I do hope I’m not disappointing too many of my readers by revealing I’m not actually writing this the day before you’re reading it.

I’m still at the stage of checking that we’ve got everything we need for the perfect Christmas – including the sprouts that I shall have offered guests but ignored myself!

Over the last few days, I’ve heard many people say “Christmas isn’t the same as it used to be!”

As someone who is feeling terminally middle-aged I think I understand where they’re coming from – but I don’t totally agree with the sentiment.

It’s natural to look nostalgically back at childhood Christmases where one was excited by big new toys, or to look back to Christmases when your children were young for the same reason.

But actually I’m not sure I would want to turn the clock back to Christmas 1970 or Christmas 1996 if I could – although if I would love to recapture that moment in time when I first saw Del and Rodney dressed as Batman and Robin running through the Peckham mist!

Looking through the Christmas TV listings there’s a lot of dross on (surely anyone who watches Mrs Brown’s Boys needs specialist help anyway) but there’s quite a bit of potentially good programming – I shall have flopped out in front of Dr Who and Downton last night!

I rather like the fact that many shops will be open today – it gives you something to do after being cooped up with the family yesterday and it means you don’t have to stock up for a siege before Christmas (although I suspect most fridges and kitchens will have been full to bursting yesterday morning!).

And as I get older I like the fact that while Christmas Day will always be special, it won’t be so special that the next few weeks and months will feel like a mighty let-down!

By January 6 I’ll be ready for normality to return – although I’ll be looking forward even more to the days getting longer and the arrival of the first signs of spring!

I’ll also be ready for the return of “normal” news as MPs and councillors return to work after their Christmas break.

But please don’t think I’m a Christmas curmudgeon. Yes, it isn’t the same as it was in my childhood – but then nothing is.

Would I like to go back to the days with two channels on a black and white television, no video recorder, and being forced to eat at least one Brussels sprout on Christmas day?

I certainly would not want to swap the rather nice Beaujolais Villages I bought to have with the turkey for a glass of Corona Cherryade that was my tipple of choice as a child!

I hope you had a good Christmas and can still find more to enjoy during the festive season – and it won’t be too much a wrench going back to work.