3 December – Christmas Countdown

Of course light is important since early times man has needed it for travel and warmth to hunt and seaman have used the light from the stars to navigate on their voyages, in Greek mythology Prometheus the first man stole the gift of fire and gave to mankind as he wished them to share in its wonder, there is nothing more welcoming than a nicely lit hallway and outside, windows bathed in light, in religious terms it signifies the triumph of good over evil and where would we all be without it today? In the days before electricity they had only candle light and for the wealthy, candelabras would hang from the high vaulted ceilings, and huge hearths with crackling logs supplied the light and warmth, the palaces of Henry V111 would have blazed with light wherever the court resided, and at Christmas it would have been an enchanting sight with the huge boughs of holly and greenery, to me candlelight is so romantic and immediately transports me back to the olden days where the streets were bathed in darkness, and only the light from candles suppled the outside traveller with some comfort, we take for granted such a lot these days and the discovery of electricity was such an amazing find, all the more so because scientists have never actually understood it.