Lollies, sweets and candy...
For the past three years, one of my favourite Christmas events has been the Gingerbread House evening run by Heather's church. It is such a fun community event. Although I'm half a world away, I decided that this year I wasn't going to miss out on this event. Natalie and I put our heads together and sourced a couple of Gingerbread house kits. Natalie's came all the way from Canada and it's a typical North American mansion. Mine is from ASDA and is a classic European chalet (complete with Hansel and Gretel and a witch).

Natalie and I had a fun time decorating our Gingerbread Houses. Although there are no freckles, musk sticks, redskins or strawberry and creams decorations on our houses. The English really have no idea how to do tasty lollies.

Look out behiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiind yooooooooooooooooooooooou!
The last item on my Christmas in London to-do list was "See a Christmas pantomime". Yes, this Christmas really is all about my inner-child. So it was appropriate that our pantomime of choice was Peter Pan, a play about the boy who never grows up. Starring Sarah Jane Honeywell as Peter Pan (who!?!), Bobby Davro as Smee (who!?!) and (the reason we decided on Peter Pan) the Fonz as Captain Hook. I mean, Henry Winkler as Captain Hook.

Pantomimes are all about audience participation. The audience responds when an actor asks a question. The audience boos when the baddie comes on stage. Although I was a bit hesitant at first, I soon loosened up and joined in the fun. Even to the point of joining in the special audience participation section at the end of the panto. (It doesn't advance the story line at all; it's just there for the audience.) How could we resist though when Captain Smee, dressed in a big Kangaroo suit, made us all sing Tie Me Kangaroo Down. We were the only ones in the audience that were properly qualified to sing it. We sang loudly with the appropriate ocker accent.

The whole thing was just one big Helen De Paul dancing concert. The dancing and music were so very 80s with an Eye of the Tiger / Final Countdown medley at one point and a Queen finale. The Panto also borrowed heavily from other musicals. Consider Yourself (Oliver) and We Go Together (Grease) both made an appearance.

All in all, I had a really good time. I love punny humour and at the end of the evening my belly ached from laughing so hard. I'm definitely up for a panto at Christmas time next year. Although, I feel it would be twice as fun with a child in tow. I think next December it might be time for a "Holiday with Auntie Jess" in London. Just whack 'em on a plane, I'll meet them at the airport *G*.