Much of this period focused around Christmas, with gifts being packaged for last minute sales, both off the shelf and constructed to order, like these four Christmas chutney + hearts. The Tuesday team enjoyed sorting out decorations for our tree, and making their own Christmas pom-poms. Our Christmas party went well as usual, with people taking turns at Jenga, lotto and other table games. And even the boring job of cleaning up the kitchen can be made festive with a Santa hat!

These were busy months leading up to the Christmas rush. A huge demand for preserves saw teams packaging up batch after batch, after careful quality control tests and labelling. Gifts were prepared in the craft department: here hangers are being sanded down for use in peg bags, and a scarf is revealed at the end of its creative process. We took time out to prepare and pack two shoeboxes as part of the Christmas appeal. Teams enjoyed packing the items so that children in need could have...

All departments continued to be busy. New items for sale were run up on the sewing machine and we experimented with some donated craft items – this one is producing Christmas trees! New sales outlets kept the kitchen busy and each jar is carefully checked and packaged. Outdoors the southernwood was harvested – this will be dried and used in our mothballs. And there is always weeding – with the satisfaction of a neat plot at the end and a job well done.