[Matt F]

Will be our first Xmas in our new house and as the lounge has 10ft ceilings we have bought a tree to suit!

Bit of a rush on though as that very same room is being decorated and I haven’t yet fitted new skirting boards following some damp proofing. I’m also filling in the walls where I have chased the wires for the home cinema system into the plaster. Been getting home (nasty commute back from Manchester) and then painting/filling/sanding until 11:00pm. I’ll collapse come Xmas day.

It will look great when it’s done mind you and I figure that even if I don’t get to paint the skirts it won’t stop us from using the room – which we desperately want to as it is bigger than the other two receptions and it has an open fire (which was going well the last couple of nights.

Mother-in-law is just finishing off the new curtains (bless her) and I need to whack the new poles up too.

On top of that the new AGA was fitted on Monday and it will be responsible for roasting up the goose on Xmas day, and of course the roasters cooked in the fat of the same animal – top tip that, even if you are having turkey, roast the spuds in goose fat!

We will also be having a rather fine chicken and a large ham is to be roasted on Boxing Day. So that’s the food taken care of. On the wine front, I’ve yet to sort the white but I have a couple of nice reds lined up for the big day – a 15 year old Faustino Rioja Gran Reserve and a newer Chateau Neuf De Pap. Incidentally, Sainsburys have a nice 1999 Gran Reserve Rioja reduced to £7.99 and the above mentioned Chateau Neuf was seriously discounted in Tescos – I think it was down to £6.99.

Matt.