WELL Christmas seemed to pass off peacefully, although I have to say I feel like I need a blinking good rest. Aside from all the eating and drinking which can in itself be quite wearing, it was the visiting relatives that did take it out of our little family.

Not that I am complaining. I would go anywhere if there was a brightly wrapped parcel at the end of it, but if I was to say the A34 has become such a close personal friend that I am considering sending it a Christmas card next year, you get the idea.

Bless his little cottons, Ben did take long journeys to the Midlands and then Wales very much in his stride. This year, owing to quite a firm timetable we didn’t have the luxury of timing our trips to coincide with his afternoon nap.

As it was he did tend to have a little nod at points during the journey but upon his awakening I did sense a notable increase in speed from his dad as panic set in that it would only be a matter of time before the wailing started.

And in most cases it did. Can’t blame the child really, it can’t be much fun strapped to a seat with limited mobility and the same old books thrust into your face.

On one trip, as darkness fell and the M3 approached for the millionth time, we had to resort to a good old fashioned sing-song.

Another thing I vowed never to do. Five Little Ducks, If You’re Happy and You Know It (how ironic) and the Wheels on the Bus, all came out of the musical closet.

The one that generated the most concern however, was Horsey Horsey. For those unfamiliar with this nursery-time hit it ends with a ‘clip-clop’ sound.

On the face of it harmless enough, but after repeating it with success the first couple of time’s Ben’s limited pronunciation skills morphed it into one four-letter word beginning with ‘c’ and ending with ‘k’.

Hearing him repeat that several times over, for several minutes afterwards, the motorway never seemed longer.