Listening and Reading Practice - British English Podcast

Hello everyone and welcome to the English like a native podcast,

the podcast that's designed to help you to improve your English.

My name is Anna, and today we are talking about the pre-Christmas period chaos.

Now, before I dive into this very interesting topic, I have a parish notice.

A parish notice is something that needs to be said, um, to notify

you about something in-house.

So something like some admin basically.

For example, if you are part of a choir and you go to your choir

rehearsal, they might say "sorry, guys parish notice, your fees are due.

So anyone who hasn't paid their fees, could you please come and see me?

Now let's get on with our singing rehearsal."

Aaa.

So a parish notice is kind of like the admin, it's a notification about admin.

So I have a parish notice for you, if you would like to enjoy these podcasts with

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So let's get on and talk about pre-Christmas chaos.

Now, every year around September, things are chaotic because there

are so many birthdays personally, that I am dealing with in September,

including my own and my mum's, and my son's, and my mother-in-law's,

and there're just so many birthdays.

So September is a crazy month, and then once that ends, once we get

to the 1st of October, I feel like a weight has been lifted off my

shoulders and I can relax, finally.

But it doesn't seem to take long from the 1st of October before that little

nagging sensation starts, the nagging that I need to get ready for Christmas.

And it starts in October because someone somewhere starts

with Christmas in October.

And what I mean by that is some of the shops will have the audacity to put up

Christmas decorations and start selling Christmas bits and bobs in October.

Some TV adverts start having like a Christmas theme, and it is just some

places start playing Christmas music.