Bloody typical. I got up from the computer, turned around and there was the book, right in front of me. Silly me, I'd been looking on the bookshelves!

It is indeed 'A Treasury of Christmas', and the ISBN is 0006365647, first published in 1981 so it may take some finding. If you do, hang on to it, it's brilliant and very funny.

It actually starts with All Hallows Eve and the Lord of Misrule. This chapter has a couple of Mummers plays in it, the whole book is full of readings, information both useful and trivial, poetry, anecdotes and pictures. 'Diary of a Nobody' is always good for some satirical readings about Christmas.

And the Hardy book with the mumming play in it is Return of the Native.

LTS