Abruptly Christmas Day swung over like a tossed coin. The silver and blue of bells and hymns and angels went down with a bang and was replaced by the red and gold of flaming plum puddings and candled trees.

That is very good. I remember nothing almost of this book.

with its Jaccomarchiadus - the finest in England - the mailed figure which strikes the clock to mark the hours. This isn't a word I (or my Chambers dictionary) know, and an internet search heads straight back to The Dean's Watch, pausing on the way to admire some pictures of Wells cathedral clock.

I think it's just the Latin of "jacquemart," although I recognize that doesn't help explain where the term came from in the first place.