It's beginning to feel a tiny little bit like Christmas......

So we have reached my absolute favourite time of the year - The end of X-Factor.  We have a love hate relationship with X-factor in our house. Mel loves it and I hate it. I used to really annoy her by making snide, sarcastic remarks from the sofa but now I just type them into Twitter and annoy everyone else in the world which seems to keep the peace in our house.

I don't particularly have a problem with shit karaoke shows, just when they dominate two hours of every Saturday and Sunday night for 10 weeks. Of course, I could choose to do something else but then what would I have left to complain about? I revel in the ludicrous self-importance of the judges and harumph my way through the hard luck stories of the mindlessly deluded contestants. What really bothers me is that there are literally thousands and thousands of talented musicians who will never get the recognition or success they deserve. These muppets can just about hold someone else's note and yet get adulation and fame simply by being part of this national freak show.

My pain is exacerbated by the fact that it is on immediately after Strictly Come Dancing which means an entire four hours of my Saturday night is lost to this drivel. I don't fundamentally object to Strictly as the contestants clearly work hard and demonstrate considerable skill but as anyone who has been on a big night out will attest, dancing is not my thing. I dance like a geography teacher trying to fit in at a school disco and I try wherever possible to avoid it.

So now we can get on with the serious business of Christmas before I commence my health regime. My body seems to know this and is stockpiling to accommodate. My alcohol intake is increasing as we approach the festivities although I have managed to keep my waistline in check through healthy eating. Last Sunday Mel and I went for a walk to Tatton Park with my Sister-in-laws dog Saffy. The snow was still fairly deep and that matched with a thick fog lent a slightly eerie atmosphere to the day. I took my new camera and amazed myself with some of the pictures I took.

The below picture was my attempt to capture that atmosphere although the artiness of the shot was slightly compromised by the ever inquisitive Saffy. See if you can spot her.