December 2007 Archives

I have had a lovely Christmas with my family. I cooked a good nutloaf (see last week's blog!) using local carrots and sweet chestnuts, free-range eggs and the trimmings had local spuds and sprouts. I gave my wife a little something with a quite high carbon footprint and sterling cost.... but in the long-run it should save resources. My wife is a keen photographer and has had a 'normal' SLR camera for 10 years or more.... but every film which comes back has half of the pictures, at least, not really usable or worth keeping (my own opinions here!) so I have bought her a little 'point and shoot' digital camera. She was thrilled!

Some of us are aiming to have a green and cruelty-free Christmas and will not be cooking a turkey or any other bird to eat on the big day. Others may be happy to follow tradition but may have guests or family members who are vegetarian or vegan.

I had a fulfilling day at work on Sunday, including coping well with a difficult situation and helping some youngsters with a step up into the business. Although I'm an entertainer, my experiences are easily mirrored by people in other professions including social workers.

"Christmas is coming and the goose is getting fat." This may be true, but an ethical celebration won't include either the goose (or any bird) and certainly not the original force-fed goose product, pâté de fois gras.

Every day we hear or read stories about ethical issues such as climate change, poverty or immigration. It may not seem like it but we can make a difference, either as individuals or in groups. I spend much of my life dedicated to trying to have a positive impact on the individuals around me and the wider community. So I am happy to report the following story: