Four: Love Actually’s couples ranked from 9 to 1

Love Actually is the must-watch Christmas Brit-flick. Peppered with festive scenes, a perfect soundtrack and some early noughties fashion to laugh at, we watched it with fresh eyes now we’re Londoners. Here’s our ranking of the nine couples in this interwoven story.

 

9. Colin and the American girls (Kris Marshall)

We like comic relief, but this had to come last as the story with the least depth and least screen-time. Although it’s easy to right it off as lust, there must be love there as Colin arrives back to England with Harriet, ‘the sexy one’.

8. Billy Mack and his manager Joe (Bill nighy and Gregor Fisher)

Billy’s at his best when talking to DJ Mikey at Radio Watford, and looking down on Blue with ‘Ant or Dec’. He shows his sweeter, sincere side when choosing manager Joe and their friendship over Elton’s extravagant party.

7. Sarah and Karl, and her brother Michael (Laura Linney and Rodrigo Santoro)

This is the only couple who don’t appear in the airport arrival scene, and so have no clear ending. We’re left hoping that Sarah finds a boyfriend, be it Karl or someone else, who understands her devotion to her brother.

6. John and Judy (Martin Freeman and Joanna Page)

The simplest story there is: they meet at work, go for a drink and are married by the end. Their causal chats as pornstar stand-ins reinforces an obvious message: love, sex and lust aren’t all the same.

5. Juliet and Mark (Kiera Knightley and Andrew Lincoln)

The unrequited love story. We don’t like that part. But we like Juliet’s slow realisation as she watches the wedding video and Mark’s maturity, telling himself ‘enough’ after the carol-singing speech.

4. Daniel and Sam, and Joanna (Liam Neeson, Thomas Sangster and Olivia Olsen)

‘We need Kate, and we need Leo. And we need them now.’ Don’t forget the grief at the start of this story, as their wife and Mum is buried five weeks before Christmas. Yes there’s young love, but more poignantly there’s hope and belief in the future.

3. Karen and Harry (Emma thompson and Alan Rickman)

Harry stands alongside his secretary Mia and the US President as the film’s villains. He is a grumpy, selfish bastard. So why rank this story in our top three? It’s all about Emma Thompson and her stand-out scene to Both Sides Now.

2. David and Natalie (Hugh Grant and Martine McCutcheon)

The most British storyline there is, right from Natalie swearing on her first day to that not-so-secret kiss at the big school show. It’s the best balance of love and comedy, epitomised in the back of a car with an octopus.

1. Jamie and Aurelia (Colin Firth and Lucia Moniz)

With confused bilingual conversations and a grand proposal as the film’s finale, this an obvious choice for the top spot. Jamie and Aurelia go beyond love at first sight, beyond language as a barrier. Their story unfolds the beauty and mystery of love.

Do you agree or disagree with our ranking? Let us know in the comments or tweet using #LJAdvent

Three: What does Christmas mean to you?

Lucy and I made a brew and sat down for a Christmas couch chat. Here’s the themes for the season that matter to us.

Traditions: It may be decorating the tree, going to Sharon’s annual Christmas Eve party or reflecting at Midnight Mass. These traditions don’t have to be profound to matter. They become a seasonal moment away from everyday life.

Family: It’s not just for the love of decorations that pulls both of us back home each year to decorate the tree. Take every opportunity the parties and traditions offer to be with your loved ones and the joy those relationships bring.

Having fun: There’s lights, parties, cheerful chatter in the house. Anticipation and joy spreads between strangers in a unique way.

Looking: We look above street level to take in the glowing lights. We look beyond the adverts to seek out the real perfect gift. We look beyond ourselves to those who struggle with loneliness and hardship.

Love: Love underpins it all. It may feel like obligations, arguments and chores, but it’s always borne out of care and love for those we’re celebrating with.

What does Christmas mean to you?

Two: Skate at Somerset House

Seasonal ice rinks are sprinkled all over London and around the UK, but for Lucy and I there was only one place to go: Somerset House. It’s got a reputation as being the place to skate, not least for it’s central location on The Strand which makes it easy to meet friends for a post-work waltz.

As we took to the ice, the realisation of what we were doing hit. Neither Lucy or I had been ice skating in the last decade. Like most of the other skaters, we started slow and built up our confidence and speed.

The session lasted 45 minutes, which was plenty of time. We stopped to look at the beautiful Fortnum and Mason tree and enjoyed making memories with friends and strangers alike. Somerset House offers a stunning backdrop and paced the session well with a classy festive playlist of classical music before dimming the lights ahead of the slow dance love songs.

After our skate, we wandered through the pop-up Fortnum and Mason’s shopping arcade, with all the fancy food and gifts you’d expect, free from the usual Piccadilly crowds. There’s also cafes and bars throughout Somerset House, including one rink side.

We bought tickets on the day, costing £14 each including cloakroom. Wherever you skate, it’s probably cheaper to book in advance. Embrace the whole experience without getting too caught up on 'getting your money's worth'.

You might be as terrified as Bambi at first but an hour later, you’ll be feeling festive, proud and tired out.

Do you have a favourite place to skate?

One: what’s your winter warmer?

I’m a big fan of spiced Christmas Tea. Lucy loves a Soy Gingerbread Hot Chocolate while reading a good book. My Mum craves her seasonal Starbucks eggnog latte.

This year we’re uncovering new favourites. ATM Coffee are selling Hot Spiced Apple to travellers from their train station kiosks. Caffe Vergano serve a smooth-not-sickly Italian Hot Chocolate. On a trip to Iceland earlier this year, I warmed myself by the glaciers with added rum in the hot choc.

This year we've made a calandar complete with daily Advent activites. Today's first task was to make homemade hot chocolate with rum.

Make and mix your hot chocolate in the normal way (on the hob or in the microwave) then as you wish add a glug of rum and a generous sprinkling of marshmallows, cinnamon and flakes. You could even go for barista best by using Christmas stencils, or a small gingerbread man to sit on the side.

Mulled wine, prosecco and other go-to December drinks are great and we’ll be sure to enjoy throughout the season. But for a quick win after work, nothing beats hot chocolate.

What is your favourite winter warmer?

Tell us in the comments or tweet with #ljadvent

Advent Tree Calendar

Lucy and I wanted to celebrate the Christmas joy a bit differently this year. So we made our own Advent Tree calendar with some ribbon, tags and shiney card from Paperchase.

On the back of each tag is a different Christmas task. Some are big (go ice skating) and needed careful choosing for what day to do it. But most are small (play your favourite Christmas song) and randomised. We offered 12 ideas each, cross-checked by our housemate Ed for any duplicates.

It was a bit fiddly to put it together though with each other’s help and a glass of wine we love how it looks. You could take the idea of daily Christmas tasks but simplify the calendar design. It would work as envelopes to open each day or cards on a peg.

We’ve loved making the calendar together and excited for our 24 days of joy.