Is it too late to get ethical Christmas gifts that don’t look so ‘ethical’?

Dear Anna,
One day to go till Christmas and I fear that I may have left it too late to get any decent ethical Christmas gifts.

In 1940 Britain faced what was arguably the greatest threat in her history since the last greatest threat, Napoleon, or perhaps the Armada? Hitler was probably more potent than either. He had gobbled up Norway, Denmark, now Holland, Belgium and France. The British Expeditionary Force ("BEF") had managed to escape from the continent by the miracle of Dunkirk, a miracle that rather neatly obfuscated the fact of a shattering military defeat and the collapse of France.

At that point Britain, defeated, isolated, un-prepared and singularly unready, stood alone. The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact appeared to have assured a convenient Nazi/Communist entente and a German attack on Russia seemed the remotest of possiblities. The USA, with its own strong pro-Nazi lobby, stood aloof.

The Name the Year picture puzzle in the Journal on Monday (17 December) induced a flood of texts and emails from me to various friends who are or were or are or were linked to the Kingsmen Sword Dancers. It may have produced an increase in sales of at least 2 copies.

Do I send Christmas cards?
It’s a question I get asked a lot, perhaps in some way to check how ‘eco’ I really am.

Continuing my earlier theme and, to be fair, I'm entitled - I've got thirty years worth of experience to 'share' (the correct modern idiom I think). We share everything these days, Aids, CJD, your personal banking details, so why not historical re-enactment, got to be more fun than HMRC and David Abrahams.

I was, earlier in the day, a crystal clear winter's morning, in full fifteenth century fig, doing a photo shoot for English Heritage near Wooler; the air was needle sharp and North Northumberland provided that particular intimacy which comes with a still, clear mid-winter's day.

The bats had been a problem apparently, and everyone has to be nice to bats; I'd offered to bring a shotgun along and save all the fuss but you can't do that anymore, bats have rights, lucky devils.

It's difficult not to mention turkeys at this time of year.

The other day I mentioned to my big brother that I needed to lift our potato crop in the back garden. Today I received this reply.

(By way of explanation. He was born, almost 65 years ago, in Princess Mary’s Maternity Hospital and spent his first five years on Tyneside before our Dad’s and his own RAF career took him all over the place. He finally settled in the Land of our Fathers – but our Mother’s Geordie roots still show from time to time.)

Hence this email

I have started to get up really early and set off towards Darlington for a practise session at the Rileys club in the town centre.

It is open 24 hours a day and therefore my decision to put in three early hours of playing before heading back and still finding myself in the middle of the morning worked well last week, you still feel like you have the day ahead of you!

The hall Tyne Bridge Morris practice in is also used by Heaton Community Centre’s playgroup (amongst other people). So there is soft play, equipment and various large toys around the room.

Last night we noticed a row of large cuddly toy type dolls sitting on one of the radiator covers. They looked vaguely familiar, and on closer inspection turned out to be the Seven Dwarfs.

The final date for the decision on who gets the 96 places on the new professional tour is made on or around the 17th December.

The tour are no longer taking anymore applications so players now have to sit tight and wait.