Comment: Season to be cheerful

Walking down the windswept streets of Tiverton in Devon this weekend it struck me just how much effort people are making to enjoy Christmas. Despite the rain and cold, the soggy Santa rattling his tin at passersby was receiving a warm welcome and a deal of small change. A cliche it may be but Christmas does bring out the humanity in us all.

The ‘hard times’ we are currently experiencing are centred in the financial community and the high street. A downturn in consumerism and spending power is the modern day interpretation of hardship. But we need to keep a grip on reality.