Kentish Express Ashford & District
Hang on, Santa – it’s still the summer
You said it on facebook: You said it on kentonline
Gladman and Van: “The last thing you need in the summer holidays is your kids asking ‘how many sleeps until Christmas?’” Belinda Hilary Jeal: “Aw why did they do that. Looked really pretty.” Bill Rose: “Lets hope it stays put away until December.” Amanda Hayes Holness: “That’s awful. That’s the last thing I want to see in August.” Darren Turner: “Don’t be so miserable. Merry Christmas everybody!” Nicky Davies Shorter: “No wonder people are sick of Christmas by the time it arrives!” David Hampson: “Ridiculous.” Jo Dale: “This is enough to have me boycott the restaurant.” They say Christmas is everyone’s favourite time of the year.
However, festive excitement and cheer is usually reserved for the month of December, or, at a push November, but not August.
However, that didn’t stop a manager at the Ashford’s Harvester restaurant placing a Christmas tree in the foyer ... despite there being four months to go until the big day.
The premature tree erection was spotted in the Bybrook Barn restaurant by Daren Payne and his family last week.
He said: “It was quite a shock to be greeted by a Christmas tree in August on arrival at the Harvester.
“I understand that they are just getting in early for the Christmas bookings, but I’m sure there are a few mums and dads out there that are now on the Christmas countdown.” The tree was part of a promotion for the company’s 2014 Christmas menu and is understood to have been put up by a manager who got into the ‘Christmas spirit a little too soon’.
Now, after the details appeared on KentOnline, the company has removed the tree.
A Harvester spokesman said: “We do have our Christmas menus available now, as some of our guests like to book up early.
“However it looks like our manager has got into the Christmas spirit a little too soon – we normally don’t put our Christmas decorations up until the autumn.
“We have taken the tree down and will put it up again in the autumn.”
What do you think? Write to Kentish Express, 34-36 North Street, Ashford, TN24 8JR or email kentishexpress@ thekmgroup.co.uk Edd wrote: “Given the pagan roots of this holiday and its origins being celebration of the winter solstice, let’s enjoy summer a bit longer.” Dan Gleballs wrote: “How disappointing there were no Easter eggs underneath it....” Old_Red wrote: “One of two good things Cromwell did (along with regicide) was ban Christmas!” Billy Nomates wrote: “Ban any public mention of Christmas by any commercial enterprise before December the 1st. When you start Christmas in August it totally ruins it because people are sick of it by December.” S-J-H wrote: “We all know when Christmas is, I’m sure just a discreet notice saying that they’re taking bookings would have sufficed... sue wrote: “This confirms my suspicions. Xmas really is about greed, gluttony, waste and slaughter!”