I'd NEVER seen it up until this time last year. It's a great film overall, but Jon Lithgow as a scenery-chewing baddie is just 👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻 #CHRISTMAAAASTWO

A still scene from Santa Claus: The Movie

As promised. Girlfriend introduced me to this on Christmas Eve last year. Doing our best to make a tradition of it. Love the reindeer.

Tangerines, chocolates, mince pies and crisps arranged on a table.

It's a Wonderful Life and nibbles. To be followed by Santa Claus: The Movie and further nibbles still.

A cheese board with Blue Stilton, cranberry Wensleydale, Red Leicester, Brie and Cheddar and some crackers, plus a jar of chutney. Festive candles - one red and two white - burn nearby.

Two small saucers containing panettone with cream, and two small glasses, one containing port and the other containing sherry.

Last night's fare. Neither my girlfriend nor I could taste much of it, but it's Christmas, so it's the thought that counts 😁 And what little of it our tastebuds did pick up was still pretty schweet tbf.

Me - a dark-haired, bearded man - looking a bit ill, sat in an armchair and wrapped in a blanket.

Went and caught bastard Covid some time earlier this week. Thrown Christmas plans off a bit, but remain cheery all the same, as attested by this photo of me last night, wrapped in a blanket watching Galaxy Quest.

A foam base cut in two and stuck on a slimmer piece of foam. The gap between the two is modelled to look like a stream, with plaster cloth forming the bottom.

Current #wip. Alas, am riddled with Covid (I took time off work for Christmas, so of course I am), but on the flipside, I've had the time to muck about with terrain building ♥️ Finally getting to use the plaster cloth I found going cheap at Hobbycraft months ago 🌊 #terraincrafting

I've just spotted the repetition of "so naturally" in the above Bloosks, so naturally I'm now gnawing on my fist a la Arnold J Rimmer.

To make matters yet more gluttonous, this isn't even the clump of stuff which I'll be getting for Christmas Day. Family round this year, so naturally I'll be shotgunning Bristol Cream Sherry and weeping into my slow-cooker.

Today is my last day of work before the festive season. So naturally, I just returned from Tesco with a haul which would have pleased not only Caligula, but also his horse.

I'm well within grumping rights as the capital-O Office is closed this week, so really I've no other refuge, aside from literally any other room in the house I'm already in, yes.

Me - a dark-haired, bearded man in a black hoodie - with my thumbs up and a forced smile, eyes wide with fear

Me, who smugly bagsied the back room for an office/study upon moving in, only for it to be gradually made clear that this is in fact the coldest room in the house.

Painted miniature models of the Uruk Hai from The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. The uruks are dressed in worn black armour. At the back of the army stands Saruman the White in white robes, with Grima Wormtongue stood nearby in a black cape.

Seven miniatures depicting medieval archers in padded jackets/gambesons, and tunics and trousers of various colours.

A miniature army of late 12th-century/early 13th-century knights and men-at-arms, dressed in maille armour and cloaks of red, blue, yellow and white.

Rows of miniatures dwarves, with the front line of skirmishers holding red shields and weapons such as axes, maces and hammers. Behind them, other dwarves in lighter armour hold crossbows.

JUST realised I've not started getting photos of my many war sons to BlueSky, that changes right now, please do say hello to my very many little friends #wargaming #miniatures

The front cover of a wargaming manual titled "Swordpoint: Ancient and Medieval Wargames Rules." The cover depicts a medieval Byzantine army.

Swotting up on the depths of my wargamey ignorance. This might work well for the clump I've started working on.

(Don't mean to brag but I recognised the lads on the front cover are the Varangian Guard, and that says so much about me)

I listened out of interest's sake and will likely go back and catch some of the documentaries tomorrow - that might be more the sort of thing I after, particularly the one taking a look at folk horror.

BUT Brian Blessed as Lord Summerisle was always going to be a win. Tbf, think it might have fared better as a serialised adaptation rather than a one-off, and the epilogue showing the ostensible "success" of the sacrifice and the islanders getting away with it was a neatly horrifying touch.

That was fun enough, but difficult to adapt something as visual as TWM to radio - especially the big dramatic reveals. Plus thought the radio-friendly conceit of the tape recorder got a bit unbelievable when the islanders let him have it while he was being sacrificed.

Listening to that Wicker Man adaptation on Radio 4 Extra. In the midst of snow and frost, it's nice to be reminded sumer is always icumen in 🌞 #TheWickerMan

The only irk I have with this series is they waited until I left Barry before deciding to restart things in Cardiff.

(That Marvel-styled Whoniverse intro gives me lots of hope that there are stacks of secret spin-offs waiting to be unveiled - putting in work to show that the brand is more than just the current series run)

"That was great remastered footage of William Hartnell in the Christmas finale, Russell."

"That wasn't footage. We resurrected him. He's now taking over as show-runner."

"Oh...okay...and what will you be do..."

"High President of Gallifrey."

"But Gallifrey isn't re..."

"I have willed it thus."

Love that new Tardis interior and console #DoctorWho 🔷+♥️♥️ Beautiful start to a new series. Feels like the late noughties again, and I needed a dose of that.

UNIT's tech specialist in this is a guy named Sgt Osgood. That pleases me immensely. Didn't realise Ingrid Oliver's Osgood was a callback until now.

If you like Nigel Kneale, The Wicker Man and all the generally weird pylon-and-stone-circle stuff that happened on British telly in the 70s (as conjured up by Scarfolk, Scarred for Life et al) then, my friend, this is the Doctor Who serial for you (along, tbh, with all the other ones Pertwee did ♥️)

Me - a dark-haired and dark-eyed bearded man, in blue pyjamas - holding up my right hand in a horned salute.

The title card for The Dæmons, a 1971 Doctor Who serial

Mustering my most Roger Delgado-like eyes to summon Azal this evening 🤘🏻

(The Dæmons is one of my very very favourites)

#DoctorWho #TheMaster

(Scratch that - I DID ask the hedgehog for advice, if there was one animal I could communicate with it would be the hedgehog, wouldn't it? Them or badgers, which when you think about it are just the next stage of hedgehog evolution)

(When I say "asked" I mean I consulted friends online and got in touch with a charity, whereas the original makes it sound like I asked the hedgehog for advice)

A small hedgehog, held inside a blue cap-style hat.

That was an interesting lunchtime.

Found this little thing out in the open. Asked what to do. Took it to the vets for safe keeping and (hopefully) re-releasing once whatever's ailing it is sorted.

God speed, Tiny Norman.

A poem set against a starry background in a white frame. The poem reads: Spread on starry mattress In darkened duvets pressed, Progress mercifully paused On walk from east to west. Nightingale's work done And lark still in its nest, The year's midnight nears - Time, in nightclothes dressed. Eternity stops for an hour And gives the sun a rest.

A 6am #poem, to mark the going back of the clocks. #poetry

When the clocks go back and the whole squad gets an extra hour in bed.

(As always, I'm Bugs Bunny)

Come to think it, no matter the form in which I reincarnate, I will pass on all sorts of insider intel to my newly enbrethrened animal companions. Lions won't be so smug when they find the gazelles suddenly packing heat.