As my interest in Christmas has deteriorated over the last few years, Mandi has seemingly stepped it up a gear as if to try and remind me how wonderful the festive season is. I suppose I can put up with her wanting to be all Christmassy because it is only for a small percentage of the year, she isn't one of those people who wants to leave the decorations up all year long neither does she want to watch Christmas films throughout the year. Actually I do still enjoy the films, the films and the food. More on this subject in just a moment.

Last night was our first night in Brighton having arrived around lunchtime and amazingly found the hotel without any bother. It's a lovely little place that I would recommend to anyone going to Brighton, Hudsons is a Victorian terraced house that somehow seems bigger on the inside than you would imagine. The room is lovely and light, clean and warm and there doesn't seem to be anyone else staying here. We haven't seen the owner since we checked in so it is like our own house. Once we had unpacked we decided to explore the town to get a feel for the place and on the way back to the hotel spotted my ultimate nightmare. Here is where I come back to the subject of our differing opinions on Christmas.

This is a real pub where it is presumably Christmas all year long. Mandi loved it but I felt as though I was trapped in a nightmare, a nightmare you can't wake up from in which you are in a pub that has really gone overboard with the decorations and there isn't a non-Christmas song to be heard. Behind the bar was a young lad dressed as an elf, I've seen some humiliating work uniforms before but this would have had me fleeing the job interview straight away, although I have to admit that he seemed perfectly happy to be there. Maybe he really loves Christmas. While we were in there (our visit was cut short by them running out of proper beer) the jukebox vomited out the usual cavalcade of tunes that you aren't supposed to hear yet; Shakin' Stevens, Mariah Carey, Slade, and of course Wham among them. Candy canes were on every table and the stage was set for karaoke but thankfully that took place after we had left the premises as I don't think I could have coped with that too. 

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