If you had been here for Hogmanay this is what you would have been getting to eat. Cherry cake, Madeira cake and of course shortbread which as you can see isn’t home made but was a very welcome Christmas present. The whole thing is a sort of Scottish cliche, shortbread tin and all but this year it’s a tartan free zone.

Jack is on the beer and mine is the Irish cream whiskey – yes Bailey’s. I wish I could offer you some! I hope you all have a great 2012, special good wishes go to everyone who takes the trouble to comment on ‘Pining’ or gets in touch by e-mail.

Do you remember the days when they used to have Stanley Baxter on TV at Hogmanay? Here’s one from the early 1970s I think, he always made me laugh. Can you Parliamo Glasgow?