Ah, it's just like Christmases of yore...

Remember that feeling of anticipation for the magical day, the excitement whilst getting ready for bed, snuggled up waiting to hear Santa on the roof, waking up early and jumping on your parents' bed begging them to let you downstairs to eagerly run to the tree and unwrap your presents...

Cut forward twenty or more years...

The feeling of anticipation on Christmas Eve (will your jeans still fit after weeks of pre-Christmas paryting and eating?), the excitement of finding a seat in the pub, snuggled up in a strange bed (at your parents' house of course - get your minds out of the gutter folks please!), being woken up at 11am by your Mum to help with last minute mad preparations for the arrival of the masses and begging her to let you have one more hour in bed to let the Alka Seltzer kick in...

Don't you just love Christmas traditions! I certainly do and tomorrow evening shall see me, as usual but still treated with the same fondest regard, with my very very good friends Faye and Jo (plus Jo's husband Haydn, he's a slightly newer tradition but still a very welcome one) in the Newcastle Arms. Hurrah! They are fellow Worksopians like me, and, also like me, are making the annual pilgrimage to the strange land that is Bassetlaw in North Nottinghamshire for a 'reet' good old Christmas Eve celebration. It's also the only time I get to see other fellow Worksopians who have moved on to other places too - it's a bit of a meeting spot for former Valley School pupils really!

Faye and Jo are my oldest friends and I can't wait to see them. Again not in age terms, but in the length of time I've known them - they were both at my Christening.

Incidentally the title of my actual 'oldest' friend goes to a certain Mr Edmund Ankrah, I shan't share his age to save our friendship, but he's a lovely Scouser who is a very talented illustrator who has worked for some of London's top ad agencies and is how I came to embarrass myself with Mr Trevor Beattie (see my facebook pages under 'Judge all you like I take pics of me with people off the telly' album for photographic evidence). His experiences over his 64 years (oops) make him a very very interesting and funny person to have a beer or four with. I'm sure he'll be really chuffed with me now, but he still calls me 'angel' even after several middle of the night calls when I fancied a chat so I hope he won't mind his mention too much. Why do you always think you are at your most interesting and funny at that point? Ah, the joys of drinking...

Which leads me nicely back to Christmas...

So, after Christingle at the Worksop Priory (it's a lovely tradition and goes down well with our Mums!), G&Ts at 'Aunty' Pam Wild's Gin Palace, Christmas Eve night at the Newc, Christmas Day at Fran's (including a big bash with friends and neighbours at night), and a Boxing Day night out with Jen and Julia (amongst others), the Christmas period will find me starting to write up the draft of a new play 'China Dreams' for which I'm learning a bit of Chinese (all will become clear I hope!) and researching material for my second radio slot for next Friday (28th) on Radio Leeds between 7.30 and 8am. Please tune in if you can.

Also if you can please let me know of any interesting sounding bashes or events on around West Yorkshire over the next couple of weeks.

Last week's slot seemed to go well I think - I don't have a copy yet - and I did go to Pinocchio with Leah on Friday which was marvellous. It was the World Premiere, which is a first for me I think, so huge thanks to Rosie at Opera North. I highly recommend it as it's an incredible production, but have to say that Pinocchio deserved everything he got (harsh, me?!). He would do well to remember a favourite saying of mine "I'm a great believer in luck, the harder I work the more I have of it". But of course he does learn this in the end. He's a bit of a brat until then though!

But, for the next few days work is most definitely not on the agenda. I wish you all a happy time with your friends and families or even just a bit of peace and quiet.

Festive love

Clancy xxxx