Have a warm, healthy & happy Christmas
For many, this is the busiest time of the year as we hurry from wrapping up work to wrapping up presents and preparing to welcome or to visit family and friends.
If you are spending Christmas here in our South Downs communities, you will already know the special beauty of our countryside home in the crisp and quiet midwinter.
Across the last month, it has been a joy to attend the Christmas markets lighting up our small towns and Carol services warming our Churches.
Seeing our communities come together at Christmas, including through many local charitable appeals is a favourite part of this season.
I find it impossibly difficult to choose from the hundreds of impressive entries to my annual Christmas card competition for local primary school children, so I was grateful to co-opt some professional help from brilliant local children’s illustrator and author Hope Bullen.
The winning design, by Year 4 student Poppy of
Arundel Church of England Primary School has now gone out to thousands of recipients who include the Prime Minister and His Majesty The King.
It also included the pictures by the very impressive runner up entries from schools right across the constituency.
For the majority of those living in West Sussex, Christmas a primarily a Christian holiday, where we join over two billion Christians around the world in celebrating the coming of our Lord and Saviour.
All of us, however, can take a moment to think of those less fortunate than us, many supported by people selflessly giving up their Christmas holidays whilst serving as nurses, doctors, carers, paramedics, police officers, firefighters, and coastguards.
We extend a special gratitude for our Armed Forces, many stationed far from home, defending us and our allies and helping to keep peace.
Wherever you will be, I want to wish readers a happy, warm, and healthy Christmas.