'Nearly There!'

Well, we are nearly at the finishing line for this years Christmas build up. It hasn't been the most memorable of Christmas run ins this year for me as the weather (will it EVER stop raining!) has been far from anything you imagine when thinking of a 'Winter Wonderland'. My luck hasn't been that great either as far as my camera letting me down TWICE on visits to Battle and my unavailability because of a writing festival in London to be able to attend my favourite Christmas Fair...

The papers though have cheered me up a bit with a few Christmassy stories and my old pal, Charles Dickens, would be well chuffed with teenager, Jordan Cox, who according to THE SUN used a selection of promotional vouchers to 'buy' £572.16 worth of food from Tesco's for 4p and then gave the lot to the charity, Doorstep. Now THATS the Christmas spirit old 'Charlie boy' was hoping to conjure up in all of us!

Old 'Charlie boy' Mr Charles Dickens and GOD BLESS his cotton socks!

Christmas is such a special time of the year but it is also a time when loneliness, financial worries, frustrations and thoughts of the past/missing loved ones strike home hardest. This Christmas please make sure that those you know who are alone are made aware of how loved and cherished they are. We all tend to get carried away with the hullabaloo that surrounds us at Christmas and often many amongst us who are sad, lost or are suffering are made to feel more so by the happiness of others. Christmas is a time to open your eyes as well as your heart and that is a part of the Christmas message I will always mention at this time no matter how many years (or not) I write this blog...

We all have unfulfilled dreams, we all 'wish' for pipe dreams but equally we all fail to see what a wonderful life we ALREADY HAVE. People are the most important thing on Dec 25th not money, not presents, not television, people and as a single guy myself I know that only too well. 

Me with my friend, Sally Patricia Gardner at our writing club Christmas meal.

I am not going to get all maudlin on you though, my GOD no! HA HA I am a 'bouncing off the walls' person at Christmas and so I will continue to spend the festive season in good cheer and complete with my Elf costume! The world cannot handle the festive cheer I pump out to others in December each year and I never tire of peoples looks of 'nutter' when I stumble across a member of the 'Bah Humbugian Sect'. Dear old Ebeneezer (the former) shall never dampen a TONY MAY CHRISTMAS no matter how hard they try!

No, no, no, be HAPPY over Christmas whatever you do PLEASE - but just be aware of the other side of the coin for others and make sure you always have a spare glass of wine/sherry and a mince pie for the less fortunate as well...

Love to all , xxxx