Noël à l'anglaise

G-rated, formulaic, and utterly predictable. Feel-good for the younger set. Too much soft focus and quirky music. But, the child and her gran are a delight. A respite from the felonious characters of other Christmas movies. Pretty location. Light a candle, drink a nog, and sour back with a Hallmark-style movie.

I have only one criticism regarding the story line. At the beginning, the main character, Jessica, is sitting at a small rail station in the middle of what turns out to be, Yorkshire. She was enroute to Vienna for a concert. Her flight was canceled. She ends up taking a train twenty miles away from the town where I presume the airport was. This was confusing especially since I once lived in Yorkshire. One other detail that bothered me was the endless supply of winter coats, hats and scarves. When she was at the train station she had a small to medium sized suitcase. That being said, this was a nice love story set at Christmas time. It was a British version of a Hallmark Christmas movie. No swearing, no violence and predictable. The location where it was filmed was beautiful. It's worth a watch at the end of a hectic day.

I assume the director cut his teeth on tv adverts

ok so the acting is awful

the cafe patrons are hilariously bad (hands up who wants to be in a christmas film?) a 'town cryer-a gram' is a brilliant idea

'andrew' is clearly from the south of england but the little girl is adorable "sweetheart"

it's a fantasy, we don't have 'steam trains' it's the 21st century or stationmasters although is he supposed to be santa?

But the biggest crime is no mention knaresboroughs most famous resident 'old mother shipton' no petrified well, no premonition's, no witches at all, a missed opportunity me thinks!

As someone that lives in North Yorkshire I'll address a few things, but let's not forget, this film is fiction and doesn't claim to be factual.

Yes The main airport in Yorkshire is Leeds Bradford, a quick taxi or bus to Leeds would put the main character into Leeds, one of the biggest cities in the UK but does it matter? No.

Leeds Bradford airport isnt served by a steam train, but, in the North Yorkshire Moors and Dales (where this is set) there is a steam train to go around the towns and villages, so not as wrong as many point out.

Knarebrough (the town used as the main base) is beautiful, obviously it has areas of new build houses and trading estates, but in the town centre and direct outskirts, it's old and stunning, it's also not in the Dales or the Moors, but what fiction films are true to life?

It's a cheesy Christmas film that shows off Yorkshire's beauty, even if things are moved around a little.

Don't set your expectations high, take it for what it is and you won't be a Christmas Grinch like some reviewers.

Full disclaimer, I love Hallmark Christmas movies. I now feel like I imagine Americans do when they watch them; do all small towns in America really have Christmas Tree farms and cookie factories? Probably not. For American tourists let me manage your expectations; the only airport in Yorkshire anywhere near is Leeds Bradford. If you were stranded at the airport you would get a taxi to the nearest premier inn. Never in all my time living in Leeds did a steam train with compartment pull up as part of a normal service! Don't get me started on the male lead's accent... other than that - terrible!