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She took to it eventually Sweetie, after adding some underwear to the laundry basket....

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You guys do like to scare us
Are you ready for Christmas?

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Question is Sweetie, is Christmas ready for me?.....

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Here we are, in just one weeks time the house will be smelling of Turkey with discarded wrapping paper festooned around the lounge, and without sounding ungrateful, I’ll be adding my new pair of slippers to the ever growing collection I now have on the top shelf of my wardrobe. So barring the Christmas Dinner, the Queens speech, and the repeat of Zulu that I’ve never seen the end of (too busy sleeping off all that food and drink) that will be that for another year.

This will be my sixty eighth Christmas, although I don’t remember much about the first half dozen or so, but there have been many changes to the festive period in my lifetime. It was after I started attending school that Christmas became such an eagerly anticipated event, the thought of having a fortnight off school was enough of a gift for me (I didn’t like school much, as you have probably deduced from my writing) but I suppose an influx of new toys wasn’t to be sniffed at either.

And then in my late teens it was just a good excuse for piss-ups and lock-ins down the pub.
After I was married, started a family, bought a house and became sensible, Christmas became more of a time for somebody else. The look on my daughters face when she opened her presents was the best present I could receive, a time to catch up with family, neglected through the year from work commitments, and for two or three days, the house was full of laughter, friends, family and music.

Although I’m not religious, I enjoy accompanying Mrs Fox down to the village church at midnight on Christmas Eve. What can be bad about meeting neighbours and others folk from the village whose only glimps of me is when I flash past their houses at the crack of dawn in shorts and running vest on cold frosty mornings. To be honest, I’m neither one or the other about religion, all I can say is; if there is a superior being responsible for my existence, I should be eternally grateful for the superb body he supplied me with during my brief stay on Earth.

We drink to absent friends now as Mrs Fox and me will spend this Christmas day with each other, the last of our parents passed away this last year. But our daughter and her fella will be looking in, and the grandkids also, so it won’t be all that sad, but it just seems a perfect time to find a quiet moment to stop and think about our life so far amidst the retail circus that has kidnapped Christmas....

And finally.......I would just like to wish a Very Happy Christmas and a Healthy and prosperous New Year to everyone who has visited Bob’s Bits over the last year. You have made an ageing runner very happy and given him a new dimension to his life....Love you all....

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A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and your wife too, Bob. x

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How very lovely, Bob. It is as if you have invited us into your home and shared a bit of Chrstmasses past and present. I hope you and Mrs. Fox have a lovely day remembering Christmasses old, but mostly forming new memories with your daughter, the man in her life, and your grandchildren.

May you have the merriest of Christmasses!

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Aww, that was a lovely post Foxy.
Keep on running is all I can say, well apart from MERRY KISSMASS
Have a wonderful time with your family.

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Mags, Sweetie Pie and Surfermom, thanks for your festive wishes, and all three of you would always be very welcome at Foxes abode.....Sending hugs for all of you and wish you a very Happy Christmas and a healthy and prosperous New Year....


By the way, Mrs Fox and me went shopping in Sheffield on Friday, what a wonderful city it is, the walk from the station to the city centre is quite remarkable with water fountains cascading down each side of the walkways. All the countries of the world are represented here which make it so vibrant and exciting......Love it....

At 3.38pm A tired Mrs Fox and me slumped back in our carriage seats for the journey home as the pretty Christmas lights were just coming on when a voice crackled out from the PA......."Welcome to the 3:38 service to LEEDS!".....LEEDS? Bugger....we're on the wrong train. Fortunately we just had time to scamper back onto the platform as the train pulled away......

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Leeds? Leeeeeds??? I can only imagine the few seconds of panic. It's a darn good thing that Mr. and Mrs. Fox are spry on their feet!

It's ever interesting to read about the cities and villages in your part of the world, OGF, and while I know shopping is not at the top of your favorite things to do, it does sound like it is quite an interesting to place to wander about.

Thank you for the kind sentiments. You, Mrs. Fox, and your daughter's family have my kindest wishes and thoughts for the new year!

Next report from Scarborough?

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All the snow had long since disappeared in my bit of South Yorkshire but on our journey to Scarborough we climbed over the wolds to a world still full of winter. There was still plenty of evidence that Scarborough had its fair share of the white stuff too. So we have arrived safe and sound and checked into the hotel. After the compulsory hour or two round the shops we returned to a frosty room, so my next hour or two will be spent trying to fathom out the thermostat on this radiator......Failing that, plenty of dinner tonight.....And snuggling up to Mrs Fox under the duvet......Errrrrrr

Sheffield is a marvellous city Surfermom, and I don't need much of an excuse to visit there. Like Rome, Sheffield is built on seven hills and was a powerhouse of industry during the Eighteenth and early nineteenth century, producing steel and fine cutlery exported all over the world. Together with the 'Bessemer Converter' (removes impurities in molten Iron) it's production of high quality steel and stainless steel was second to none.....