So this farmer was out mending a fence one day when he had a mishap, so he went to see the town doctor. As he was getting his hand stitched up, the doctor asked how he’d happened to slip so badly with fence wire.

“I was startled by a Post Turtle,” the farmer said.

Now the doctor had practiced in the country for a long, long time, doing home visits and all, but even so he’d never heard of a Post Turtle. So of course he asked.

“It’s a turtle on top of a fence post,” said the farmer, not cracking a smile. “In nature, turtles aren’t often to be found atop fence posts. In fact, you see Post Turtles most frequently in the world of politics.”

The doctor looked confused. “Politics?” He asked. “What has a turtle on a fence post got to do with the world of politics?”

The farmer explained. “Well, it’s like this. That Post Turtle. You know he didn’t get up there by himself. He doesn’t belong there, and you wonder who put him there. He has no idea what to do while he’s up there, and having been unnaturally elevated beyond his ability to function, he’s never going to get anything done while he is there. You just want to help the poor bugger get down, and you can’t help but wonder what kind of idiot put him up there in the first place.”

In unrelated news, a lady called Samantha Dixon has been appointed as the UK’s building safety minister, following the recent government reshuffle triggered by Angela Rayner’s resignation earlier this month.

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For many people, Christmas is a time of light.

For those of the Christian faith, it is a season of deep significance; a celebration of birth, renewal, and hope. Churches fill with carols and candles, reminding believers of something larger than themselves.

Families, too, see Christmas as a long-awaited reunion. It’s the one moment in the year when relatives converge around a table, when laughter echoes through kitchens and living rooms, and when old traditions are passed down to younger generations.

Children view it through a different lens altogether. The thrill of presents hidden under a tree, the sound of wrapping paper being torn, and the unshakable belief – if only for a few precious years – that magic really does exist.

Even outside faith and family, the season has its champions. Retailers wait all year for December, when shoppers swarm stores and online baskets overflow. For them, the sound of Christmas bells is the relentless chime of cash registers.

Supermarkets, toy shops, department stores, and delivery firms all thrive as the year draws to a close. For many businesses, this is the golden quarter, the weeks that can make or break an annual balance sheet.

But not everyone greets the festive season with joy. In the demolition and construction sector, Christmas often comes with a different set of emotions: frustration, uncertainty, and sometimes fear.

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On Sunday afternoon, it was announced that former world champion boxer Ricky Hatton had passed away. Even though he had been very open about his mental health challenges and his battles against the demons of drugs and alcohol, his death came as a shock.

He was only 46 years old and he had been planning a comeback fight in December this year, more than a decade after his last competitive contest.

Tributes poured in from the boxing world, from friends and former opponents alike; from fellow sportsmen; and from celebrities and fans around the world.

The outpouring of grief was entirely understandable. Hatton was a popular champion; a brave fighter whose accomplishments far exceeded his capabilities. He was an everyman made good. He will be greatly missed.

A few days before, TV news cameras captured the murder of right wing activist, Charlie Kirk. He was a divisive character. To those on the right, he was a leader and a mouthpiece. To those on the left, he was a mortal enemy. To many, he was entirely unknown until his untimely death which forced him onto front pages and into a wider public consciousness. It is already clear that he will be even more divisive and even more influential than he was in life.

Whether you are a boxing or sports fan and regardless of whether your personal politics lean left or right, the names of Ricky Hatton and Charlie Kirk will be instantly familiar.

But what of those names that are less familiar. Less revered. Less celebrated. What of those people whose passing goes unheralded?

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Earlier today, I hosted the 1,000th episode of my daily LiveStream, The Break Fast Show.

Before we get into the why and how I became a LiveStreamer at the (then) ripe old age of 55, let me put that into some context.

My favourite band of all time is Ultravox. I was introduced to them while I was still at school. I own every album and compilation they have ever produced; and I own them in multiple formats including vinyl, cassette, CD and download. I have seen them perform live maybe a dozen times in 45 years.

My favourite movie is Jaws. I can’t watch it with others because I annoy them by reciting the script and telling them inane facts about the production of the movie (the dummy shark was called Bruce, by the way). I have probably watched Jaws 100 times over the years.

I am a West Ham supporter. I have been since I was about six years old. Over the course of half a century, I have seen them play live maybe a few hundred times.

These are all things I love; things I adore; things that in some way define me.

And yet I have hosted a daily LiveStream way more than I have done any of those things. Which tells you a lot.

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