I’ve recently (and accidentally) become a bit vegetarian. It started with eating less meat for ‘health’ and then I just kind of stopped eating meat all together. This poses somewhat of an issue for a classic Sunday Roast, but even more of an issue for Christmas Dinner.

After a few fails (a roasted onion is not a substitute for a slice of topside) I have found a delicious, if a little high maintenance, solution.

In my opinion this Riverford Nut Roast recipe is top tier. And my hack for recent and accidental vegetarians is make loads, portion it up and freeze it, then get a portion out as and when you need it.

As Slade said, it’s chrriiiistmaaaaas, so let’s get into my top 5 Christmas songs. In no particular order…

• Chris Rea - Driving Home for Christmas How can you not love singing along to this with your best gravelly voice? Vibes are amplified by 1000% if you do so while driving home for Christmas.

• The Darkness - Christmas Time (Don’t Let The Bells End) I used to be obsessed with watching the Xmas Top 40, and this music video was always one of my faves. From the glam rock outfits to the double-neck guitar under the tree this music video is definitely memorable.

• The Pogues & Kirsty MacColl - Fairytale of New York Call me basic but this has just got to be the best Christmas song ever!!! Folk music + Christmas is a winner for me.

• East 17 – Stay Another Day Arguably an all-year-round track, this one is not only a great song but the perfect winter fancy dress costume.

• Jona Lewie - Stop the Cavalry Apart from the song being an absolute vibe, it’s also a great one to know the title and artist of - it comes up in the Xmas pub quiz every time!

At this time of year, I hope for a sprinkle of snow as I love to go out walking with my camera to see the deer. When trying to get the perfect photo, there is a lot of sitting around in the freezing cold. Here are some top tips for keeping warm:

1. Layers! Multiple thinner layers do a better job that one large one. There is science to this too.

2. Waterproofs, the best and safest way to stay warm is to keep the water from getting through all your layers to you. You can now even get waterproof hats.

3. Reusable hand warmers. When you are sitting still for a long time these really help.  Smaller ones even fit nicely into your walking boots to stop your toes from freezing.

4. A flask of something warm to drink and snacks! A great coffee or tea is the prefect fuel to keep you going for a few hours trudging in the snow and sitting around to get the perfect photo of wildlife.

As the only German at Taylors, I often get asked what the best Christmas market in Germany is.

It’s a tough question as there are so many. In Germany there are over 1,500 traditional Christmas markets and Berlin alone has over 20 scattered around its districts. It's almost like asking any Brit what their favourite pub is.

I’ve been to Christmas markets in Cologne, Berlin, Munich, Dresden and many more and so far, my number one is the Medieval Christmas Market in Munich. It transports you back to the Middle Ages and features historical reenactments, traditional crafts, medieval food and drinks, all with a festive Christmas atmosphere. I mean, look at these cool Goblets filled with mulled wine and rum-soaked sugar cube dropping onto it like a frozen thawing waterfall.