Campaigns to save the ‘great’ British pub are nothing new. I can think of several over the years, and here we are again.

This week the Telegraph launched its ‘Save the Pub’ campaign with a flurry of articles, including ‘Badenoch: My blueprint to save Britain’s pubs’.

Just back from Scotland where my son and I watched Dundee United play local rivals Dundee.

The less said about the match (United lost 1-0) the better, but I enjoyed the weekend.

Welcome back. Hope you had a good Christmas.

Before we navigate our way into the new year I thought I’d address one of the themes of 2025. You may have missed it, but here are some headlines (and articles) that highlight what I’m talking about.

All I want for Christmas is a government that doesn’t treat adults like children!

In the spirit of Christmas I’m pleased to report that Sheila Duffy, CEO of ASH Scotland, has been presented with a prestigious national award.

It’s not the gong she truly deserves (and still eludes her), but in the absence of royal recognition it’s the next best thing.

Last week I received a round robin email from the president and CEO of the Nicotine Resource Centre: ‘NRC and GTNF announces departure of its founder Elise Rasmussen’.

Hours later the Nicotine Insider website reported, ‘Rasmussen leaves GTNF, starts own event’. Elise has been a good friend of Forest which I why I am following the unfolding story with interest.

It probably passed you by, but on Tuesday the Welsh Senedd passed a legislative consent motion (LCM) in support of the UK government’s Tobacco and Vapes Bill.

Inevitably, members of the Senedd voted overwhelmingly in favour, but one who voted against was Conservative health spokesman, James Evans.

My mother was 95 last week. She came to stay with us in Cambridgeshire and on Friday we had lunch at West Mersea Yacht Club in Essex where her late brother was a member.

Mersea Island is connected to the mainland via Strood Causeway which is the only way to reach the island ‘unless you're sailing in by boat’, which we weren’t.