Happy Christmas and all the best for 2009.

I just answered the door to two young lads singing we wish you a merry Christmas, very, very badly. I think my facial expressions gave away how funny I found their singing as they soon stopped and stood there looking gormless. I proceeded to ask a few questions, as I’m not one who likes to part with any form of money on my doorstep. It went roughly like this.

me: Are you after some money?
them: Yeah.
me: Are you collecting for a charity? (I really wanted them to say yes. I would have had a field day!)
them: Nah. But we’ve got a rugby tour we’re collecting for.
me: What school is that for then?
them: It’s for Bromley rugby club.
me: When’s the rugby tour going out?
them: 2010
me: Do you have any proof you’re collecting for a rugby tour?
them: No.
me: Sorry lads, but I don’t believe you. Come back in 2009 when you’ve got some proof and had some singing lessons and I’ll contemplate it.

Charity scams are unfortunately fairly big business over here. Couple that with Christmas, and you get all sorts of people out trying to make a quick buck here and there. I’m not saying they weren’t collecting for their rugby tour, but two lone boys badly singing Christmas carols, with no ID or proof of collection doesn’t present a very good money giving cause to me. Hopefully these two kids will have seen sense and gone home after their attempt here.

I thought I’d follow the route that a lot of retailers seem to be going at the moment, and talk about Christmas. Why not, It’s only September? If I had the time, I’d probably have been talking about Christmas way back in June or something. Really.

I was happily walking along the shopping centre today when I noticed in the Marks & Spencer window that they were advertising Christmas wrapping paper. Wait. Wrapping paper? In September? We’re not even in October, let alone December! Correct me if I’m wrong here, but I always thought that Christmas was a December thing. You know, birth of jesus and all things holy like that.

So we carried on walking and then witnessed the picture you see to the left. Christmas cards. Is this so that I can send them out early in case I forget? Or is royal mail so bad it takes them three months to deliver?

I’m no scrooge, but if anyone talks to me or tries to sell me something relating to Christmas before the middle of December, things will get messy.

A German man threw himself out of a third storey window along with a Christmas tree during a late-night attempt to dispose of his festive decorations.

The man fell 7 metres (22 feet) from his flat after he lost his balance throwing the tree onto the street on Saturday, police in the western city of Moenchengladbach said. The tree did not break the victim’s fall.

I’m not really quite sure how you go about throwing yourself out of a window at the same time as a Christmas tree.

Although pretty subtle and a little pointless, I’ve added a little snow to this blog. Happy Christmas and all the best for the new year!