"Age UK say that 873,000 people will have little or no contact with others on Christmas Day"
That is sad, although, many of these people given the choice would rather be alone on Christmas day than surrounded by balloons kids, mince pies and alcohol.
I am truly confused.....the Welfare State, now over 70 years old ..promised to take care of us from "cradle to the grave"....free health care, free education, benefits of all kind for the needy and yet.....and yet poverty and loneliness arises every Christmas.
Christmas as a child for me and many others was ONE present, an apple and for my parents, one bottle of rum and one of gin.....a goose and that was it. Simple but appreciated and enjoyed.
Now we see parents going into debt to be Christmas presents and parents spending well in excess of £500 depending upon the number of siblings.
Our expectations have grown over the years and now are totally unreasonable, but despite this, Christmas is unaffordable for many, as it always has been.
Bring back the values of Christmas and what is unaffordable......remains unaffordable......so stop moaning every year about poverty and loneliness and get on playing the hand that one has been dealt.