Yesterday was our first foray into the world of Christmas food shopping, a job which I have to declare from the start is one I loathe and detest, there may be others out there who agree with me, should this be the case don’t hesitate to contact me to back me up.

When it comes to Christmas I am 50/50 about it, fifty percent of me loves it and fifty percent hates it, the percentage that loves it is the part that enjoys having a different theme every year and dressing the dining room with everyone dressing the part of whatever silly idea I have come up with, last year it was the Ace Cafe and previously it was Dickens, you see the idea.

Sadly the percentage of me which hates Christmas is the more Scrooge and Bah Humbug side of me which hates spending so much on what I would consider a waste of money and I know I leave myself open to criticism as obviously you can’t dress the room and supply appropriate costumes for nothing.

However when it comes to food at Christmas it seems we have to spend a fortune on a multiplicity of items that at any other time of year we can perfectly well do without like dates, seven different types of mustard, a peculiar jelly who’s name escapes me at the moment but you put it on your meat, very strange.

I can see as I’m writing this that I could come across as a bit of a wet blanket where the festivities are concerned but if you cast your mind back to the days of my grandfather perhaps, children would be delighted to receive for Christmas an orange and a walnut in a small sock when today the dining table is laden with bowls of various nuts, oranges and exotic fruits.

We definitely have one more food shopping trip if not two so I am steeling myself in anticipation of pushing the trolley laden with goodies, heavy enough to give a strong man a hernia with enough food to feed the five thousand, if only we could learn the trick with a few loaves and some fishes.

Having mentioned feeding the five thousand I have just realised one of our problems is the considerable number of people we are feeding, there are always twelve round the table should we be unlucky enough to receive thirteen then we have to ask the dog to join us at the table as well.

I’m very glad I chose this subject to write about today as it has been a surprisingly cathartic experience, I wouldn’t say an epiphany but I have been moved after all who am I to be Scrooge like when we are giving such pleasure to so many people I can almost see their happy smiling faces grouped round the table as we speak.

So onward and upward I am now ready to continue our Christmas food shopping with renewed vigour, I’m just wondering which supermarket sells frankincense and myrrh.