Now that most of the Florentine vie, borghi and piazze are adorned generously with lights, trees and nativity scenes, I think we can officially allow ourselves to get into the Christmas spirit, with the conviviality, indulgence and excessive spending that the time of year usually brings. Accordingly, our own British Institute has taken part in the festivities on two separate occasions, with a series of carols and readings on the 13th and a Christmas Fair on the 15th - both of which were enjoyed thoroughly by all who came.
It was up to the staff and members to give the seasonal readings on the 13th, and there was quite a range: from a short story by the Sicilian writer Sciascia, to the entry for Christmas in the Oxford Calendar, to many classic authors in the English language such as Ben Jonson and Dr Seuss. I myself even mustered up the courage to read a short passage from Dickens' The Pickwick Papers, which made me rather nervous, although I believe and hope it went down well enough. Punctuating these pocket-size excerpts were some carols sung by the choir of St Mark's English Church which included a talented accompanist on piano and the odd violin interlude during verses. It must be said that we were rather shy to join in at first, but by the final rendition of Hark the Herald Angels Sing a good number of us had plucked up the courage to sing along, which was heartening to see (and hear!). Afterwards there was the usual drinks reception, only this time with Christmassy eats like fresh mince pies (made by the intern at the library, Gemma), which was doubtless a welcome idea for Brits who, despite being in one of the food capitals of Italy, might miss the UK's humble contribution to world cuisine!
The Christmas Fair, an afternoon affair, was equally well attended, if not more so. On offer were an extensive selection of homemade cakes and hot drinks, as well as plenty of arts and crafts, and, it being a library, a surprising number of second-hand books which I spent a rather a long time looking through. It was good to see many familiar faces there, in what was the last event on the calendar for members of the Institute, and there was just as much an atmosphere of good-will and festivity as there was two evenings previously.
What struck me with these two events especially was that the British Institute of Florence really is a community rather than just a historic building. Thanks to this community I have met many fascinating people during my time in Florence, be that through language classes or the Wednesday cultural evenings, and there is in the Institute a slight sense of escape from a fast-changing world, especially surrounded by the well-stocked shelves of the Harold Acton Library. It is a place and community I shall miss, as this, the 'last post' as it were, is effectively me signing off. I am grateful to all at the Institute for welcoming me into this wonderful city, and I am sure it will continue to welcome many more people, however much they may feel like strangers in a strange land when they first arrive at a horrendously busy Santa Maria Novella station in the dark. I am certain, however, that I'll be back before long, as Florence tends to have that effect on people, so this is not an
addio, but an a presto...buon Natale a tutti!
It was up to the staff and members to give the seasonal readings on the 13th, and there was quite a range: from a short story by the Sicilian writer Sciascia, to the entry for Christmas in the Oxford Calendar, to many classic authors in the English language such as Ben Jonson and Dr Seuss. I myself even mustered up the courage to read a short passage from Dickens' The Pickwick Papers, which made me rather nervous, although I believe and hope it went down well enough. Punctuating these pocket-size excerpts were some carols sung by the choir of St Mark's English Church which included a talented accompanist on piano and the odd violin interlude during verses. It must be said that we were rather shy to join in at first, but by the final rendition of Hark the Herald Angels Sing a good number of us had plucked up the courage to sing along, which was heartening to see (and hear!). Afterwards there was the usual drinks reception, only this time with Christmassy eats like fresh mince pies (made by the intern at the library, Gemma), which was doubtless a welcome idea for Brits who, despite being in one of the food capitals of Italy, might miss the UK's humble contribution to world cuisine!
The Christmas Fair, an afternoon affair, was equally well attended, if not more so. On offer were an extensive selection of homemade cakes and hot drinks, as well as plenty of arts and crafts, and, it being a library, a surprising number of second-hand books which I spent a rather a long time looking through. It was good to see many familiar faces there, in what was the last event on the calendar for members of the Institute, and there was just as much an atmosphere of good-will and festivity as there was two evenings previously.
What struck me with these two events especially was that the British Institute of Florence really is a community rather than just a historic building. Thanks to this community I have met many fascinating people during my time in Florence, be that through language classes or the Wednesday cultural evenings, and there is in the Institute a slight sense of escape from a fast-changing world, especially surrounded by the well-stocked shelves of the Harold Acton Library. It is a place and community I shall miss, as this, the 'last post' as it were, is effectively me signing off. I am grateful to all at the Institute for welcoming me into this wonderful city, and I am sure it will continue to welcome many more people, however much they may feel like strangers in a strange land when they first arrive at a horrendously busy Santa Maria Novella station in the dark. I am certain, however, that I'll be back before long, as Florence tends to have that effect on people, so this is not an
addio, but an a presto...buon Natale a tutti!
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