Last week the Photocrowd team donned the Christmas jumpers, cracked open some bubbly and hit the streets of Oxford to indulge in the city's festive cheer. Armed with cameras and a list of 20 subjects to hunt down and shoot, we paired up into teams and got on the case. Here are some of the better pics we returned with before hitting the local comedy club for a night of food, drink and unabated belly laughs.
Category 1: Someone in a Christmas hat
A Christmas charity elf, moments before realising he'd been papped.
Category 2: The number 7
Is that balloon really worth £10.99?
Category 3: A Delia Smith cookbook
...because 'Delia's Christmas' would be too obvious.
Category 4: Santa Claus
Gritting our teeth in the queue for Santa's grotto, we were saved-by-the-bell on sight of this shop window guitar. Or is it a ukelele?
Category 5: The closest thing to a Photocrowd logo
We're not entirely sure what that is, but it looks sufficiently similar.
Category 6: A partridge in a pear tree
Sainsburys was the scene of some ingenious improvisation.
Category 7: A pasty
Why was this even on the list?
Category 8: Some Christmas lights
There were plenty to choose from.
Category 9: Oxford University branded clothing
It just warms the cockles of one's heart.
Category 10: A shopkeeper giving you the thumbs up
That, sirs, is some truly magnificent festive fur.
Category 11: The letter C
C stands for both "clever" and "clogs".
Category 12: Musical instrument
They got a penny for their troubles.
Category 13: A college porter
We suddenly found ourselves in a real-life Ricky Gervais skit.
Category 14: Darts board
Someone just so happened to be passing through this darts-friendly boozer.
Category 15: Each other
In case you thought it was needed, here is some (sort of) proof that we were actually doing this.
Category 16: A star
Some fine examples of stars...
Category 17: Holly
..and holly...
Category 18: Tinsel
...and tinsel.
Category 19: Largest Christmas tree
Debenhams went all out this year and got a dino-dwarfing evergreen conifer. Albeit artificial.
Category 20: Widow Twankey
A controversial final category in which most of us were disqualified for brazen cheating. The first two of these pictures just about passed the legitimacy test. The third didn't.
...at which point the mince pies and mulled wine came a callin'. A very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all, from everyone at Photocrowd.
