Digital Press-Gang

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       Dec 2020    Nothing like Christmas  ?     Read by JBL....
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Well, if you are reading to this in the UK, chances are you are under some form of restriction 
and if, like me, you are in the South East, lock down under a different name.

It’s going to be a Christmas like no other and with so many people separated from family 
members this year I think we need to sit back, relax and get ready to toast something.

A friend asked me during the second lock down what I thought the government would do next 
and without thinking I replied, “Cancel Christmas!”, they laughed at the extraordinary 
thought. Cancel Christmas, preposterous. I still laughed, “You wait,” was my grinning reply.

I don't celebrate Christmas for many reasons;

    • I no longer have a family, they have all died over the years, 
          and I see Christmas as a family time

    • most of the family have died over the Christmas period which made 
          for some interesting toasts

    • I am horrified by the level of debt families allow themselves to get into over 
          an event which lasts only 24 hours at most

    • The amount of commercial pressure placed on people to just keep spending way 
          beyond their credit limits would normally allow

    • and finally the gluttony of all that food, a high percentage of which 
          ends up in landfill because its not eaten

So what do I celebrate? Well, I’m sitting here at the computer typing out the text 
of what I am going to say in this podcast with a thoroughly scrubbed and cleansed house 
ready for the shortest day to arise tomorrow. When it comes, I am going outside and doing 
a bloody dance because if there is one thing I cannot wait for its the longer days, 
the warmer days and Spring!!

Looking out now and wandering around my garden, I can see the emerging spikes of 
bulbs pushing their way through sodden clay soil. My greenhouse has plants growing on 
ready for planting out at the beginning of March and I  am looking at the local bulk 
delivery company as to when I can have my half bag of mushroom compost to spread 
liberally everywhere.

I am so excited, if I was younger I would be doing cartwheels around the place and this
celebration costs me little because the commercial market hasn’t cottoned on. Bonus!

So, I will be having a cook out in my greenhouse of vegetarian sausages, tomatoes and 
scrambled egg all washed down with a really nice cuppa. Then sit up there and start 
planning next years activities because for me the New Year starts on Monday 21st December.

So to all of you attempting to celebrate Christmas with some of your family, I wish 
you the warmest wishes. Stay safe and most importantly stay happy.



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  Written By JBL. for broadcast by TOR Radio 2020.
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