December.

 Hi there

I remember how much my father loved December.  He lifted me, as a small one, onto his shoulders and we would happily listen to the Salvation Army band play Christmas carols on a Newtown street.  I envied the Sallie ladies swinging their tambourines.

"I want a tambourine," I had said.  And then I quickly forgot about that particular want.

But that Christmas there was a little kiddie tambourine under the tree.  It was later  confiscated by a teacher at Newtown School primers because I insisted on playing it in class.  But I got the tambourine back a day later -  Thanks Dad for taking on Mr Brown.

Oh, and what about the time Dad woke me up on Christmas Eve - ?

"Quick! Quick!  Get out of bed.  Father Christmas was just here."

He threw up a window.  And to this day, at the end of 2025, I still swear I saw reindeer hoof prints in the dirt of our veggie garden...

.....