cetrc internals.indd 1
THE REAL
CHRISTMAS Denham Court, a stately home on the outskirts of London, fell into disrepair in the 1920s, and for many years was used as a youth detention centre. In one room of the dilapidated house hung a dark, dirty painting. Most of the inmates hardly gave it a second look. Some even used it as a dartboard. But then a visitor spotted it… Looking past the holes and the layers of filth, he saw something that made his heart beat faster, and he carefully lifted it down. Now, restored and repaired, this painting of Peter Rubens’ house was displayed in London’s National Gallery as a fine example of a 17th-century Dutch master. The events of the first Christmas often receive similar treatment. Some walk past the familiar figures of angels and shepherds every year without noticing. For them Christmas is about Santa and presents, turkey and fairy lights, time off work, family rows and Christmas specials on TV. For others that first Christmas scene is useful only as a dartboard. It has no value to them, so they just try to poke holes in it. But is it possible that there is more to this familiar 1
05/06/2017 12:02