Are you feeling ‘ding dong merrily on high’ in the run-up to Christmas?

My mood is closer to ‘ding dong the witch is dead’. To be precise, the period before the house fell on the witch and the Munchkins danced and sang in squeaky voices.

Dark powers are still at work in our house. After quietly getting on with its job for many years, our gas central heating packed up with a flourish.

It banged, crashed and died, joining the washing machine and dishwasher which had given up just weeks before our new kitchen was fitted. (It’s still being fitted. Hmm).

When the house phone came out in sympathy, Fisher Junior said we must have upset the gods of household appliances.

Today, as my voice gets squeakier – but in a bad way, the very opposite of those merry Munchkins – our small house is overflowing with workmen. Some are drilling and tiling in the kitchen, others getting the old boiler working again. I won’t repeat Mr F’s comment on that last phrase uttered just before he set off for the launderette.

* From domestic trifles to more serious matters. Wasn’t it sad to hear that Mandela, a hero for millions of us, had died?

I was lucky to have met the great man and he really did have an aura about him: a kind face, twinkly eyes, taller than I expected and with a strong handshake.

The overriding feeling in South Africa was joy that he had lived. I agree with comparisons made to that other political agitator from Nazareth who advocated reconciliation. Also, Gandhi said intolerance is ‘violence to the intellect’. Traditional followers of Islam will tell you that Muhammad advocated peace.

Where are today’s charismatic leaders – political or religious – who will spread the message without posturing or claiming expenses for it?

So, priorities firmly back in place, I’ll stop whingeing about unimportant glitches at home and start looking forward to the joys of the festive season. For us it’s a concert of carols in Brum, then family up from Wales for Christmas Day. On Boxing Day we’ll be watching Cinderella at The Beck Theatre.

I do hope you have a great one. Merry Christmas. See you next year.

Email me! barbarajoycefisher@hotmail.com.