As I opened the lid of the box, for some reason a familiar line came into my head…We’ve been listening to one of our all time favourites recently and that bit about the top slowly opening with the potential of something trying to escape sprung to mind… Quite why I should think of something so sinister with a box from the loft marked Advent, I have no idea.

The lid fits tightly and was just as we’d left it when we packed it all away last January.

And all our old, familiar friends were tucked up safe. Nice to see them again, even if it’s a few days late.

It didn’t take long before there were small signs of the season here and there.

The little Advent calendar on the kitchen table prompts memories of the old days, when Christmas trees were made of silver foil and the cards were strung on strings across the sitting room wall. Instead of reading the paper or catching up with social media over my morning tea, I have a short story to read, auf Deutsch, which becomes a little easier as the month progresses.

My late start meant that the Teddy of my Advent calendar story is already in Nikolaus’ pocket, helping to fill the shoes the children have left outside.

Of course, the bears around here did a quick change too, posing for their annual portrait with their usual good humour.

Best of all, a new Advent calendar has appeared; one with chocolate no less. Well, when Waitrose put a “half price” sticker on it yesterday, it would have been mean to have left it on the shelf, wouldn’t it?

My Hero and I soon caught up with the first six days…