Festive cheer, mandatory fun and the necessary elastic waistlines

Blaise Tapp's view on life in the UK today

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The party season is in full swing, and by the end of this week I will have been out for six festive gatherings and there's still a week to go until the big day.

Yuletide socialising can sometimes drag a bit - there's nothing worse than mandated fun, especially when it involves having to wear silly hats and jumpers - but this year feels different because it has been a 12 months which have been a bit of a slog to say the least for most people.