Francis Brennan's guide to hosting family over Christmas ... and keeping calm

Now first off, no squabbling ladies and gentleman. We’re all grown up now and we’ve all got sense and we’ll be having none of that childlish carry on.

We have to rise above any digs or jibes from a brother, sister, mother or father and revert to the present and not to when we were kids and always killing each other. Learn how to bite your tongue and bite your tongue.

If one of your family winds you up, just start talking about something fabulous you’ve just done for instance “I was in Brazil on my holidays” if you can’t ignore, ignore, ignore. ( My brother John is sitting in the office with me as I write this and he’s roaring laughing as I read it out to him).