Decorating
My Kind of Christmas: Charlie Gladstone of Pedlars
Fluoro decorations, surprisingly few arguments and a large dose of The Great Outdoors make Charlie’s perfect Christmas
Charlie Gladstone is a busy man. Along with his wife, Caroline, he’s the co-founder of lifestyle and vintage brand Pedlars. Together, they also run The Good Life Festival with BBC6’s Cerys Matthews, a pub, a farm shop and an online store selling canine accoutrements. They’ve managed to build up their businesses while raising six children, the eldest of whom is now 27. Christmas will be spent at their house in Kincardineshire, Scotland, with the children and an assortment of family pets.
You can find Pedlars and the Gladstones on Instagram, where they have more than 11,000 followers.
You can find Pedlars and the Gladstones on Instagram, where they have more than 11,000 followers.
Is your tree real or artificial?
Always real. I have nothing against artificial – especially if it’s orange or white.
Always real. I have nothing against artificial – especially if it’s orange or white.
Which family traditions do you always follow?
The main tradition is that if I’m involved in decorating the tree, I get in a foul mood. I’m too impatient. So, Caroline does it and I stay away until it’s complete. We’ve been together for 30 years and we learnt this good and early in our relationship.
The main tradition is that if I’m involved in decorating the tree, I get in a foul mood. I’m too impatient. So, Caroline does it and I stay away until it’s complete. We’ve been together for 30 years and we learnt this good and early in our relationship.
What does your house looks like at Christmas?
A great mix of very traditional and very out-there modern. I like to think we were the instigators of a sub-genre of Christmas decoration that I call ‘Fluoro Christmas’. Our first fluoro Christmas photoshoot at Pedlars made it onto the cover of The Wall Street Journal’s magazine. I always use as much fluoro stuff as I can. We make amazing bright baubles in Germany, which we sell at Pedlars, and these feature heavily.
Inspiration for a stylishly eclectic Christmas
A great mix of very traditional and very out-there modern. I like to think we were the instigators of a sub-genre of Christmas decoration that I call ‘Fluoro Christmas’. Our first fluoro Christmas photoshoot at Pedlars made it onto the cover of The Wall Street Journal’s magazine. I always use as much fluoro stuff as I can. We make amazing bright baubles in Germany, which we sell at Pedlars, and these feature heavily.
Inspiration for a stylishly eclectic Christmas
Are there any local traditions you like to join in with?
Church. Always church on Christmas Day. We’re not very good at church during the rest of the year, but on Christmas Day it’s lovely and it’s good to see all our neighbours, many of whom I imagine are once or twice a year visitors to the local church, too.
Which Christmas movies or TV do you always watch?
It’s Love Actually… without fail.
Church. Always church on Christmas Day. We’re not very good at church during the rest of the year, but on Christmas Day it’s lovely and it’s good to see all our neighbours, many of whom I imagine are once or twice a year visitors to the local church, too.
Which Christmas movies or TV do you always watch?
It’s Love Actually… without fail.
Boot storage, Gladstone-style
What’s your Christmas Day dress code?
Smart for church. Mucky for the walk after lunch. In-between for lunch.
What’s your Christmas Day dress code?
Smart for church. Mucky for the walk after lunch. In-between for lunch.
The Gladstones’ fireplace
When do you open your presents?
After church, with a drink and a fire. I always associate this time of day with being very hot and mildly drunk.
When do you open your presents?
After church, with a drink and a fire. I always associate this time of day with being very hot and mildly drunk.
How traditional is your Christmas dinner?
Completely. And we do try to make sure everything is properly sourced. Most supermarket turkeys are reared outside the UK, which seems wrong.
Favourite Christmas snack?
Proper Christmas cake, no marzipan.
Completely. And we do try to make sure everything is properly sourced. Most supermarket turkeys are reared outside the UK, which seems wrong.
Favourite Christmas snack?
Proper Christmas cake, no marzipan.
One of the incredible views from the Gladstones’ home (the hill is called Clachnaben)
What’s your dream Christmas house?
Honestly? It’s ours. It sits on a river, 150ft up a bank. It’s a late-Georgian lodge and there isn’t a shop for 10 miles. Oh, and we have no mobile signal.
What’s your dream Christmas house?
Honestly? It’s ours. It sits on a river, 150ft up a bank. It’s a late-Georgian lodge and there isn’t a shop for 10 miles. Oh, and we have no mobile signal.
What’s the first thing you do when you get up on Christmas morning?
First, wish I could sleep for longer. Second, all of the children come into our room and we open our stockings. We have six children, ranging from 16 to 27, so if they’re all home, it’s mayhem.
First, wish I could sleep for longer. Second, all of the children come into our room and we open our stockings. We have six children, ranging from 16 to 27, so if they’re all home, it’s mayhem.
What’s your favourite Christmas record?
Fairytale of New York by The Pogues.
Fairytale of New York by The Pogues.
What’s your present-wrapping style?
This varies every year. I make it up. I don’t enjoy the process (Caroline does), but I do want it to look good.
This varies every year. I make it up. I don’t enjoy the process (Caroline does), but I do want it to look good.
Highclere Castle, where much of Downton Abbey was filmed
Is your Christmas more:
A) EastEnders
B) Downton Abbey
C) It’s a Wonderful Life
Downton Abbey.
Is your Christmas more:
A) EastEnders
B) Downton Abbey
C) It’s a Wonderful Life
Downton Abbey.
What’s your top Christmas decorating tip?
Do something different every year. I always make our dining room into a sort of domestic Christmas theme park and although some years are more successful than others (I make it up as I go along), I find that if I enjoy it and use found things from inside the house and outside, it works well in the end.
What does your household do on Christmas Day that’s unique to you?
We don’t really argue. Does that count?
Follow Charlie Gladstone on his personal Instagram or browse his latest vintage finds.
What makes your own Christmas Day unique? Share details of your kind of Christmas in the Comments below.
Do something different every year. I always make our dining room into a sort of domestic Christmas theme park and although some years are more successful than others (I make it up as I go along), I find that if I enjoy it and use found things from inside the house and outside, it works well in the end.
What does your household do on Christmas Day that’s unique to you?
We don’t really argue. Does that count?
Follow Charlie Gladstone on his personal Instagram or browse his latest vintage finds.
What makes your own Christmas Day unique? Share details of your kind of Christmas in the Comments below.
When do you decorate the tree?
As soon as we all get back to Scotland from our various travels. We always cut our own tree, one of the many advantages of living in the Highlands.
Get ideas for a beautiful Christmas on a budget