Headline news only, I’m afraid, as work is incredibly busy and the Scout Post (local - cheaper - way of posting your Christmas cards) closes on Monday! (As an aside at this point, however, I’m still not sure how our Christmas card list got close to three figures. We really don’t know that many people, don’t send loads to people in work, etc. and buy special cards for the special people. It’s all a little bizarre.). So, here we go:

* OH has written off his car. Nasty little accident involving ice, a roundabout, a chevron sign and him frantically avoiding another car (think yourself lucky, motorist, with the damage he did to his own car, he’d have taken you out completely!). He’s fine (well, damaged pride but little else), car is totalled, buying a new car asap - as he needs it for work.

* William’s childminder has fallen down the stairs and broken her arm. This happened the day after the crash. When she rang she told us she couldn’t have William until the New Year at the earliest! Managed to arrange a new childminder to cover the gap and thankfully parents have agreed to stand in as and when required. Haven’t mentioned to the stand-in childminder that I remember when her brother used to spend more time with his trousers round his ankles than his waist. I felt some things are better left unsaid..

* Tumble Dryer blew up (about 6 hours after childminder called). Felt world was against me by this point.

* Still haven’t bought William his Christmas present. Worse than that, have no idea WHAT to buy William for Christmas…

In other news..

* Annual work event went off very well. Would have been better still if it hadn’t clashed with the turning on of Cardiff Christmas Lights (David Tennant and Billie Piper, don’t you know). Sat in the bar drinking until 4am!

* Off to Scotland next week for a similar event (although I will not stay up drinking so late. Oh no I won’t (reply and repeat as required)).

* Met the percussionist from the orchestra I was in 20 years ago on the train to London earlier this week. He’s now a professional conductor (of orchestras - not trains/buses/etc.) and has waved his baton in all sorts of wonderful places, such as the Sydney Opera House, Hong Kong, etc. Spent two hours listening to fascinating stories about his life. Lucky he had so many as I felt completely out of his class!!

* Went out to watch the West Ham v Man Utd. match last Sunday with Manc Scum. Good afternoon, which included a visit from my mate the Brum Sculptor. Anywho, conversation turned to how old we were - and where we now fell. Manc Scum was recently asked whether he knew who the Sugababes were (in an, “are you too old to know this?” kind of way). Got us to thinking that although we still think we are young-ish, people around probably see this very differently. That was certainly the cue for several more *ahem* drinkies..

And Finally..

* First Christmas card received today - First Christmas Lunch tomorrow. OH is threatening to decorate the house whilst I’m in Scotland. There will be a dead body to dispose of if he does. Any advice welcome.

We were lucky enough to have a day away from the small person last weekend, to attend the wedding of some friends of ours at a truly fantastic venue. Between a hundred of us (well, probably about 35 hardened drinkers) we managed to drink the bar dry (going through 4 bottles of vodka in the process, which contrary to common belief wasn’t all down to me!)!!

As well as seeing friends from away (evening to the Essex crew, by the way), I also managed to catch up with friends who, despite living locally, I only really catch up with now a couple of times a year (during the evening we blamed work, kids, lifestyles, all sorts really). However, and particularly for the Manc Scum, Mr No-Arse and I, who rarely get to have a drink together (the Thursday Night Outings being so far back, I can barely even recall them), it was a good chance to catch up, take the piss and thoroughly enjoy ourselves. Luckily, all our OH’s are more than used to our bar-holding-up antics and accept them with a certain amount of good grace.

I drank too much, smoked too much and talked more than is really correct, but it was such good fun I can’t wait to do it again. Before Christmas, I’ve been assured. However, it’s down to Mr No-Arse to organise. We’ll still be waiting in 2010!

So, as I’ve been asked, the story. According to my sources (and, I will hasten to add, this is probably all made up, “Fleet Street” gossip), Mr Wade (aka “Grunt” from EEnders) apparently left the night out he was on with his Other Half early - after a very heated discussion at a dinner where David Blunkett was also in attendance (getting quite “merry”, apparently, this being around his resignation time). Ms Wade went on to have a thoroughly agreeable evening on the white wine spritzers with a group of colleagues and friends.

Anywho, when she got home at about 4am, she caught Himself in bed with another Himself (rumoured to be an ex-Press Officer of the current Tory Leader, whose partner was in the US with our possible next King). Needless to say She was somewhat miffed and the following spat ended up taking place on the street (hence why the Old Bill were called to attend). She was taken away - although not charged - unlike the ex- of the other Mitchell brother, who wasn’t so lucky (but, it should be remembered, also isn’t a “Fleet Street” Editor).

What was much more interesting than the story was the way in which this sped through the Gala Dinner I was attending the evening after it had all started to leak from around sources at one of our better known Red Tops. My source (”Senior Press Person” from a Government Department) was getting updates from his mobile - not surprisingly, perhaps, from his sources on the broadsheets. It was like watching little boys sniggering behind the bike sheds because one of their number had been caught out doing something he shouldn’t by teacher. Our table was suddenly the most popular of the 19 in the room, with people from around the room taking a morbid fascination in some of the more “juicy” elements of the story. What was also surprising were the large number of fairly Senior Executives, who I naively thought would have no idea about EastEnders and the like who rushed around to great gasps and “oh’s and ah’s” spreading the elicit gossip. We’d all had a fair amount of good wine by this point, but nonetheless, it’s all a bit tacky, really.

Anyway, that’s all that was in it. I was surprised that no-one broke it - but perhaps that is yet to come?

I was in Scotland last week attending a work do - conference with associated networking opportunities (mainly in the bar, late at night). Whilst there, I heard all the gossip about Ross Kemp (Grant from Eastenders), Rebekha Wade, a dinner with David Blunkett and Guy Black (from an exceptionally reliable and trustworthy source). By now, I assumed it would all have been splashed across the newspapers (and not in the sanitised version that has become popular). When I have time (and if you are interested), I can divulge the full, un-censored, story. It involves two people, a bed, a caviar dinner, alcohol and fighting in the street. Anyone interested?