'Some Belated Feedback From Last Year's, 'Operation Spread Christmas Spirit!'

I was delighted the other day to receive a Christmas card from a couple called 'Lisa & Tony' that I do not actually know!

So why did they send me a card, I hear you ask? Well, I popped a card in to their house LAST Christmas on my Christmas Eve travels to deliver my 'Santa' cards in honour of the lovely Christmas light display they had put on. Seeing as initially I failed to receive a single card from any that I delivered last year that Lisa & Tony made a note to send me a card THIS year shows that my efforts WERE all worthwhile after all!

I think the snag with delivering my cards on Christmas Eve is that people think its too late to send a reply by then and so, while (I hope) I give them a smile and spread some festive cheer, I don't get any cards back. Unfortunately, it looks as if I won't be able to put 'Operation Spread Christmas Spirit' into action this year as I don't have any spare cards and STILL haven't caught up with writing cards for family and friends - let alone got all of my presents bought...

That's a real pity as Lisa & Tony's lovely card proves that my campaign was proving a success - I mean, for all I know LOADS of people may have started doing the same thing now because of me!

On a serious note, Lisa & Tony's card was a charity one and so my campaign could also help to raise a lot of extra money for good causes if it were to catch on in a big way! What a lovely thought, eh?

Typical me, I walked into town yesterday and came back to Hollington  via St Helen's Rd. I was going to 'pop in' on Lisa & Tony to say 'Thanks' for the card but was looking for 279 St Helen's Rd not 249! Well, there isn't a 279 as the last house is no 277! Instead of 'fearing I was being stalked' like (seemingly) 50% of the population would these days, however my reaction to this was to think, "Ah, HA! I bet it was SANTA who really sent me that card!

There really is no hope, is there! (lol)

'The Lights At Westfield'

I had a lovely afternoon at the G.R.O.W. (Grass Roots Open Writers) Christmas meal. Beginning with a visit to a pub in Ninfield for a carvery Christmas lunch once the light started to go it was time to make our way to the 'Capital City of Christmas' - Westfield to see the Christmas lights this year.

I don't think there are quite as many homes in the village this year that have taken part in the annual event to raise money for St Michael's Hospice but it is a tad earlier than I usually go so maybe that is why?

This said, there are PLENTY of amazingly festive sights to see in the village and many of the 'regulars' have gone out of their way to 'up the ante' even more and produce some new displays. I'm not going to show you all of them here because I want to encourage you to go to 'make the pilgrimage' to Westfield to see the sights yourselves but I have uploaded a few of the best pics I took here in order to 'get your juices flowing'!

I shall be back in Westfield for my other writing club's Christmas Dinner (Shorelink Writers) on the 19th so it will be interesting to see if more of the houses are lit up by then or not?

The villagers do such a good job of promoting Christmas and of advertising the Christmas spirit that just walking about the village in December is an uplifting and re-assuring experience! I fear that the whole idea of Christmas is in decline these days (hence this blog!) and so I love it when I am anywhere where it is obvious that this is not the case...

One of home owners has come up with a really great Santa projection show as well! If you stand outside and watch you get to see Santa moving about seemingly inside their house! He looks as if he is delivering presents and even peers out the window to wave at you!

Especially fun for the kids, I found watching it almost transported me back in time to when my eyes would go all big and wide at the thought of seeing Santa Claus dropping off my sack of presents at the end of my bed on Christmas night...

I hope the villagers do well with their collection this year. I did not see as many collecting buckets or places to drop donations into as last year though but like I said it is still a little before the prime Christmas season. Go on! Get yourself and you family and friends out to Westfield and re-kindle your inner children!

'More Christmas Fun & My Christmas Video Single For 2014'

I had a HUGE amount of fun posting 'spread Christmas spirit - THANK YOU' letters through postboxes under cover of darkness last night! I really got the feel for what it must be like to be Santa himself (or a Burglar! HA HA) creeping about outside people's housing and trying to quietly deliver a card through their letterbox without being seen or waking anyone up!

 A lot of letterboxes these days are a NIGHTMARE to use as they are REALLY stiff and tight and you almost have to force your hand through with the letter to stop it getting bent and buckled. I had visions of getting my hand stuck and the whole scenario ending up like a bad 'Some Mothers Do Ave' 'Em' script but thankfully that didn't happen. A lot of people also have darned 'security lights' and creep as silently as you might you get caught like a rabbit in the headlights when, in sight of the door, you hear a 'ping' and its broad daylight! Cor, I wouldn't want to be a modern day Burglar I can tell you! you feel guilty enough when you have GOOD and HONOURABLE intentions for your creeping about - how it must feel when you are 'up to no good' I can't imagine!

Anyway, I have now 'delivered' about 32 of my Christmas campaign cards and its going to be fun to see if I any replies. One house I visited last night particularly made me smile. They had a 'Santa stop here' sign in their garden and as the living room curtains were open  I could see a little girl toddler walking about in the middle of the room. It felt really nice to think that my card with 'From Santa xx' on the front may help to make that families Christmas stories about the man at the North Pole seem real to that child and I left all 'gooey' inside dreaming of the days when I used to get SOOO excited about Father Christmas and presents.

I took a few pictures of some of the loveliest Christmas lights and decorations I saw last night, a few of which you can see here...

Next, I would like you to take a look at my Christmas video single for Youtube this year, 'December '73'. The footage in the video was shot in the village of Westfield. I said I would try and get to Westfield to bring you some pics and footage of the village and the villagers annual lighting up for charity event and I think you will love what you see here. Whether you will love my song as much (yes, I know the vocals aren't amazing!)  I don't know but the final mix and master of the song isn't ready yet so what you hear in the video is the best demo I have of the song. I think my amateur video works quite well so I hope you like it. I chose to call the song, 'December 73' because it was 1973 that Slade were No1 with the ultimate festive classic, 'Merry Christmas Everybody'.

