'Tis the season to be jolly

Well it's that time of year again.

Every year my mate Andrea-the-Viking and I go 'Christmas shopping'. On these expeditions I think we have only managed to buy Christmas presents once, and that was several years ago. Mainly we go for lunch and get pissed.

Today, I believe, we excelled ourselves.

We got the train into Leeds arriving in the station for 12.10, we hobbled up Park Row cos we both have knackered knees (and I have to wear high heels cos she's 6 foot tall) and arrived at Piccolino's by about 12.20 where we ate some very nice stuff and drank a couple of bottles of very nice stuff. And then we left there about 3.

Then we went 'Christmas shopping' by walking through M&S where Andrea the Viking bought a red evening dress for a 'do' and I bought a black lace frock cos I liked it. And then we went over the road aiming for Harvey Nic's coffee bar but there was a huge queue, so we went further down the arcade to Anthony's Patisserie (which actually had better, squidgier seats) where we had a couple of scones, a pot of tea and A-the-V had a Baileys and I had a Kir Royale.

Now that's my idea of a great shopping trip.