Jingle all the way

And so I found myself standing with feet lightly dusted with snow, cheek by jowl with singing reindeer, and my elbows brushing against the pine needles of rows of bejewelled Christmas trees.

OK, so the snow was fake, the reindeer were battery-operated and the pine needles plastic. But there was no getting away from Christmas.

My wife and I had taken our daughter to a garden centre, which turns into Lapland this time every year.

It's our little one's second Christmas. Last year she was too young to really appreciate what was going on.

This year is a different matter. The best way I can put it is to hand you over to my daughter, live from the garden centre:

"Oh, Christmas tree, dancing snowman... ooh singing penguin... shiny baubles... let me climb over that carefully constructed picket fence and get to the Nativity scene... whoops, don't think Joseph's head is meant to come off... never mind, Daddy will stick it back on... now then, let me run over to the singing reindeer and press every single button... what a lovely sound all 27 of them are making... why's that man got his fingers in his ears? ... I'll pull that singing reindeer's head... oh dear, didn't think all of them would come crashing down to the floor... doesn't matter, Daddy's here to pick them up ... don't know why he's so red in the face, must be the heat from all the fairy lights."

Yes, I think it's fair to say she's aware something's going on this year.

A

fter my column a couple of weeks ago where I called for a civic tribute to Pete McCarthy, I have some good news.

Gemma Weedon, of the Pyramid centre, contacted me to say she and her colleagues were inspired by my words and were keen to establish a permanent memorial at the centre to the late humorist. The centre has some money to spend and is keen to raise more for a fitting tribute to Pete.

I've now put the Pyramid in touch with Pete's family, who are keen, and it's likely that we'll be launching a fundraising appeal very soon.

Watch this space.