I've finally stopped imagining Andrew Rhodes as Ebenezer Scrooge to focus on finding winners - it's the true meaning of Christmas

Tis the season to be jolly, as you may have heard, and a time to show goodwill to all. So, after an angry morning, I've torn up the first half-dozen drafts of this column, because even a charitable reader would have to concede that scant evidence of goodwill was contained therein.

I did like one of the discarded ideas. It was about Andrew Rhodes being shown the error of his ways through a series of ghostly visitations.

At the end, he throws open his window and asks some passing scamp what day it is. "Why, Boxing Day, sir," the young rascal replies.