We hadn’t planned it this way, but – having a house full over Christmas, and realising that our spines are not made for air beds any more – Mr Chalk and I shall be staying at a nearby budget hotel over the festive season – and, it may seem strange but you cannot guess at how relieved I am. Having checked the website yesterday we were pleased to find that, contrary to the well-known and loved Christmas story, there was actually plenty of room at the inn, so on Christmas Eve night we shall make our way to that little town beginning with a ‘B’, in this case Bramford and not Bethlehem. It should not take us quite so long as it did Mary and Joseph, as we will be Volvo riding, not donkey. I am also hoping that the inn will be fairly comfortable, having seen the adverts with Lenny Henry, I feel reassured that this will be the case, and there will be a minimum of livestock that we shall be sharing our room with.

Some people hate to be away from their homes at this time of year, but I must admit that I am quite looking forward to having our own space to sleep and get showered and dressed will be quite wonderful. We have enjoyed the years spent with the boys climbing into bed with us when they were little on Christmas morning, and now that they are 18 and 21, the Christmas holiday period takes on a different hue. So, Mr Chalk and I will have the luxury of freshly laundered sheets, and our own bathroom, while our guests can enjoy the chaos of our house. This will mean that we can go back to our house each day feeling refreshed, not having to share a bathroom and also then escape the throng in the evening. This will make for a calm Christmas and although I shall still be doing the cooking and hosting (which I do enjoy as a matter of fact) there is this wonderful in-built escape plan. Bliss.

However you are spending Christmas, I do send you my best wishes for the holiday season, and a very health and happy 2015.

Wendy x