No Avoiding It.

The clocks have gone back, Halloween, Bonfire Night, Remembrance sunday and Armistace Day are now past and there is no avoiding the reality that, unless you live in Scotland and celebrsate St Andrews Day, the next big day on the calender is Christmas. The signs are there. Somerfields have started playing christmassy songs, although Slade have yet to be heard, Christmas Cards are now on sale everywhere and Alan at The Lamb has started his Christmas draw. Its all down hill from here,. Endless worries about what to give great auntie Edna for christmas, assuming she lasts that long or worrying about whether the latest version of Grand Theft Auto is suitable for little willie. Some may be having worries about whether they should give the wife and girlfriend the same brand of perfume or how to avoid thgem meeting up at a mutual friends party. Then there is the vexed question of what you do with uncle George if ypou invite him to spend christmas with you and he gets drunk, tells obscene jokes and makes passes at every woman in the building under 65. These are the sort of traumas that ensure that the divorce lawyers are always busy after Christmas and there is always a long queue for the psychiatrists couch come january.

Some of us of course, have few relations to worry about come the great festive swill but doubtless, as usual, we shall be also stressed at the thought that we may be missing something. No One escapes the rigours of Christmas.