I couldn’t understand all the fuss about the election being held in December, as though we would have to cancel Christmas, or cross frozen wastelands to cast our vote. In Southsea at least, we just have to pop into the church hall or school room down the road, mark an X with a stubby pencil and it’s done. A bit of an anti-climax really after all the political wrangling, but I find it fascinating, a bit like a Greek drama, with a touch of the East Enders thrown in. Whoever you vote for, I just hope the UK becomes a less fractious, happier country in the new year. One topic that all parties are finally taking seriously is climate change - thanks for all the positive comments we received after our last issue. We have continued the theme on p.42, by asking members of the public about how they are trying to mitigate their impact on the environment. John Worsey has written his annual Christmas story, with the help of Portsmouth’s very own Charles Dickens, p.58. Kevin John Dean
