OBSTACLE COURSE..

The joys of Spring and Summer are becoming a distant memory as the dark evenings have arrived and Winter loometh once again.   And it seems to me that ever since we came home from our magical October week in Cornwall, we have been confronted with a series of obstacles before we can look forward to revisiting that granite kingdom in the far south west.

First we had the rampant commercialism of Halloween, then the crash bang absurdity of  Bonfire Night, Christmas is revving up, when we will all be celebrating the true meaning of Santa`s birthday, then along will come New Year before the endurance test that is the long misery of January and February.   As a signed up member of the SAD club, I`ve been counting the days to the shortest day, when the winter solstice tips the balance of power once more towards the sun (`only`35 days to go) and by then some of the obstacles will have been overcome.  

In the meantime, Mrs. Snopper is pouring over brochures and internet pages in a determined attempt to `source` venues for our visits next year. We`ve already secured a week in the timeless tranquillity of the Roseland but there are other uncharted areas of this sceptred isle for us to explore.  

It just all seems a long time to have to wait, but at least this evening will see another of the hurdles overcome when the embarrassment of the BBC Children in Need extravaganza is over and done with for another year. (I`m all for supporting children`s charities but I don`t like being harangued about it.)  

Ah, but that`s another, altogether different set of obstacles which also includes the BBC Sports Personality of the Year (surely  Rickie Lambert Southampton`s Goal Machine can`t be overlooked again.)  Anyway, I`m off to switch on my light box, if you`ll pardon the expression.