But you know it isn’t only the telly that does reviews of the year. A creeping menace that has grown over recent years is the ‘delightful’ newsletter that is sometimes slipped ‘thoughtfully’ into Christmas cards from distant relatives or long-lost (or maybe best forgotten) friends. I refer to the round-robin letter.
It probably started in the States and then caught on in such far-flung outposts like Australia and New Zealand. I received one this Christmas from a cousin (four times removed) who resides in Melbourne. Just what I needed, to make me feel totally inadequate. Cousin Sandy has had such a marvellous year and his family have achieved so much that poor ole me feels inclined to be sick.
If you receive one the best thing to do is return it, address unknown. Or we could make up one of our own...
“Dear far-flung family and remote friends we’ve had a marvellous year. Let us boast firstly of our exotic cruise in the summer [two weeks of rain-sodden sulks aboard a Hoseason’s boat on the Broads] before moving on to the achievements of our angelic off-spring. Bella continues to pursue academic excellence [NVQ level 2: shelf-stacking] while managing to continue with her charity work [six months of Tuesday afternoons at Scope for breeching her ASBO]. Jimmy is undecided on Oxford or Cambridge [i.e. Salford Poly] and is always in the gym bodybuilding [lifting pints at the Red Lion most evenings]. We are a family to be admired and copied [see us on next week’s Jeremy Kyle] and are probably “considerably richer than you.” …Cue raspberry sound.
I think I am right, if you receive a round robin, send it bob-bob-bobbing along to the nearest letterbox and, for your own sanity and well-being, send it back.
So till next time don't work too hard at home and think about the next meet.
Toodle pip Magic
Message Thread
« Back to index