HOW’S the Christmas shopping going? Have you dug out the decorations, dusted off the tree, untangled the lights? Maybe the cards are all written? No? Me neither.

In our defence, everything’s been stacked against us. This week my laptop broke, our lights fused and the central heating came out in sympathy.

Then the oven also gave up the ghost. The hob was OK and, luckily, we’d planned a stir-fry, so I just added more chilli and Mr F and I ate it huddled over an electric fire. Just as we started to feel better, a box from Amazon arrived with a Christmas order. It was completely wrong and tomorrow will all have to be returned. Hopefully we’ve used up our quota of mishaps for this month…

Naturally I was glad to get a break from domestic troubles at an event in Uxbridge to celebrate Natasha Baker being awarded the freedom of the borough.

This is the highest honour the council can give and there have only been 12 – all men – since Hillingdon borough was established in 1964. So it’s only taken nearly 50 years to honour a woman.

The 22-year-old from Cowley, who won two gold medals at the Paralympics in equestrian events with her horse, JP, is undoubtedly a worthy torchbearer and a great role model.

I was particularly struck that, after her name was added to the roll of honorary freemen, Natasha made an excellent speech which included a thank you to her schools, Coteford Infant and Junior, and Bishop Ramsey.

Schools get so bashed nowadays, so it’s great to hear a successful ex-pupil acknowledging the support they can give.

n We don’t do things by halves here, do we? Another Hillingdon woman who made us proud recently was Anna Kennedy. Little did she know, when she established Hillingdon Manor schools for children with Asperger’s and autism, that one day she would be going to Buckingham Palace to be made an OBE.

I had an amusing text from her the following day. “It was so surreal,” she said. “One minute speaking to the Queen and Kate Winslet, later in the afternoon loading the washing machine. Bonkers but fun.”

Hurrah for our wonderful Hillingdon heroines.