For the second night in a row, I’ve gone to bed with just candle-light. Yesterday I was given a beautiful sandlewood-scented candle, so I decided to use it; after all, what’s the point of having a candle if you keep it on the shelf looking pretty!

I didn’t have any matches, so I used a smaller candle to carry the flame up from the kitchen to my bedroom. Walking around a house in darkness, with the light following you and no need to grope for light-switches is magical; the orange flicking occasionally picks out details you won’t normally notice.

I haven’t walked with a candle like that for many years, the previous times I can remember were Christingle services held at the Steiner School just before Christmas. Only then we had silver foil or a piece of fruit to stop the hot wax dripping on your fingers…

Now I just have to remember to blow it out before I go to sleep, I don’t want my housemates waking me up to tell me that I’ve set the house on fire!