By my reckoning, we have at least 12 weeks to go before Christmas, or just under a quarter of a year. Nonetheless, Sky News had its first mention of Christmas shopping today. Things being much more sane in Spain, I guess it’ll be a while before this happens here.

The unseasonably hot weather continues and common sense has finally broken out amongst the young ladies of the town. Many of them are now compromising by wearing a summer top above the waist [or ribs, really] and mid-calf jeans and stiletto boots below.

I see there’s a long scratch down the side of the car parked on the pavement outside the new Irish bar at the entrance to the shopping centre. A frustrated shopper, perhaps. Or the same pillock who did most of the cars in our street a month ago. Either way, I have some sympathy with the gesture.

A friend of mine recently had to take someone to court for alleged indecent behaviour towards her 13 year old daughter. When they got to the courtroom, she asked whether there were screens. The official asked, rather irritably, whether these had been requested in advance and, on being told not, said ‘Well, it’s not as if they don’t know each other already’. Happily, she was overruled by someone with rather more sensitivity.