Vermont.
Have a wonderful Christmas, whether you’ve been naughty or nice!
A Guinness Chocolate cake is something I’ve never tried, Noelle. Does it take a whole bottle of Guinness? Raspberries sound like the perfect match.
I’ve always wanted to play Father Christmas, but sadly nobody has asked me yet. But I never considered the screaming even though I’ve witnessed it. Thank you for the warning.
I hope you get to sing a few bars of ‘Moonlight in Vermont’ this Christmas.
Happy Christmas to you and your family.
I enjoyed the mix of informative and fun, Hugh. I love the idea of singing karaoke into a bottle of bleach! I’ve only ever used a microphone or hairbrush when I was small. The pic of the reindeer made me smile. That’s definitely how I’ll feel after Christmas with my parents next week! And thank you for the info on how to set up a slideshow. Happy Christmas, Hugh 🎄
I think many of us who will be hosting over the Christmas holidays will be feeling like the reindeer, Esther. I think the most guests we invited for Christmas lunch was 14! Thankfully, only 8 of us this year. I don’t cook, but the clearing up afterwards is my job.
Happy Christmas, Esther. Have a lovely time, and I hope Father Christmas doesn’t leave any coal in stockings. I believe we’re all on the ‘Nice’ list.
Thank you, Hugh. You have a wonderful time.