Good evening

Given that tomorrow is December 1, we can now officially mention Christmas.
For some, it is difficult to get excited, given that this year there will be no meeting up with old pals, sharing a pint with colleagues or partaking of as many Christmas dinners as you can in the run-up to the big day itself.
While we are coming out of the national lockdown at one minute past midnight on Wednesday, for us here in Tier 3, not a great deal is likely to change.
The pubs and restaurants will remain shut, we still cannot visit people in their homes or gardens and there will be no looking forward to the annual panto.
However, there is one significant area which will open up again on Wednesday and that is the retail sector and if ever our local shops needed our help, it is this year.
Saturday is Small Business Saturday in the UK, when we are all encouraged to support independent shops. We may have to forsake lunch and a glass of mulled wine on our festive shopping this year, but we can still make someone's Christmas by supporting our local stores.