’Tis the SEASON

Bah humbug, thought Kath, trudging round the shopping centre. There were three weeks to go till Christmas Eve, so every night was now late-night opening. The way things were going, it wouldn’t be long before shops were open round the clock. Wondering if shopworkers ever got a day off in the run-up to the big day, she paused to lean against a cut-out Rudolph and rub her aching feet.

It was official. She had a bad case of anti-Christmas-itis and it was giving her a headache.

For starters, she thought, just look at all those kids overrunning Santa’s grotto. And just check out the state of that animatronic polar bear – it appeared to have mange, for goodness’ sake!

She dragged her gaze away and focused on the matter in hand.

So far, she’d got bath salts for her gran, thermal leggings for her mum and a novelty key ring for her dad. Luckily, there was a £10 limit in her family