Going off the beaten track

And so it’s that time of year again, the time of year when nine out of 10 columns begin “and, so, it’s that time of year again”.

Another seasonal marker is the circulation in this publication’s sports department of an email entitled ‘The Dark Santa will see you now...’, this being the Commander-In-Chief’s traditional way of letting the troops know that we are to gather in what, in the run-up to Christmas, he likes to style his “crib”.

Which, after the mandatory change of clothing, we all dutifully do. Change of clothes? Sorry, I forgot to mention that, at the CIC’s insistence, we all have to dress up as elves, while the man himself opts for a shiny leather onesie, topped off with what I believe is known as a gimp mask.