That’s it then only 351 days left until Christmas. Now it’s straight into booking summer holidays and storing Easter Eggs before the tinsel and great Christmas push starts all over again around the end of August. Good grief!

Still it was a very pleasant time around this neck of the woods. Family Christmas and New Year with friends plus several social gatherings thrown in.

But what about the TV programmes? I hear you cry. Now I am a great fan of Victoria Wood but her Christmas night offering was dreadful. In fact several people I have spoken too turned it off altogether. It certainly turned me off. But then when The Royle Family is the most watched TV programme over the holiday period it speaks volumes for the state of British television not to mention the viewing public.

Now we face 2010 and the coldest snap in many a year. Global warming-yeah right.

So bad were the conditions last Tuesday our drama club night was called off, imagine that. Dear oh dear. Still so many members come from outside the village now I can’t say I’m surprised.

I gave an in depth synopsis of our next play in my last blog so I won’t repeat myself just yet. We were going to have a read through on Tuesday but there yer go. Full details as the play progresses as per norm.

I actually had a complaint today from a member of our drama group regarding the fact I hadn’t written my blog for over two weeks. Flattered as I am that someone misses these illustrious offerings I am tempted to rather believe the lad isn’t busy enough at work.

Bad time of year January. No theatre seats booked to look forward to. Next KBDG production three months off. Old Chuffer’s still in Malta so no news there. No parties on the horizon and this is tinged with the fact that this time last year we were cruising in the Caribbean. I’ve depressed myself now so I’m off to curl up by the fire with a bottle of red, bet there’s nothing on the telly…… As it’s the pantomime season I thought this tale might be fitting under the heading Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs.

The seven dwarfs always left to go work in the mine early each morning.

As always, Snow White stayed home doing her domestic chores.

As lunchtime approached, she would prepare their lunch and carry it to the mine.

One day as she arrived at the mine with the lunch, she saw that there had been a terrible cave-in.

Tearfully, and fearing the worst, Snow White began calling out, hoping against hope that the dwarfs had somehow survived.

'Hello...Hello!' she shouted. 'Can anyone hear me? Hello!'

For a long while, there was no answer. Losing hope, Snow White again shouted, 'Hello! Is anyone down there?' Just as she was about to give up all hope, she heard a faint voice from deep within the mine, singing; 'Vote for GORDON BROWN, vote for GORDON BROWN Snow White fell to her knees and prayed, 'Oh, thank you, God!

At least Dopey is still alive.