| | | Neil McIntosh | | Editor of The Scotsman |
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Hello from Edinburgh, I hope you've managed to get your Christmas shopping done, and are safely insulated from the rather grim weather outside with something warming to drink, and perhaps a bowl of festive nibbles. It is the season to indulge yourself (and we'll run some tips on getting fit in the New Year - you can worry about it then). "Worry" is perhaps the wrong word to use - there's enough of it about. I'm not going to go on at length about the latest twists and turns of the Omicron variant - if you've been following our coverage, you'll know that we are all now effectively in a partially locked-down game of wait-and-see: will the rapid rise of the new variant overwhelm the NHS, as we fear? Or will claims about its relative lack of severity mean the worst concerns are overblown? There will be social and political ramifications whatever the outcome, and The Scotsman will continue to try and see past the bluster - and increasingly entrenched ideologies around the need for tougher precautions - as the evidence emerges. For those of us who are keen sports fans, the loss of access to Scotland's stadiums comes as a blow. I'd been looking forward to the Edinburgh v Glasgow rugby game in the New Year, as well as the usual diet of real-life and TV football. Instead, what little football we have will take place on Sunday, before an early shutdown, while the rugby will effectively be behind closed doors. Our sport team will bring you the usual authoritative coverage of what action takes place, of course, and soon turn our attention to what could be an interesting transfer window. Joel Sked reckons he has a list of what the 12 Premiership sides need from Santa - see if you agree. At this time of year, it's not unusual to see some old favourites creep up The Scotsman's popular stories chart. So, to wrap up, here are a few that fellow readers have been spending time with these last few days: Our listings of this year's Christmas Day films, comedy specials and kids' shows, as well as some alternative Christmas movies to watch over the festive season. The 36 best Chic Murray jokes The 70 best Christmas cracker jokes from 2020 (whether they have aged well or not is perhaps in the eye of the beholder) Six traditional Scottish recipes perfect for your Christmas Day, and our guide on how to defrost a turkey or crown May tomorrow be full of good jokes, better food, and - if it's possible - the best company. Finally, don't miss out on our Christmas offer. You can save £24 off an annual subscription and £46 off a case of wine with the code XMAS25 - join us today. From all of us here at The Scotsman, Merry Christmas. Neil McIntosh Editor, The Scotsman | 