It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

I don't know what it is this year - maybe because I sadly had to miss the big lights switch-on at Edmonton Green - but I've not really got into the Christmas spirit. That was until this morning: my annual Christmas card competition winner prize giving extravaganza! Combined with the fact Christmas songs are now being played in the work canteen, I am finally feeling suitably festive.

I obviously have a bit of a thing for snowmen, because, if you look back over the 15 years I've been running my Christmas card competition, I've plumped for more snowmen than anything else. That doesn't mean that if you draw me a snowman you're guaranteed to win, but it did work for this year's winner, nine year-old Alexandros of Oakthorpe Primary School, who came up with a cracking double-sided design featuring a particularly smiley snowman.

I love going on school visits so I was pretty thrilled to have the opportunity to present Alexandros with his prize of an art set and framed copy of his design in front of his entire school, his headteacher Mrs Del Greco, and even his parents, during assembly. It was a great moment and one Alex should be proud of - after all he did beat 1,957 other entries from 15 schools across Edmonton.

Now it's time to dust off the glitter and get down to the task of signing and sending out 2,500 cards. Let's see how long the Christmas cheer lasts while I'm completing that little task!