And so to the final entry of the year, although today, Sunday is the 28th so I’ve gone wrong somewhere over the year!

Whilst Christmas is the big event, it’s a personal experience for our little family. We had a lovely family day, everyone loved their presents and we enjoyed a quiet day at home. The photo for Christmas Day is my table set up, simple but fun, what’s Christmas without a crocheted Christmas pudding / Lindt chocolate, a Lottery scratch card and a Santa pocket to hold your cutlery?

In the evenings preceding Christmas, my daughter and I watched some classic Christmas films. There is something magical about sitting in front of the tv with the lights on low, twinkling tree lights and nibbling on the Christmas snacks. We watched Love Actually which I haven’t see for years, it’s funny how a film suddenly feels of its time. It is still thoroughly enjoyable and is a who’s who of the ‘Brit pack’ in the early 2000s and yes Emma Thompson’s scene with the Joni Mitchell CD remains heartbreaking. Emma Thompson was in our Christmas Eve film too, Last Christmas. Another film tinged with sadness due to its George Michael soundtrack. The film is pretty sad too although as I had seen it before I was ready for the twist which I never saw coming the first time when I watched it in disbelief.

We normally try to fit in a trip to the cinema around Christmas and although we had found a film, we couldn’t fit it into our schedule. Instead when the boys went to London on a football away trip, my daughter and I went to Bournemouth for the lights and ice skating. It was a great time to see the lights, the evening was mild and dry and the mad pre Christmas crowds had disappeared. I got some great photos this time. The ice skating was so much fun, and I did progress from hanging onto the edges to being able to skate around the rink independently. My daughter twirled and looked graceful on the ice, the ballet lessons paid off!

I like to read a warm, cosy book over Christmas and the new Charlie Macksey book, Always Remember fitted the bill perfectly. It’s a beautifully written and illustrated book to cherish and keep for the tough times. It’s like a little pep talk with pretty pictures. My other read has been the absolute opposite of Always Remember but equally an excellent read. Nesting is the story of a woman and her young children trying to escape a coercive relationship, it’s a story which will haunt you.

Finally I’ve been putting a few figures to my parkrunning this year. I’m very proud to have done 51 runs, 40 volunteers and to have gotten a new PB. Saturday’s run was stunning to finish the year, bright blue skies, warm sunshine and a winter chill in the air. I ran comfortably and look forward to new adventures in 2026.