You said it, Tiny Tim

I've been meaning to re-read A Christmas Carol every year for far too many Christmases.

This year, I decided to try reading it to Matt and Andy as their bedtime book over the past few weeks - and with immensely good luck, I'm reading the last few pages to them tonight.

They've enjoyed it, and Matt claims to have understood every word (which is more than I have). But what's a word here and there? Maybe one day I'll find out what Negus is, but I'm not losing any sleep over it.

It's a cracking read, really gripping. There's even the odd surprise in it - like when the narrator describes Scrooge's old love, playing with her kids: "I should have liked, I do confess, to have had the lightest licence of a child, and yet been man enough to know its value."

I say, Mr Dickens!

Hope you all have a splendid Christmas.