The Most Wonderful Christmas Ever

In 2018 Peter and Ruth were looking for a suitable place to retire. Peter’s job as an engineer had taken the couple to Asia, America, Holland and Australia over a twenty-year period and their children and parents were spread throughout the UK. After careful thought, they let their love of walking and the countryside guide them to the Lake District, and specifically the town of Ambleside.

Peter and Ruth quickly settled into their new life and surroundings but missed the contact with people from different countries and backgrounds that they had enjoyed during their travels. This changed when chatting to the organist at their local church who, at the time, was hosting an international student with HOST UK.  Soon, the couple started to explore the possibility of hosting themselves and in 2019 they too joined the charity. Their first guests were two students from the University of Liverpool who came over for Christmas. As one of the visitors described, the visit was “The best three days I’ve ever spent in England.”

In 2024, Peter and Ruth responded to the EIL call for Festive Stay hosts and were joined by two Chinese students studying at the University of Reading. Ruth tells us more about the visit:

“The girls had already spent a couple of days in Edinburgh before they arrived by train to us on Christmas Eve. Once they had settled in, we took them to Grasmere church, where Peter was asked to play the organ, and they were able to enjoy the service.

On Christmas morning we had prepared some long Santa stockings for our guests, including the traditional mandarin orange at the bottom, and we exchanged our gifts. They were very gracious and joined in with us. We also attended our local church at Rydal and this prompted some interesting discussions with the girls about religion and culture in China. We then had a really amusing incident before dinner when Peter’s father Derek, 92, held back to allow the girls to enter the dining room first. However, as we discovered, in Chinese culture it is more traditional to allow the most senior member of the family to pass first. It was an amusing game of ‘After you’ ‘No, after you’ for a few moments!

The meal was very enjoyable, and the students tried Christmas pudding for the first time. We had some interesting conversations, and they were very keen to talk about what had happened and to learn more about the different cultural norms.

It was a reminder that we are different cultures
and we see things from different perspectives

As a family, we traditionally enjoy a good walk on Boxing Day and our guests said they were happy to join us. So, after breakfast Peter took them to see the Rydal Water terrace and around Grasmere Water and then Derek and I joined them for a stroll around the town of Grasmere.

At lunch time on the 27^th we took the students back to the station at Windermere and waved goodbye. Later that same day we received this lovely email from one of them:

Good evening Ruth and Peter,

 I hope this letter finds you well. I have arrived in Reading and returned to my accommodation safely. I am incredibly grateful to you for hosting me over the Christmas period. It truly was the most wonderful Christmas I’ve ever experienced, filled with so many firsts that I will cherish forever.

I deeply appreciate your considerate hospitality, thoughtful activity arrangements, and patient conversations despite my less-than-fluent English. The carefully prepared gifts and the surprise presents from Santa Claus were truly delightful. I also greatly appreciate how you introduced me to British culture and traditions in such a detailed and engaging way.

Thank you, Ruth, for cooking every meal so deliciously and authentically British, completely changing my preconceived (and mistaken!) notion that British cuisine lacks appeal. But now I realize it was simply a matter of not having had the privilege of trying food made with such skill and care. I am touched by your kindness and extraordinary attention to detail and empathy. From noticing the smallest of our needs to ensuring everyone felt looked after, your thoughtfulness made a lasting impression on me. I also loved the fresh and soothing scent of the bedding. It helped me sleep so soundly each night, a simple but deeply appreciated comfort.

Thank you, Peter, for the enchanting piano pieces you shared with us each day, the memorable performances at the church, and the Christmas blessings we received. I’m also grateful for your carefully planned hiking route, the detailed introductions to each scenic spot. I greatly valued our conversations. Your heartfelt insights from working and living in different countries, along with your perspectives on diverse cultures, truly broadened my understanding and encouraged me to reflect more deeply on the world around me. I couldn’t help but admire the students at that beautiful and vibrant school who are fortunate enough to learn from you. Your invaluable real-world experiences, keen intuition about people and situations, and thoughtful tips are irreplaceable treasures, which cannot be learned from books or the internet, nor replaced by technology. They are gifts that can only be shared and appreciated through meaningful conversations. These profound insights and practical tips are incredibly precious to me and helpful not only for my time in the UK but also for my future adventures in other countries as well.

I feel so lucky to have met Derek this time. I am deeply grateful to him for sharing his amusing stories and reflections on the societal changes in the UK over the decades, which provided me with an insightful perspective on global trends.

These words barely capture the depth of my gratitude. Your kind invitation to spend Christmas together was a gift in itself, and I felt deeply moved and honoured. Above all, I was struck by the warmth, inclusiveness, and empathy that permeated every moment in your home. Despite my limited understanding of British etiquette and culture, I never once felt out of place, thanks to the accepting and loving atmosphere you created. It’s an experience that has left a lasting impact on me and inspired me to become a kinder, more compassionate person who can share such joy with others.

I would love to stay in touch and share more about my experiences and growth in this new environment. If I ever find myself near Ambleside again, it would be wonderful to visit and catch up with you, if convenient.

Thank you again from the bottom of my heart.

Warmest regards,
Wei Z.

We were humbled by the email. The students were so great in joining in with our family Christmas celebrations and, as HOST advises, we really didn’t do anything different. We were just happy to share our time with them.”