Oh to be a fly on the wall in Sandringham

ON another seasonal note, Christmas is often a time of dreadful family tensions and that applies from the smallest council house to the largest palace, so spare a thought for the Windsors a few weeks hence. Who knows what the truth about froideur between Duchesses is, but it certainly looks as if the Cambridges were all set to celebrate chez Middleton and were forced to change plans and toe the party line at Sandringham instead. If you are with your family, though, cherish them. This will be my first ever Christmas without any parents. Can’t say the thought is filling me with much cheer.

❑

THE producer of the Bridget Jones films has said that the series could go on indefinitely, following Bridget into old age: the heart sinks. In the books, Bridget was a brilliant creation, the 30-something wine-swilling singleton who reflected the first generation of women who were also just that. Bridget got her happy ending because it was fiction and it was a big mistake to revisit her later. Bridget was of her time; best to leave it at that. ❑

MY personal hero of the week is Emile Ratelband, the Dutch 69-year old who went to court to knock 20 years off his age because he “identifies” as a 40-something. He lost, but still. I am not clear as to whether this was to highlight the absurdity of people “identifying” as something they are not – which it did - or as just a publicity stunt but either way it had the desired effect.