Just had my flu jab.

Next month is (free) electric blanket testing, then the winter fuel allowance and the church ladies' supper and ceilidh. I shall be exhausted by Hogmanay!

My favourite, as I may have mentioned before, is late opening one evening in December, when all the shops open from 7 'til 9 providing a small nip of ginger wine and shortbread as a loyalty "thank you".

Santa, who looks remarkably like the local lollipop man, and who calls out to many of the children by name, is is pulled through the town by two real reindeer, preceded by a police car on blues and now and again tows, and followed by the fire engine, coastguard, also on blues, and floats from local pubs and clubs.

On each corner is a different primary class singing carols, and Santa parks up at the nativity tableau, and baby Jesus ' manger is surreptitiously denuded of hay while tiny hands feed the reindeer (I don't think He minds too much though!).

The sparkle in the little ones' eyes has to be seen to be believed.

I am utterly depressed. We were at the local garden centre/gift shop/food hall yesterday and it was difficult to find the ordinary stock as you fought your way through plastic Santa's, wickerwork reindeer, flashing tinsel trees and other assorted crud. Never has so much tat been marketed to so many by such cynics. Yuk! Who buys this junk? And who, for goodness sake, buys it on 1 October?
Bah, humbug!!!

Ah i like the sound of Lauries festives that will be taking place.