Incredibly close to Christmas

Arriving back in the UK in early December and not having any sort of routine to keep to has allowed Christmas to all but creep up on me. Christmas has been something that's been mentioned on the radio but I'd not really Tomorrow is Christmas Eve and it's only been today that I've got around to the present wrapping. It's one of those tasks that never appeal on paper but once stuck in it's a challenge to make your best effort of fitting various oddly shaped gifts within the wrapping paper and the strips of largely uncontrollable sellotape. Fine motor skills; I must remember to ask Santa for some of that this year. The wrapping was, for a change, accomplished without too much frustration and very limited swearing. My efforts will never win any awards but it'll serve the utilitarian purpose of vaguely disguising the assorted contents until the 25th.

Today saw the last of the pre-Christmas shopping. It's been bandied about that the British buying public will be spending 2 billion today, not that I contributed a single penny towards this having successfully accumulated a curious array of gifts during my travels which I shall shortly be making the effort to pass off as Christmas gifts. I suspect not having to do any December shopping is another reason that the approaching festivities and the increasing panic that this causes so many have entirely passed me by this year.

We're now firmly into Christmas Radio Times territory; that two-week bumper edition containing more listings of over-televised old films than you can shake a stick at. Quite why the television companies don't see it fit to spend some money on even relatively new releases over this time of year when such a lot of viewing goes on bewilders me annually. At least there's the Dr Who Christmas Special to throw a bit of life into the schedules, which reminds me that I've got to catch up on the past series first. The cybermen have only just been seen off and there's a long way to go. Still, there's nothing like quality, contemporary British programming to get in the Christmas spirit, however late in the day it may be.