It’s starting to look very Christmassy at home now that Carol and Francis have put up the tree. I’m really looking forward to it this year because I have six days off and no formal commitments. In the past I’ve usually had half a dozen gigs to get through before polling up home in the early hours of Christmas day tired out of my tree.

As December goes on I guess we’ll all be busy shopping and planning and stuff so, in anticipation, I hope the festive season is brilliant for us all and that we all have a great Christmas.

If I had to find a simple sentence to describe what Christmas meant to me I guess it would around family and friends. In recent months I’ve made contact with both a family member (cousin Jane) and a friend (Saul Aytemiz Taylor) purely through my website here which I’m thrilled about. I’ve also made new friends across the world who have somehow stumbled upon me and become pen friends. Thank you everyone x I really appreciate your comments, sentiments, sarcasm, love and everything else you throw at me x Bless you all x Alan