Christmas approaches…….

It’s that time of year once more - the Christmas build up when our thoughts turn to plastic and electronic shite, and a £400 weekly shop consisting of a whole range of food products that will never be eaten. Things like “chestnut puree”, “goose fat”, and “triple-sec”. This year is going to be different in our household. There will be a normal amount of food in the fridge, plus a bit of stuff dedicated to a “picky tea” on the 26th. No excesses of alcohol, just one 4 hour visit by the in-laws on the big day, and a trip out to a local beach with our old friends who are loyal to that seasonal tradition every year. we’ve decided to focus on the nippers this year, so Tina and I will not be wasting money on each other. The thought of having to drag myself to the shops to spend cash I’ve not got on a gift that will be instantly forgotten about was killing me. I’d much rather see the indifference on the kids faces as they open gifts that they know they’re getting.

Work has dried up for the remainder of 2025. I’ve got a bungalow to do this afternoon (for some dude who doesn’t get up until noon) and a new-build to shoot on Monday, and that seems to be it. Once the trees and decorations go up it’s generally all over for me. My days of worrying about income-seasonality are long behind me, and I look forward to the guilt-free weeks of winter rest nowadays. I might even get a long-awaited wild camp in before the Christmas school holidays.

I’ve actually done a few luxury properties over the last two weeks - including a lovely house owned by some old friends who plan to move on to a stately home in the countryside. This family meanwhile, is firmly stuck in the rental trap until those six numbers come up, so it’s heads down to keep our wealthy inheritee landlord in the comfort she’s accustomed to.

Bah…..Humbug!