It must be getting near Christmas-time. The calendar is filling up with Probus events of all sorts(and a few non-Probus).

Our Christmas Probus lunch earlier this week was very enjoyable. A great bunch of members, their partners and guests enjoying some excellent food and a chance to win the bottles of fine wine and some pretty fine chocolates in the raffle. A happy start to the festivities. The weather was lovely as we arrived, with a gorgeous blue sky, but it deteriorated by the end of the meal towards a seasonally appropriate early sunset.

Conversations with my sister in Western Australia establish that she’s ‘perspiring’ in 42 degrees heat, hiding away in her home or in air-conditioned shopping malls. I’m diplomatically sympathetic to her plight, but inwardly a bit jealous. Australia does seem to have extremes of temperature at very odd times, with huge bush fires adding to the heat in many States.

Over here Christmas continues with our Probus walkers’ Christmas lunch on Monday, much awaited as the previous two in the last twelve months (we have a very flexible view about when Christmas actually is) were so enjoyable, raucous, fun. A bit Dickensian, perhaps (I’m imagining that bit, I’m not that old)

Then it’s on to the Probus Carol concert on Wednesday – another traditional gathering with half a brass band providing the music for our efforts at singing. And it’s still a fortnight to go until Christmas day!

We do have our Christmas Probus walk around Fountains Abbey on December 19th (with excellent food (especially the desserts) at The Chequers’ Inn).

Then there won’t be much time to fit in the inevitable present buying for the family.

Thank goodness for the late opening of petrol stations with their small shops – life savers for busy retired men!

Happy Christmas!