Well here it is, Christmas. It once seemed so very far away and now its here. I write this just before Christmas eve and all is quiet at the moment. I have the radio on and a busy day beckons for tomorrow.

Ah Christmas Eve, its my favourite day of Christmas. The last minute few things to get sorted and the mounting anticipation of Christmas day ahead. What does surprise me these days is how mad people go regarding their food shopping at this time and the amount of lining up in long ques at checkouts. The food stores will only be shut one day yet people buy as if they will be shut for a week. Now I do remember back in the 60′s and 70′s when indeed food shops would be closed for a few days and you needed to ensure you had enough provisions to see you through.

Christmas Eve for me will be getting up quite early and going to the studio to present the breakfast show. Then home before a well earned lunchtime drink. Then the afternoon with friends before attending a super buffet laid on my my sister. It will be noisy with all the kids there and it remind me of what it must have been like for my parents as christmas approached and all us kids at home as high as kites with excitement. It’s a great time just to get together as a family. This is important. Family at Christmas time and all being together. This year, a couple of days after Christmas, my eldest son Philip is moving down south to live with his girlfriend. he has got a new job and a nice new flat. We are really happy for him. he has been left home now for over five years and have proved himself capable of looking after himself and Leigh-Ann is a lovely girl. But the thought of him further away has meant that we won’t be seeing him quite as much as we do and to be honest it tugs the heartstrings. But of course they are making their way in the world, just like Sue and myself did over thirty years ago. I know they will still come up this way to see family, and of course we will go to visit them later in the new year. So this Christmas could be the last time we as a family gather beneath the Christmas tree on Christmas morning to open out presents together. It makes you realise that time is moving on and things change. Our friends came to visit the other night and Jane commented as just the four of us sat in front of a bright log fire that we had come full circle and that the children had grown and were living their lives and we were back just as we were almost 30 years ago when they used to visit before the children were born. Really thought provoking stuff.

So my Christmas message to you is treasure your family, your memories, thank God for them, be there for them and don’t be afraid to tell them how much you love them. It’s love that is sadly missing in the world today. So this Christmas time let there be peace on Earth, goodwill to all and let God’s love surround us all.

I will be back with a new blog in the new year. Thank you so much for reading it and I hope you continue to enjoy it.

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