I’m a bit of a sentimental old softie really and I love this time of year. I like the warm glow of the traditional Christmas, the log fire blazing in the grate, the tree all beautifully lit up and presents piled high underneath, the pop of the champagne cork, the chink of glasses and the noise and laughter coming from within the pub. For once we even have proper Christmas weather!

I like Christmas Eve with the carol service from King’s College Cambridge on the radio, the last minute preparations for the next day,  I like to go to my local for early doors  and meet the same people we have met there every year for as long as I can remember. I like leaving the drink and mince pie out for Santa and not forgetting the carrot for Rudolf and I especially like the way that Christmas Eve is the easiest day of the year to get the kids to bed.

I like the excitement of the faces of my children as they come in to the bedroom very early on Christmas Day to say “he’s been” and the frenzied opening of presents, wrapping paper flying everywhere and my wife trying to keep track of who has had what from whom in readiness for the thank you letters.

I like having friends round for drinks at midday and then after the goodbyes, gearing up for the gastronomic onslaught that is the turkey, the Christmas pudding, the extensive cheeseboard, the wines, port and brandy that are the precursors to falling asleep on a settee in front of the fire.

This year is extra special as we have our oldest son Tom back from Universityand all 14 of the Davies family around the table for a magnificent rack of beef on Boxing Day- after a cheek glowing afternoon of ice skating at Lincoln’s Cornhill Exchange.

There you go – I like Christmas.

In business it has been a hard working year and in the final analysis a highly successful one. I am very excited at the prospects for 2011. Each year brings its own new challenges but if you have a positive attitude nothing is insurmountable.

Writing this blog and working in the ISP industry has introduced me to a lot of new friends and interesting people. I’d like to thank everyone that has contributed to trefor.net during the year (that’s a lot of “likes” I know but hey 🙂 and to wish everyone a very happy Christmas.  May 2011 be a successful year for you all.

Just to finish off there are some snapshots below taken at various points in the run up to Christmas. You can click to see the full image.

During the year we have had some very popular cake baking competitions in the office. This is my own effort at a Christmas cake – naked above and covered in marzipan below. It has been well “fed”.

This is the coldest winter in my living memory – it has been great fun, not least because I bought a Jeep in 2010 🙂

And finally there have been some great parties in the run up to Christmas this year – it’s going to have to be a correspondingly austere January to compensate 🙂

The bar bill after the trefor.net Christmas party – bit blurred but that reflected the boozy nature of the event and the length of the till roll.