So with nothing better to do late on Christmas Eve (we got rid of the telly – I could read a book I suppose) I write this post next to my virtual log fire and a tray containing mince pie crumbs, an end of a carrot and an empty flask of coffee. Coffee? You see we consulted the children and they considered that Santa will be tired and will need some coffee to keep him going.

This business of him coming down the chimney. I don’t suppose many people have open fire places these days. Probably blocked up with some fake log/coal fire device. Maybe a wood burning stove. But if it’s installed properly it’s going to have a  flue going up the existing chimney – rather a confined space for a portly Santa.

And then we have all those neo-Georgian developments where there is no chimney just a fake bolt-on chimney stack…