Early seasonal doughnuts could be spotted on Monday following a lecture on Chanucah by Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis. The first in a planned series of classes by the chief rabbi to take place before festivals, it drew a large audience of 400 people to Hendon United Synagogue.

His talk skilfully knitted together a variety of topics including the primordial light of Creation, the significance of the number 36 and what blessing to recite if you come across the pillar of salt that was once Mrs Lot. You can download the lecture from the chief rabbi’s website.