For a moment I’d forgotten that this time next year, I’d be spending December in the sun, and every month before and after it, come to that.

‘What have you got?’ she asked. ‘Haven’t you got in yet?’

‘Yes,’ I swallowed, ‘yes, here we go. It’s a teddy bear. A lovely big bear with a bright red bow.’

‘Now,’ smiled Dolly, coming back with the tape. ‘How lovely is that?’

It was very lovely indeed.

*

Dolly was a fairly regular churchgoer and she was determined that I should join her that afternoon for the first advent service of the year.

‘But I don’t do church,’ I told her. ‘I’m not a church person.’

Beamish, playing the part of chauffeur once again and with his calendar carefully grasped in his bear-sized mitts, shook his head.

‘You call that an excuse,’ he tutted, his trademark grin in place.

‘You be quiet,’ I told him.

My rebuke made him smile all the more. He might have been the size of the Hulk but he had Puck’s mischievous spirit.

‘But I would really like you to come,’ Dolly wheedled. ‘The first candle on the advent wreath will be lit today and it’s quite unusual for the first day of December to actually fall on a Sunday, you know.’

I wasn’t even sure what an advent wreath was, but I could see it meant a lot to my friend.

‘I’ll get my coat,’ I said resignedly.

‘And I’ll get the truck warmed up,’ said Beamish, bounding out the door and banging it shut behind him.

I was surprised to see the church so packed and the service, which was all about hope, stirred up memories of Christmas past, many of which I hadn’t thought about in years. The first purple candle in the evergreen wreath was lit and ‘O Come, O Come, Emmanuel’ was sung with such enthusiasm I thought I was going to cry. Beamish handed me a tissue as the hymn drew to a close and I felt a little foolish to have been found out. I turned to say something to him, but he was staring straight ahead and I was certain his own eyes were a little wetter than usual.

‘Now that wasn’t too bad, was it?’ asked Dolly as the three of us made our way to the back where tea and mince pies were being administered.

‘It was lovely, Dolly,’ said Beamish. ‘But if you’ll excuse me for a moment, I’m just nipping out to catch a word with someone, but you take your time. I’m in no rush.’

More than one pair of eyes were trained on his retreating back and I guessed that Dolly’s driver and handyman was highly regarded among her churchgoing friends.