MORE THAN HAPPY

Christmas is a time for looking back on the year gone by and being thankful for whatever good fortune has come our way.

On Lanzarote, it’ll be the first Christmas for three years when we can take our masks off outdoors, stand shoulder to shoulder and enjoy public events; and it will come at the end of the first “normal” year since that unforgettable lockdown.

And at the moment things are looking promising. Tourism is now better than it was before lockdown, hotels are booked up, the resorts are buzzing and new projects are being completed all over the island. There are still worries, of course.

There’s a brutal war going on, prices are rising and it’s not as easy to enjoy unusual 30 degree temperatures in November without a little concern in the back of your mind.

We know that many families and individuals, here and elsewhere, will be having a much tougher time of it than we are. Holding out a helping hand for others is an absolutely essential part of the season, and there are so many ways you can help on Lanzarote.

There’ll be sadness, too. Most Brits will see a King’s Speech on Christmas Day for the first time in their lives, and many of us will remember losses much closer to home.

But that’s Christmas. We wish each other a happy one, but only little children think it’s a time of perfect happiness. The rest of us know that it’s a big mess of laughter, tears, tinsel, sad smiles, terrible old jokes, wonder, love, songs you’re sick of hearing, beauty, hope, mince pies, imagination, family, friendship, and goodwill to all.

We wish all our readers the best of Christmases and hope the New Year brings you joy.

Enjoy the magazine!