My World: Christmas Shopping, or lack there of...

Nothing too serious, just ordering one or two bits of Amazon ready for the big day.

But one thing happened that I really wasn’t expecting, it got me in the Christmas spirit.

With ‘The Fairytale of New York’ swirling round in my head and the anticipation of my first swill of eggnog on the horizon, a sudden urge came over me.

‘What better time to make a trip to Meadowhall to carry on the festive shopping?’ I thought.

Well I was in the mood for buying gifts and the shopping I had already done had near enough started Christmas for me, so why not?

After work, I made my way to Meadowhall. Since I stopped working there after finishing my degree, it is now a place I travel to with caution.

Not because I don’t like it or anything, just because it’s somewhere I used to work, and if we’re being brutally honest, who really wants to go back to their old place of work for a leisurely evening stroll?

But I had made the decision, if I could get the majority of the shopping done, I could sail into Christmas with no weight on my shoulders and a free mind.

It would be brilliant, as for the last few years I have been one of those ‘Christmas Eve’ kind of guys, who run round frantically at the last moment buying all the stuff no one else wanted.

But not this year, this year would be different.

For everyone who knows the layout of Meadowhall, I entered downstairs near M&S, sort of passing Greggs and Timpson’s.

I looked in front of me and there was Starbucks, advertising their new festive ‘Eggnog Latte’.

Going back a few lines, the anticipation of trying my first mouthful of eggnog was already in my mind, and now I presented with the opportunity.

I strode up confidently, ordered the winter warmer and waited. Mouth watering, fingers twitching, the thought of Christmas officially starting was too much to handle.

My drink came, I put the cup to my mouth and tilted my head back and felt a surge of pain through my lips and mouth.

I left Meadowhall post haste, lips blistered and presentless.

Remember, always let your Starbucks’ cool a little.