The spirit of good will clearly did not extend to the man (or woman) who nicked my postie’s Christmas card and tip. I know – you are all going to say how naive I am to expect people to be honest – but I still do.

What happened? Hadn’t managed to catch my lovely postie, so a few days before Christmas I put his card and Christmas ‘thank you’  in an envelope and left it outside my front door for him to pick up when he brought the post. My door is completely screened from the street and my garden is between the front high hedges at the roadside and my front door – and you cannot see in. Only somone coming right to my door would have seen the envelope.

My daughter ran into my postie the day before Christmas and asked if he’d gotten the card etc – and he said no. I probably shouldn’t be surprised that someone other than my postie took the envelope – but I am. Most people would just say that I was naive and how stupid it was to leave it outside. Of course someone would nick it.

So – the point of writing this post is about the demise of conscience – of feeling bad if you do something wrong. Where has that gone? People know right from wrong – so what is it that makes the difference in terms of what people will or won’t do?

And in that lies an answer – it’s behaviour that really makes the difference. That’s the challenge of the next era – how to create a world where you can put your postie’s Christmas card outside and only the postie (and the regular postie) would dream of taking it.

Or is there mitigation – ie poverty, the widening divide between rich and poor or the recession – or is this never ‘acceptable’. I know my view – but what is yours?

A facebook friend sent me this link which tells of authorities who wickedly remove wardens from sheltered housing schemes. Older and vulnerable people go into sheltered housing often exactly because they want to know there is someone on hand, particularly overnight, should they need help. If you follow the link – it tells two tales of successful action against authorities who removed the wardens from sheltered housing schemes or changed the scheme to a ‘mobile’ warden moving around from place to place. Now – that is a happy ending and hopefully a red flag to stop this diminution of service and safety.

As well as wanting to wish you Happy Christmas and New Year, I just wanted to round off this year’s blog posts by saying thank you to all of you who respond to my emails, blog posts, facebook and tweets.

Many of you respond to each of these – and the feedback I get is hugely appreciated. It really helps me know and understand how any particular issue impacts on people living here – and informs my views. And you are a vocal group – let me tell you!

Many have been particularly vocal during the last few days about the gritting of roads in Haringey – or rather I should say, the non-gritting. I’m taking these issues up with the council along with my councillor colleagues, led by Cllr Robert Gorrie.

Specific reports of roads not gritted – with names and dates – would be very helpful, whether from yourself or from others (so do forward this message on – residents of Hornsey & Wood Green only).

Another frequent issue at this time of year is people not being sure when to put out the bins.

If your normal collection is on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays – then the day doesn’t change.

If your normal collection is on a Friday then the Friday 25 collection will be collected Sunday 27 December and the Friday 1 January collection will be collected on Saturday 2 January.

I think, however, that the main thought at this time of year is about the economy – and how tough it has been and still is for those who have lost their jobs, their businesses and their homes. Helping people through the tough times has to be the priority for the year ahead.

But I’ll save the political lecture for the New Year! Meanwhile, I wish you all a very Happy Christmas and peaceful New Year.

Whilst Haringey Council has an understandable policy of main roads and hills being the number 1 priority for gritting in weather like this – and then secondary roads – what about the rest of us?

On their website, you can see the lists of roads in their number 1 and number 2 priority – then a notice saying something to the effect that the bad weather doesn’t usually last long enough to get any further than that.

Well – like lots of local people – my road is sheet ice and Haringey doesn’t come my way. It’s a cul-de-sac so obviously of no interest as no through traffic – but we still have older people who cannot get out of their house because of the danger of falling.

You can ring the Haringey switchboard on 0208 489 0000 and ask for road gritting and when they put you through they will promise to come in a few hours – according to posts here. You can ‘phone the direct number 0208 885 7700 and hang on forever (still trying) to see if you can get the gritters down your way. We just have to keep trying and trying and trying.

Everyone understands priority roads and how hard the gritters must have worked to keep the main roads free of ice – but for the rest of us poor sods – when the freeze lasts as this one has – our roads are lethal. This isn’t a matter of expecting small side roads to be done overnight – but come on Haringey – this was well-predicted and has been going on since Thursday night.

For anyone with mobility problems – who needs to go out of their house – this is urgent.

Well – it’s my birthday.  Not something I particularly would wish to advertise – but in this social networking age – and given my age is out there – am not able to hide the dreadful truth.

Forgot when I signed into facebook this morning – only to be greeted by loads of ‘happy birthday’ messages – which was really nice. Thank you everybody! I had just finished an hour of ironing (which I do every Sunday whilst watching Andy Marr) and was (and am still) waiting for my two daughters to arise and wish me Happy Birthday.

So – as I just hear now footsteps coming downstairs – I must go. Today I am not going to work – but am going out to lunch followed by a movie – St Trinian’s. I know – extremely lightweight – but it’s Christmas and I want to laugh and eat popcorn.

Then it will be tidy the house, write out the food shopping lists for Xmas key three days, more ironing and watch Christmas movies. My favourites are: Miracle on 34th Street (both versions), Scrooged, Love Actually, Prancer, It’s a Wonderful Life, Home Alone (shame on me)  and several others.

If anyone has any really great Christmas films that they can recommend – please do. I like ones that make me cry (with happiness) when it all comes right at the end!