Mark Daniels: Merry Christmas, Everyone...

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It's that time of year again and, in the immortal words of Shakin' Stevens, it's time for a bit of love and understanding, parties and celebration,...

It's that time of year again and, in the immortal words of Shakin' Stevens, it's time for a bit of love and understanding, parties and celebration, exchanging kisses and singing Christmas Songs. And, with Christmas less than a week away now, it's time to sign off from this blog for 2008 - I've got to spend the next few days winding my children up into a frenzy and annoying the customers by repeatedly playing Paul McCartney's 'Frog Chorus'.

When I look back over 2008 it's easy to get caught up in the doom and gloom that seems to have been omnipresent in our industry this year. Alistair Darling's draconian tax policies on alcohol haven't done anything to help struggling pubs, and the poor weather, global financial meltdown and the smoking ban have all combined to make this a truly terrible year for business.

But there are some good news stories to take from the year, too. Politically, there is the potential for a bright new global future with the election of Barack Obama and in sport Lewis Hamilton became Britain's first Formula One world champion since Damon Hill in 1996 while Chris Hoy won Sports Personality of the Year for riding a bike round and round in circles.

And here, at my pub, we get nights like we had last night - a table of seventeen who thoroughly enjoyed their Christmas meal and gave my wife, the chef, a standing ovation when she came through after the coffees had been served. It was enough to bring a tear to your eye and, when her assistant came through as well, other diners in the pub joined in the applause.

It's nights like those that make doing this job seem worth it and so I'm looking forward to 2009 with a renewed optimism and the hope that there will be less bickering and more bantering in the New Year.

As we draw to a close on a year that saw Sarah Palin become the most Googled politician I'd like to raise a glass to everybody in the trade, from the draymen to the bar staff, the journalists to the politicians, and everybody up to - and including - the directors and board members at the breweries and pubcos. For 2009 to be successful we're all going to have to work bloody hard - and we all need to work together, too.

Maybe it's because it's Christmas, but I can't help thinking that the time for whingeing is over and, instead, it's time for some positive action. That's easy for me to say, of course, and one customer did mention to me that perhaps things might go better if I spent less time writing blogs and more time working on the pub but, as I pointed out to him, I tend to write the bulk of my posts for this site and my personal blog at two in the morning, when the pub is shut and the rest of the world is asleep. I then tidy it up in the morning before getting on with the slog of the day.

I've enjoyed writing on here - I find it cathartic and, it's important to note, usually write with a whacking great grin on my face, even when I'm having a moan! I look forward to writing more in the New Year, but I'll always put the day-to-day running of my pub first.

It's my tenth wedding anniversary today and, as I write, I'm exactly where I should be on such a day: in bed. Sadly, I'm on my own, suffering from a potentially fatal dose of manflu. It's not what you want in the build-up to one of the busiest times of the year.

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

21 things you can only get away with saying at Christmas

1. I prefer breasts to legs

2. Tying the legs together keeps the inside moist.

3. Smother the butter all over the breasts!

4. If I don't undo my trousers, I'll burst!

5. I've never seen a better spread!

6. I'm in the mood for a little dark meat.

7. Are you ready for seconds yet?

8. It's a little dry; do you still want to eat it?

9. Just wait your turn, you'll get some!

10. Don't play with your meat.