‘Alice took off the last of the wrapping paper and held the object up to the light. It was like nothing she’d ever seen. The Advent Calendar was very light and made of wood a couple of centimetres thick in the shape of a large diamond. They found out later that the wood came from an olive tree. It had a lovely sweet smell and a polished, smooth surface. The centre was light brown with a darker strip around the border which tapered to a thin, smooth edge…’