Ho! Ho! Ho! For now - here are one or two more festive pics from my letter delivering last night to warm the cockles of your Christmas heart xxx

'Chestnut Tree House Children's Hospice Charity'

Christmas can be a stressful time for all of us but imagine for a moment how you might feel if you had a small son or a daughter with a terminal illness. It doesn't bear thinking about does it but sadly there are a number of parents each year who have to face up to dealing with a Christmas with a child for whom that Christmas is likely to be their last.

'Chestnut Tree House' is THE children's hospice for Sussex. I say 'the' because it is the ONLY such establishment in that area and as such is constantly in demand and in need of funds. Aside from a government grant of 250,000 a year, the hospice has to raise the rest of the money (currently around 3 million per annum) it needs to operate itself and that is a huge task in itself.

The hospice is situated at Arundel and looks after 300 or more children and their families at any one time. The work that they do in bringing comfort, support and making sure that the children involved and their parents get to make the most of whatever time they have left together is amazing and support continues for parents even after their loved one has died.

In 2001, I had a friend of mine, Simon Patrick Kerr Griffiths, commit suicide on me. Simon was a troubled soul and did not have a happy or productive life in the main. He grew up in Chichester and went 'off the rails' as a teenager engaging in many criminal activities some of which caused considerable disruption and upset to others. Simon suffered greatly with anxiety and depression - a condition that ran in his family - and so, while he cannot be completely forgiven for his actions, was not truly responsible for them either. Since his death, I have though about him and his life a lot and the conclusion I have come to is that in many ways he was a child born into this world that never really had a chance right from the off. I see those poor little souls who end up at Chestnut Tree House like that which is why each year I make a donation to the hospice. Life is NOT fair and not everybody does get a 'fair shake' at living a long and productive life. While I grieve for Simon he did at least get to spend 55 years on this planet. The kids at Chestnut Tree House don't have that luxury to look forward to...

I know things are tough at this time of year but if you can spare a few pounds this Christmas a donation to Chestnut Tree House is a gift for those who are most in need of a fabulous Christmas. If you can achieve so much with so little just by cutting down on a few beers or eating a few less mince pies this year isn't it worth the sacrifice?

You can find out more about the work that Chestnut Tree House does and learn how and where you can donate to the cause here: http://www.chestnut-tree-house.org.uk
 

'No Wonder Its Called Boxing Day!'

Well peeps, I sincerely hope you had a better Christmas than I did this year! Christmas Day wasn't so bad... after starting with a row, coming home to find my Dads garage lock had been vandalised so he couldn't put the car away, a fight over the road from where I live - complete with shouting, an ambulance and the police and being unable to sleep! My only solace was that I finished the day by watching 'Scrooge' with Alastair Sim again. I always watch that film at some point during Christmas and left it rather late this time. No matter how many times I see it the film always makes me blub and helps to make my own life , which is far from perfect at the moment, seem better.

Boxing Day added even more misery to the pot though and was like one of Jeremy Beadle's pranks! After working for half an hour on a review for Amazon.com I was just checking it out to make sure the wording was fine when BOOM! the Internet went down... To add to my misery, the telephone connection was also down and so I was left with no way of contacting anyone, writing a blog or doing ANYTHING pretty much!

As is traditional for me on Boxing Day, I then turned my attention to the Racing and the King George at Kempton. Now I know that having a bet at Christmas time is asking for trouble but I used to gamble EVERY DAY and now only allow myself certain days on the calendar to 'have a go' so its actually quite a source of excitement and pleasure for me to 'take on the old enemy' on Boxing Day. To be honest, I really fancied my chances this year (always fatal!) and was quietly confident of a win. Well, to say that things didn't work out would be an understatement! My nap of the day ran in the first race at Kempton and I rushed home eager to watch it...only to find that Channel 4 were not showing that race!
When I heard the result my horse was nowhere! What made it even more annoying was that the 'main danger' I had made a note of WON and at 12/1! HA HA 

I tell you, whenever as a gambler you get a start like that you just know its not going to be your day. In the end I failed to get a single winner. One of my horses bolted and was withdrawn at the start, one made a bad mistake at the last and threw victory away and two others were pulled up - it was just one of those days!

Add to all this 'jollity' my Dad constantly going on about what he'd like to do to the person who keeps vandalising his garage ( this is the 4th time they have damaged the lock) and my Mum whining about stuff and you have an idea of how CRAP yesterday was! It really does tickle me sometimes how my luck at Christmas always seems to run out. I guess thats why watching 'A Christmas Carol' is such a tonic because it puts all these minor - but INCREDIBLY annoying things into perspective. It seems to me that the more you love something and are determined to enjoy it the more life does to kick you where it hurts.

Today though I will get to see how TRULY lucky I am in spite of another dysfunctional Christmas. I am going to 'Surviving Christmas' this afternoon to entertain the homeless people. My voice is not likely to be that great to be honest as I haven't sung for quite a while but all I can do is do my best. My friend, Sally, goes every year and has roped me in today. I have genuine fears (realistic ones too!) of ending up homeless myself in the near future so I will be facing a few fears by helping out today. Still, I am sure the experience will be character building and if I manage to make even one persons Christmas a bit brighter I will be fulfilled. I really shouldn't complain about my lot but it would be SO LOVELY if just once I managed to have the kind of happy Christmas I so wish for...

Oh well, roll on 2014!