It is probably obvious from my
travels over the past twelve months that I am a fan of the summer and sunshine
rather than the dark winter days we are experiencing now. I always feel for any
bride and groom who choose a summer wedding to then spend half of their
preparation time praying for the British weather to behave; I guess one way to
avoid this worry is to embrace the festive period and get married now.
My close friend Katy nee
Livingston choose to do just that. She is northern and therefore used to the
colder climate which could explain her decision. The two of us shared an
incredibly special year in 2008 including our first Olympic experience
competing alongside each other in Beijing. Katy supported me on the way to
winning my silver medal so I was delighted to return that support as a
bridesmaid on her big day. It was a beautiful ceremony, the subtle sparkles and
warm colours fitted perfectly with the Christmas theme. I might almost be a
convert - it seems to be becoming rather popular as I have a second winter
wedding invitation just days after Christmas.
This time of year has become synonymous with a
selection of television show finals - you know the ones I am talking about.
There is also the finale to the sporting calendar, the often controversial
Sports Personality Awards. The debate continues as to whether the “personality”
aspect should be omitted from the title. This years results supported that
argument when it was purely a performance that stole the title. Tennis and Andy
Murray walked away with the team and individual trophies as a result of their
historic win in the Davis Cup. The runners up were more of a surprise to me,
both Kevin Sinfield and Jess Ennis-Hill seemed to go under the radar on the
build up but their sporting results did the talking.