Yesterday was the first real day of Christmas here. The day also goes under the celebratory name of “I-need-to-clean-the-whole-house-and-you-need-to-clamber-around-in-the-loft-and-find-all-the-decorations-because-its-Christmas” Day!!!! Today is yesterday, part the second. With the sounds of  “Scrooge”, “Grinch”, “Miserable Old Sod”, “Humbug” and all the other seasonal insults around me, I reluctantly begin to fall into place. I have to say, I hate Christmas! More to the point, I hate what Christmas has become. It just seems to be a time for eating, drinking and spending more than is good for anyone. What has happened to the spirit of Christmas ? Seems to me that it now comes ‘gift pack’ with a 35ml bottle and a tacky glass.

     We don’t have a real tree anymore. We gave that up a while back, when the price of a piece of dead wood became too high. We now have a three foot high (including basket) fibre optic tree. It does the job, looks good and is always a talking point. The really good thing, is that there are no nasty needles to sweep up afterwards. Because, you never get them all. There will be one day, probably mid January, when you’re walking around in your bare feet, and you’ll find one !!! Never a good time.

     It’s ‘Panto’ time in Bramham again. I’m not going to go into the ‘oh no it isn’t – oh yes it is’ routine……. ah I just did! S**** is again one of the stars. This years effort has again been written by a local lad, and it is a version of Aladdin, but it’s more Persian than the usual Chinese offering. S**** plays the part of the Aladdin’s simple brother, Cy. He seems to be on stage for most of the performance, and his part is very slapstick. He is coming home very battered and bruised from all the knockabout routines, but he says it is great fun, and it certainly was very energetic, when K*** and me saw it on Thursday. I’ll post some pictures later, when they get uploaded.

     My writing efforts continue. I’m working on a short story at the moment, that may involve a troll. Not the internet type, but the type of troll that might live under a bridge. Still not sure where it’s going yet, but I’m managing to knock out a couple of hundred words every other day. I’m working on the idea that I should just write, and when I come to the end, then start to edit and correct it. It’s difficult, as I seem to see what is not right every time I come to write some more. Both style and content are a work in progress. I’m also in the process of writing a small play/sketch. This started as listening in to two separate conversations and then expanding it into a very short story. someone then suggested that it would probably make a good (or adequate was the word) sketch. So I’m giving it a go. Who knows, it may even end up being performed by the drama group.