Ross Henry speeds towards the paddling pool full of icy water while taking part in Sark’s version of the luge. (0897222)

CHRISTMAS was peaceful and unhurried as visitors mingled with the islanders in the Christmas Eve stroll in the Avenue. Each shop – some staff dressed as angels – dispensed its own version of mulled wine and canapes, and while negating the need for lunch created a last-minute rush for indigestion remedies.

The carol singers concluded their seasonal programme, having criss-crossed the island over many evenings in a kind of Ten Tors meets King’s.

Their singing was first class and raised £1,207.69, which will be shared equally between Les Bourgs Hospice and Help for Heroes.

The candlelit service later that day saw St Peter’s Church brim-full of eager children and parents fighting to keep a semblance of control. I hoped that the fire brigade was outside as the lights were dimmed and candles were lit one by one.

The congregation sang Silent Night, although without reading specs and proper lighting, I wasn’t too sure what I was singing.

A parishioner took his cue from the hymn’s title and made a speedy exit with one screaming child.

Richard Bellinger, the floating vicar and substitute for the much-improving Graham Leworthy, held everything under control and this year – after his Venus Pool dip and service on Christmas morning – was rushed to Guernsey to be with his family, courtesy of Robert Taylour.

In the Island Hall, a sing-song of Christmas favourites was led by Ray Lowe on the organ and the choirmaster, Kevin Adams.

With a complimentary glass of warming winter Pimms, we were set up for the festivities.

During the Christmas run-in there had been events of note. The Chamber of Commerce president, Peter Tonks, and Kristina Southern, of La Petite Poule, presented Sark’s Air Search representative, Gail Le Lievre, with a cheque for £715.53.

It was the sum raised from the turning-on of the Christmas lights raffle and the one held the evening of the Chamber dinner.

It costs a lot of money to keep the plane in the air and Gail has benefited first-hand from the great job that they do.

Late on Christmas Day, the Flying Christine had to evacuate a Sark resident in what was possibly a speedy return to sobriety for the boat and ambulance crews and the fire brigade.

She is recovering well, although the Flying Christine subsequently lost her steering.

Buzz White, in Access Challenger, had to make the next call on the Monday Bank Holiday morning to collect a middle-aged man who had come off his bicycle.

The Carnival Committee is in a final push to sell the remaining lottery tickets before the draw on 29 January.

At a cost of £25 each, only 1,000 tickets are being sold, thus providing rather good odds for prizes of £10,000, £2,500 £1,000 and 10 consolations of £100.

The money raised by the committee will go to the Professor Saint Trust and is used to subsidise the cost of prescription drugs for island residents.

I’ll admit an interest here, in that I’m its secretary, and am keen that islanders appreciate that without donations of this kind and the work of the Carnival Committee the fund would not be able to provide the subsidised prescriptions that it does.

Anyone can join in and tickets can be bought from Christine Audrain on 832265, by emailing audrain@cwgsy.net or at the counters of HSBC and the Gallery Stores in Sark – there is not much time left.

The Sark Building Company provided a boost by offering to collect people’s Christmas trees for composting and for each tree collected during the past week will buy one ticket. Should it win, the winnings will go directly to the trust.

There was a busy sporting schedule and in the annual hockey match the Upstarts were taught to respect their elders by the Gods of Experience. However, in the corresponding football tournament, the 18- to 22-year-olds saw off the old boys.

Christmas was brought to a close on New Year’s Day as PJ Carre and Dave Cocksedge continued their long tradition of doing

crazy things in public – something not always confined to 1 January.

Their own take on the luge, accompanied by the theme tune from Ski Sunday, saw queues of men with trolleys attempting a slope that led directly into a paddling pool of freezing water.

Ross Henry, the kilted true-Scot mounted on Mad Jock, sped towards the pool, his kilt riding up with the rush of air – but fortunately, such a cold day was sufficient to protect the sensibilities of any delicate onlookers.