Wherever you are and whatever you’re up to I hope you have a brilliant Christmas and a successful, healthy and happy 2013.

It’s a time of year for looking back and looking forward. In our house, this will be the first Christmas with our son, Michael, who’s fast approaching 10 months old. Of course, he doesn’t really know what’s going on and will likely continue his current ritual of waking up at 4am for an hour which will knock my wife and I senseless for the rest of the day.

All part of the fun!

Many moons ago, I think it must have been Christmas 1984, I unwrapped my very first computer- the incredible Sinclair ZX Spectrum. I’d played with them before – my Dad had brought a BBC Microcomputer home from work for a few days and I’d seen them at school, but to get my hands on my very own was incredible and the beginning of a lifelong love of gadgets and technology.

I was captivated and spent hours playing games like Horace Goes Skiing, Daley Thompson’s Decathlon and Steve Davis Snooker (which I played on a black and white television). The original Spectrum I unwrapped that day soon overheated, as some of them were prone to doing and although I had to live without it for a few days, it was soon replaced by a free upgrade to the new Spectrum+ (pictured). Thank you John Menzies!

Other memorable Christmases include: the year my brother and I got a snooker table and my Mum, on her first shot after it was set up in the dining room, managed to smash a vase with her cue action. There was the year I got a bike. The year I got chicken pox and many many others.

During my journalism years I frequently worked on Christmas Day so if that’s you this year then I hope the shift zooms by and that the boss and your colleagues remember you took your turn and perhaps you get the big day off in the future.

If you’re off, then take it easy on the Matchmakers, chocolate money, crisps and tubs of Celebrations. Enjoy whatever you’re up to  and I hope you get some time to sit down and relax for a bit.

There is something very special about this time of year. Sure, the build up can be hectic and things don’t suddenly become ‘perfect’ for 24 hours when the big day rolls around…BUT it says a lot that when we slow down, turn off the computer and spend some time with the people closest to us we experience a very nice warm feeling.

See you in 2013.