Hooray, it’s that time of year for the port, Baileys and Bisodol.
After a really tough 2009, which has seen many across been hit in someway by this savage recession, we can try and put it behind us for a wee time and lose ourselves in an alcohol or food induced frenzy.
What’s heartening, as I will testify by a trip to town, earlier this week is the car parks are crammed and Touchwood is buzzing as we go in to the last week before Santa makes his annual appearance.
What I sense is rebellion against those telling us not to spend. The purse strings are loosening, maybe temporarily, but Silhillians seemingly want luxury at this time instead of feasting on luncheon meat.
As well as the shops, the bars and restaurants are seeing the tills jingling too. We are very fortunate that, on the whole, we live in a very affluent borough, which can sometimes cocoon ourselves from what is going on in less salubrious settings.
We are blessed with a cosmopolitan top end taste too as friends and families get together. If you want a little bit of an Italian Christmas feel there is Giovanni's Italian restaurant in Dickens Heath, we have top quality Indian restaurants to, most notably Indian Dreams, and for those wanting a more homely traditional feel we are have the Loch Fyne in Knowle, offering an extravaganza of seafood selection.
Two other venues that really jumps out are Hogarths, on the Four Ashes Road & Nuthurst Grange. This is what Christmas is all about. They are classy and have that charm that makes you almost expect Val Doonican to be there in front of one of its log fires in his rocking chair singing Oh Come All Ye Faithful.
So do your bit for Solihull this festive season. Show friends who are visiting what we have to be proud of. Get out, let your hair down, and enjoy the fine fair at your fingertips. We still have a lot to be thankful for.
Michael Nolan runs successful Solihull business Nolan PR
