Art advances in full colour
By winning the 2017 Turner Prize for Contemporary Art, Lubaina Himid has changed the world for the better.
She’s not only the first ever black woman to win but also the prize’s oldest winner at 63.
When asked what that meant to her, she said: “I won it for all the times where we put our heads above the parapet, we tried to do things, we failed, people died in the meantime… for all the black women who never did win it even though they had been shortlisted… it feels good for that reason.”
Congratulations, Lubaina, you are a role model for all women who have a passion to make this world a better place to live in.
Feeling under pressure? Well, join the club, because according to the Stress Management Society one in 20 people finds Christmas more stressful than being burgled.
And I think I’m one of them. Yes, I know it happens on the same day every year, so I shouldn’t jam 12 months of preparation into three weeks in December, but no matter how hard I try I am never ready.
But this year the stress just seems to be worse than ever. It could be my peri-menopausal state of mind but I’ve had it with the whole Christmas planning thing already.
I know I’m my own worst enemy. Instead of keeping it simple, I overcomplicate everything.
I say yes to things when I should say no and treat what should be a jolly time of year as an obstacle course to be negotiated as if my life and reputation depended on it.
So let me give you an insight into my festive self-flagallation.
It starts on December 1 with a tradition I created whereby my children come back from school to find Santa has swapped their duvet covers for Christmas ones, and has even left little gifts on their beds.
So that’s half a day’s work lost for a frantic race to get home first.
Then there’s our Elf on the Shelf. For those not trying to control young children working themselves into a festive frenzy, I’ll explain.
It’s a toy elf that Santa sends to kids’ houses to report back on their behaviour. Ours is called Hoho, and every morning he magically appears in a new location. Three years on, this bloody elf has nearly cost me my marriage. It’s always just as we’re dropping off to sleep that one of us realises we’ve forgotten to move it, kicking off a row about who is going to get out of bed to set up tomorrow’s surprise.
Plus, I have now discovered from social media that Hoho is a bit of a bozo. Who can compete with Victoria Beckham’s Elf on the Shelf ? Every day he pops up in a new location in beautifully-posed pictures bearing impressive treats. Our elf is just a loser compared to hers.
The Christmas tree is my husband’s department and every year we have the same ordeal. Because we can’t just go to the supermarket or garden centre like normal people.
Oh no, we have to be that family that goes to a nursery and walks around for hours shivering, examining trees to assess their height, colour, shedding potential and allround appeal until we see “the one”.
Then Steve whips out his saw and starts to cut it down, a process which involves him dropping to his knees while yelling: “Hold it straight, woman!” It’s traditional for me to shout back: “Why can’t you be a normal bloke and get a tree from Costco for half the price and effort!”
Meanwhile, passersby stare and say: “Oh it’s her, off Loose Women.”
I can’t begin to convey the full stress of the school Christmas Fayre, where I bake and sell goodies with a bunch of mums who make Mary Berry look like lightweight. Or the nativity play for which I wangle time off work to see my daughter play a star right at the back of the stage for the sixth year in a row.
Or the hours spent writing cards to people I haven’t spoken to all year, the panic to ensure I get my Christmas delivery slot and the irritation of paying full price for gifts that will be reduced in the New Year sales.
Every year, just like you, I suspect, I ask myself, why do I do it? But deep down, like most busy mums, I know that without the stress, it just wouldn’t be as magical. So be stressed AND be merry.
I love this woman Toff. When I first watched her on I’m a Celeb, I wasn’t sure about the giggly posh girl routine.
But over the weeks she’s won me over. For her happy-go-lucky disposition, kindness towards others and ability to get on with a diverse group of people, she’s my Queen of the Jungle.