A Christmas Blog

Inspired by others out there, I thought I'd do my own Ho Ho Ho Christmas meme. I've not thought of questions (nor answers!) in advance so step one is brainstorming a few of the former. Now, you can't see this bit but I'm taking a Sheaffer Imperial (filled with brown ink) and jotting down various ideas. Not the easiest of tasks as the (previously broadcast) tidy desk has disappeared under a morass of papermoney, mugs, paper, tissues and.............hang on..........where on earth did that come from? Oh, how gross! I think Reg must have popped round.

Anyway, I now have a list so here goes:

• Ideal Christmas: Warm inside, dark and stormy outside. The room filled with loved ones...............Oh, you know what I mean. I'm sure everyone has the same ideal.

• Best Present Ever: Absolutely no idea! I have strong memories of a scooter when I was about 6. It rained for several days and all I could do was use it up and down the hall. Most frustrating.

• Christmas Food: I'm not a turkey person really: give me roast beef any day. Having said that, cold meat and pickles is always my favourite bit and I shall be doing my Coca-Cola ham as tradition dictates. We're actually going out for our Christmas meal for the first time ever so that should be whizzo. No washing-up and, as the restaurant is literally next door, no worries about getting there or back. We've also been invited to a friend's pub for a private evening and more food so basically, the diet's totally buggered that day.

• Christmas TV: Having made my annual Radio Times purchase, I see that the schedule is as bad as always. I shall watch some carols at some point, Corrie and Eastenders - apart from that, little else appeals. Is it me or is it Society? Once we were happy with Morecambe and Wise and even Noel Edmonds. I think Christmases were gentler then and we had no wealth of expectation as we do now.

• Christmas Film: As a kid at Christmas, I'd sit there and watch all the "greats" like High Noon, Ivanhoe, Jason and the Argonauts etc. Mum and Dad loved their films and it was tradition to sit and tick off the ones they really wanted to see. As I went through this year's, I found myself thinking how much Dad would have liked them.

• Christmas Song: Sadly, when they all start blaring in the shops from October onwards, modern songs seem to lose their appeal. Having said that, I shall probably slip on a Christmas songs CD to listen to on my iPod Christmas morning when they seem to take on a different light. Ideally, I would love a Sally Army band outside the window playing carols because I still think they're the best Christmas songs. Silent Night is the most incredibly evocative tune of past Christmases and will reduce me to an emotional wreck.

• Best Christmas Character: Has to be Father Christmas of course! Sitting telling tales of his preparations for Christmas when the kids were smaller was wonderful and their faces as they scanned the Christmas Eve skies for a glimpse of him are still very real. I still tell my children that Father Christmas is real if you want him to be (and I still believe it too).

• Best Christmas Memory: Obviously, Christmases when the kids were young. Seeing their faces and enjoying their happiness and excitement was a privilege. The frantic building of toys and the desperate search for batteries was a real joy! Let's face it, Christmas is a time for children of all ages and I would give so much to recapture that feeling.

• Christmas Wish: A Christmas time-machine! Oh, and I'm ever hopeful that, one day, Steve McQueen and his motor-bike will get over that bloody fence!
  

Other Christmas memories I have: Walking to Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve with my girlfriend when I was about 20. It was snowing and the roads were silent and white - absolutely magical. I remember Christmas Eve as a kid myself. Mum and Dad would come in and put my presents on the end of the bed once they thought I had gone to sleep. I, of course, was still wide-awake and lay there petrified that they would see this and take the presents away again.

The room was freezing cold (lino and no central heating) and I would take my Christmas stocking and dive under the covers where it was nice and snug and warm. In the darkness, I would slowly, carefully and quietly remove the contents: a few nuts and a satsuma at the toe but also perhaps a metal racing car or some soldiers. Laying there, still shivering with excitement, I would eventually drift off to sleep - Christmas had finally arrived.

I still long for Christmas although it is a much more muted affair these days. This year will be stranger than most as Dad used to so love Christmas and my thoughts are of him quite a bit. However, now's as good a time as any to wish my few faithful readers a very peaceful and wonderful Christmas. May you all be surrounded with joy, happiness and the greatest present of all - love.