The 'Friendmas' has become one of the best parts of the festive season. Not a crowded restaurant where nobody can hear each other, but a proper gathering: your oldest friends under one roof, with a fire, a feast and time to catch up properly.

The run-up to Christmas is one of our favourite times of year. The lights go up along Fore Street, the lobster pot tree appears on Customs Quay, and on a frosty morning the estuary is as still as glass. There's a warmth to the town in December that's hard to find anywhere else.