So, what will Great Auntie Nellie be giving you this year? A lovely hand knitted jumper with ‘buttonholes’ where none should be? Or perhaps Uncle Albert will dig out a bottle of his homemade wine, which will see you legless by lunchtime on Christmas Day?

But putting all that aside, the best bit about Christmas is the feeling of goodwill that abounds, and it’s the perfect time to say a few thank yous. So, with this in mind, on behalf of Norwest Bowls Club, I’d like to thank a few people.

First and foremost, it’s the maintenance team, otherwise known as the ‘lads’ coffee morning’ team. They do a great job keeping the club in shape all year round. Thanks, lads. Also, a special thank you to Lin, our dedicated cleaner who keeps us spic and span. Obviously, there are too many workers to mention you all individually, but to all who work behind the scenes to keep Norwest going it’s a big THANK YOU from me and all the committee.

Now, on a more personal level, I’d like to thank

Becky and her team at The Journal. They do a great job for me each week, correcting my punctuation, sorting out my grammar and weeding out my many mistakes. You do a fantastic job; not just for me, but for the whole community, so a great big THANK YOU to you. Also, I’d like to thank those of you who read my ‘bit’ in The Journal each week and pass on such nice comments. You make all the head-scratching worthwhile.

Finally, I’d like to wish all our members past, present and future, all our fellow bowlers, our resident skittle and crib teams and all friends of Norwest a very happy Christmas. I hope you all have a brilliant time, and just in case the big man in the red suit, or even Brian, reads this, some nice sparkly diamonds are at the top of my Christmas list.

NH