OK – it’s 11th November and I’m cooking, lighting then serving a Christmas pud. Am I bonkers? Well, yes, you all know that anyway.

Actually, I sampled it and it was quite nice even though I must say I don’t go a bundle on Christmas pud as a general thing if truth be told, though maybe that’s because I’m usually stuffed full of Christmas dinner when the words “Christmas Pud” are mentioned. I have to confess that I don’t even make one any more, it’s just too much trouble for something that we never really bother eating. Most of it usually ends up on the bird table. There follows a few days of drunken sparrows and starlings around our gaff.

Still, DM declared the pud delicious. I did give him a kiss just as he finished it and he tasted all spicy, sweet and fruity. That seems like a good enough reason to me to be cooking Christmas pud on a cold, dark night in early November.

I’ve been experimenting and not really achieving what I want to achieve but there you go – that’s life, you win some and you lose some. Today I didn’t get what I wanted but sooner or later I will, if for no better reason than I’m so bloody minded and stubborn I won’t be defeated!

Last year, I was casting my spell!