Congratulations to the big shops that decided to hold back on the usual Christmas ads featuring vast banquets of luxury food.
Not all did, and the ones that went the traditional way have ended up with egg on their face. Or maybe egg nog.
This Christmas is going to be an exercise in careful budgeting for millions.
We had a tight Christmas one year a while back. Other half had worked for a firm for a year on a promise of a share in the big payday they were planning. It didn't happen. We ended up raiding the coin pot in the kitchen to do our Christmas supermarket run.
Plus, we decided against stockings for the kids. But one lunchtime I weakened and went to one of our high street charity shops to see if I could get some decent knick-knacks for 50p. True story; guess who was in the same shop with the same idea; aforementioned other half.
So well done the likes of Tesco, toning down the notion of a ten-day blow-out and hang the expense.
Especially well done to John Lewis.
Now, I don't shop much in John Lewis. I find it a bit upmarket for my needs in there; all fancy linens and glassware. Not the stuff of foster homes. But they've absolutely nailed it with their fostering-themed Christmas ad.
I won't spoil it. But I cried out loud even before I'd seen it when I read a review of the thing.
It's about putting kindness above everything else at Christmas.
It's 90 seconds long, and the first minute is a mystery. You wonder; "Why is this middle aged bloke doing what he's doing, out in the street, 'til it gets dark?"
Then you get the answer.
It's a proper tear-jerker, a credit to the job of work they're applauding.
Us fostering bods.
Also a credit to John Lewis, who've led the way in Christmas ads for decades.
This one's their best.
Almost enought to tempt me to nip into a JL and pick up a couple of champagne flutes to toast their health. But not quite, not yet, not 'til the boat comes in.
Meantime everyone in fostering; the colleagues, the carers and the kids, we wish John Lewis a Happy Christmas.
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