Santa comes but once a year maybe as the old saying goes, but these days Xmas marketing goes on for around two months before the big day especially with the annual displays in the local garden centres.

So let me admit up front I look forward to this lot appearing each year and yes to seeing what this year's John Lewis's advert will be like and indeed to even buying a few bits from the local garden centre when the display opens. It's hard to resist!

What I truly look forward to, however, is exploring what's newly arrived on the huge annual container ship from China this time, plus how the visual marketing people have set up their displays and to photographing the Xmas excess. 

What I really hate, however, are the figures of Santa and reindeer and other things with proximity sensors in them that burst suddenly life as they are approached with their Ho Ho Ho's and renderings of Jingle Bells and other clichéd Xmas utterings, it's super annoying

Also the endless and repetitive background musak covers of old "Xmas favourites" which after a while and especially after several visits over the weeks start to drive you insane.

Admittedly, however, all colours, cheery displays and bright lights are grand during the dark days before Xmas and do stimulate the optic nerve even if they can hammer the wallet if you caught up the all this superabundance.

All these bright and cheery pictures were made on my Olympus PEN-F with my M.Zuiko 20mm f1.4 Pro. A compact, light weight, portable, high quality reportage style outfit. Really fun to use. Ho, ho, ho!