Off the Record.

Ben had casually asked if he might have a new scarf for Christmas, and the very next day I dug out my needles, bought wool from John Lewis and made a start. The December election was an unwelcome intrusion into my annual fantasy that Christmas heals everything, and the result even more so. Last January my great-niece Lola was born, and now she is saying her first word, practising it joyfully on everyone she met at our family Christmas lunch. [Extracted from the article]

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