Christmas With The Big D By Andrea Longstaff

Well, it's that time of the year again; a time of incongruity that spills over into the blurry edges of surrealism. At no other time but December will you see elves strolling down the street. I fondly recall one past Yuletide playing a game of pool with an elf. Throughout the rest of the year we tell our children not to talk to strangers, then come December and they're all scared witless by some big, booming, bearded man in red , ho, ho, hoing at the top of his voice. Small wonder we grow up confused.

Events that occur in the run up to Christmas, especially unhappy events, tend to have a certain poignancy attached to them that affects us on a deeper level than at other times of the year. I'm unsure as to why this is but I think it's got something to do with the collective consciousness bringing about a heightened sense of awareness in everyone.

The Christmas spirit that's inside us all and is responsible for the suspension of cynicism, if only for a brief period, encourages us to think of others for once. Depression feels more acute at this time of the year, yet people living alone decline invites or just fail to turn up on the day, opting instead for solitude; a part of the intrinsic paradoxical nature of an illness that can spiral down to a place where it's never more apparent that you really do create your own reality. Knowing this still doesn't make changing a lifetime of negativity into something positive any less of a momentous task.

So unfortunately no panacea from Santa on the 25th, apparently the FDA wouldn't approve such a thing. So just try to remember; happiness is a means of travel, not a destination.

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I served my apprenticeship as a ships rigger with Lord Line in 1954. Tom Boyd was an absolute gentleman and the best boss I ever worked for. I now live in Cheltenham but I visited Hull in April of this year and saw the true reality of St. Andrews Dock, Lord Line and surrounding area. It brought back such a lot of happy memories and sadness to see it as it is today. Whilst I was in Hull I visited the museum Read more...

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'Hello.' 'Doctor, they have an emergency in Room 11.' 'Ok, I'm coming.' I put the phone down and exited the oppressive call room, where as the scheduled 'doc-in-the-box' on duty, I was busy frittering away 24 hours of my life. My 11-year-old-son had state exams the next day, and I hoped my 17-year-old daughter would make sure he studied. I knew they would probably watch TV and eat microwave food on the sofa instead. Read more...

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Articles - I Got Married By Ruth

I got married (my one and only time) in 1981. It was November and I was a college student in West Texas. My husband to be was five years older than I. He was very rugged/handsome, and a former football player in a land where football is king. In fairness, this tale should be told with a Greek Chorus (you know, those people with white robes that say stuff like, 'Don't eat that, it's poison!' or Read more...

Articles - National Recognition for thisisUll.com - Fringe Report Awards 2009 By Cilla Photographs by Carl Schofield and Mo.

	Monday 9th February 2009 was a landmark date for thisisUll.com and all its contributors. On your behalf, I had the honour of accepting the Fringe Report 2009 award for Best Publication. Fringe Report, under the guidance and leadership of its editor John Park is based in London. It reviews and supports fringe theatre, arts, independent and arthouse film, dance, performance, Read more...

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