OH HECK! Yes, it’s coming up to that time of year again. I should be shouting out: ‘Ho. Ho. Ho’ instead of ‘No. No. No.’

Yes, I know every year I start moaning. I just can’t help thinking what a flipping palaver it all is.

Give the kids a stocking and fill it with coal, an orange and some nuts. Seriously though. I do, feel for a lot of families, they must be under so much pressure and everything is just so expensive.

Toys, food and clothing. I watch all the Christmas adverts like everyone else and can’t help but wonder just how many parents are watching them knowing that this year they will not be able to buy such treats.

How can a lot of families afford the M&S luxury foods? And it’s not just M&S – although they were the first ones that sprang to mind.

It’s all the supermarkets. We all know what is on offer without ramming it down the throats of families that are going to struggle this year. It’s one day, for God’s sake.

Let’s be honest – it’s a glorified Sunday dinner. And then of course there’s all the people who will be spending Christmas Day alone.

I have a very vivid imagination and I can picture an elderly person sitting all alone with a blanket wrapped around them.

Because they have to try to keep warm, because the government has taken away their winter fuel allowance.

There they sit with a tin of vegetable soup. But not Heinz because it’s a ridiculous price. £1.70 a tin! What the hell. It’s a tin of flaming soup.

The Christmas spirit has gone. It seems that big businesses are only interested in how much profit they can make.

Let’s face it, they have other more important things to worry about other than poor old Mr and Mrs Struggling. Yes, they have their shareholders to look after.

Bah humbug! Ok grumble almost over. Sometimes out of nowhere there comes a tiny bit of faith in humanity that just melts my heart. So, the other day I was delivering Christmas cards and one of the houses near me had a piece of paper in the window. Of course being the nosey so-and-so that I am, I went to look at what it was.

It was a letter. I can’t remember the exact wording but it was something similar to: Happy birthday Jesus. And a love heart. I swear it melted my Grinch’s heart.

Even Pete has shown a softer side when he had the calling. Yes, the calling to put on the red suit and white beard and bring the spirit of Christmas to the children of Grimethorpe. Although I did worry a tiny bit. Not everyone knows this, but Pete can be, let’s say, a bit of a grumpy bum.

I did ask him to remember that he is Santa and not the Grinch. I had visions of him snapping at little children when they didn’t answer his question of: “what would you like for Christmas?” quickly enough. Or telling them that they had more chance of getting swamp fever.

And I would love to know how many times he rolled his eyes at them. But I was promised that he never did any of those things. He said that all the kids and parents were absolutely lovely and very polite. Awwww bless. Yer know maybe the Christmas spirit is still alive, maybe I’m just not looking in the right place.

So, I shall leave you all with a quote from the Grinch. “Maybe Christmas doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas… perhaps… means a little bit more!”