Christmas Day is almost here but not quite. Do you remember Christmas Eve's when you were young, when the day seemed to go on forever and you couldn't wait for Christmas Day?
It was the one evening of the year as a boy that I was allowed to stay up late. My parents knew I wouldn't get any sleep anyway due to excitement.
On Christmas Eve afternoon I always did the same thing. I divided a piece of A4 paper into sections to represent the month of December and then did little Christmas themed drawings in each box which wasn't bad because I couldn't and cannot draw.
Then in the evening would come all those special smells of cooking Turkey, mince pies and other aromas. Eventually it was bed because I was tired, but then I couldn't get to sleep anyway. Except I must have done because when I awoke he had been.
All my presents were in a pile just inside the door of the bedroom. Santa had been kind again. Somehow he had dropped down our chimney with all those presents balanced in his hands and made his way to my bedroom and popped them in without me seeing anything.
I used to play this ridiculous game in my bedroom. I went to bed with a number of stuffed toys. There was a Teddy Bear who was my favourite and then a large knitted Teddy with buttons for eyes. Then I had a donkey and a few other animals. We all shut our eyes and then took it in turns to look through the curtains to see if the street light close to the window had gone out. The winner was the animal whose turn it was who first saw no light on. Little Ted was a master of this game. I never did find out what time that light went out but this was my special Christmas Eve game.
Now I think that Christmas Eve is a much more important day. The grandchildren love it because it's all part of the Christmas celebrations and today we will be going over to see them for some mulled wine.
I loved Poppy's reaction on Thursday when I announced I was driving down to the butchers on the main room to pick up some pig's feet!
"Do you want to come," I asked?
"Yes please," she said.
So off we went. It was only just over a mile away but Poppy insisted on setting the car's sat nav despite the fact that before she could set it we were there anyway. She did the same on the way back.
But when I asked her to carry the pig's feet for me she just screamed. The whole trip only took 15 minutes but they were 15 magical minutes shared by a long in the tooth grandad and his beautiful granddaughter. Meanwhile wonderful grandson stayed at home not wanting any encounter with any part of a pig.
Aaahh Christmas Eve. Three things have to be done on Christmas Eve. This is a tradition that started when I was working. Often we would pack up around lunchtime and I would come home and almost always watch two films - "White Christmas" and "It's A Wonderful Life" and I would also listen to Benjamin Britten's Cantata "St Nicolas." Britten's work has been one of my favourites ever since I was introduced to it at secondary school. It's not an easy piece of music but so so rewarding if you stay with it.
So we are on the verge of Christmas 2022. I always look at how many Christmases we have all enjoyed. It will be my 71st, my other threequarters' 72nd, our sons 40th and 42nd (if my maths is correct) and our grandchildrens' eighth and 11th (again if my maths are correct).
In my case that's over 10 weeks of Christmas Days!
Speak to you on Christmas morning.