It's next year already and, as you may be aware, last year ended with a spot of beardy-weirdness (see title). It all started with Bekky and I having a chat about "Decembeard" after supper on the eve of December. I was lamenting the fact that, while a handful of my marvellous Batcheller Monkhouse colleagues were participating in Decembeard in a show of support for yours sincerely, I wouldn't be able to join in the fun as I already had a beard. My wife promptly declared me an

I have had a beard on my face continuously for nearly nine years. And as such, I had previously dismissed the idea of fundraising for Beating Bowel Cancer by growing a beard for Decembeard because, well, that would be cheating, wouldn't it? You can't very well ask people to give you money for something you did nearly ten years ago. Can you? Then, on Decembeard Eve, when all through the house not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse, I had what my somewhat Swiss wife c