Both Town Mouse and Country Mouse do Christmas at Libertà. After all, Libertà is an equal-opportunities hive. We don’t discriminate between Town polish (that’s sophisticated Sophie Mouse on the left) and Country bumpkin (that’s Joanna Mouse’s hobnail boots on the right).

Aesops Fables (1912), illustrated by Arthur Rackham.

Christmas shows what Town Mouse and Country Mouse have in common. AND what’s different.

Christmas Lights and Brights

Town Mouse has very swish London Christmas lights and decorations. Brands and prices to match, of course.

[In this Tiffany’s Christmas card window, Town Mouse has spotted a diamond ring on top of that turquoise parcel.]

Country Mouse in rural Hereford comes a bit cheaper. But with bags of colour, inside and out.

Christmas equals polar bears?

Town Mouse is so mesmerised by the Nodding Bears of Pimlico — as seen in Interior Designer Nicholas Haslam’s otherwise elegant windows — that she included them in To Marry a Prince. Our heroine is overcome with sentiment, her prince kisses her, someone snaps them, end of their privacy… it’s Chapter Eleven if you’re interested. Anyway, Town Mouse seems to think that polar bears are the symbol of Christmas…

honestly, she does…

with shoes and even a handbag

Country Mouse found a polar bear too, though it seems a bit shy!

Christmas old and young, old and new

Country Mouse does old. Really old. The guy in the effigy died in 1375 but the Christmas tree at the back of the cathedral is this year’s. (The effigy had 3 legs, too, but that’s another story!)

Old? Traditional? Town Mouse is on the lookout for the hip, cool and happening, or at any rate weird. Hence her burglarious Santas. At least the building they’re climbing up is old, Country Mouse says kindly.

Town Mouse and Country Mouse both love Christmas stories, from Santa to the Snowman. But Town Mouse has to admit that terminal good taste seems to be crowding them out in the city.

In town, Santa’s Grotto is deserted mid-morning, in spite of the cheery elf doing her best to lower the tone.

But in the country, pantomime and fairy stories are always welcome. They are being told and retold for audiences of all ages (including Country Mouse).

Hansel and Gretel, anyone?

Pantomime is SO exciting when you’re young.

HE’S BEHIND YOU!

So Town Mouse and Country Mouse aren’t so different after all?

WRONG!

Town Mouse has one of these in the house.

EEK! squeaks Country Mouse, hightailing it back to the sticks.

Christmas Greetings from Libertà to Readers Everywhere

We hope you enjoy your Christmas festivities with the love of family and friends around you

A Very Happy Christmas to All Our Readers

 from Sophie (Town Mouse) and Joanna (Country Mouse)