IT'S beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

There can be no denying the “big day” is not far away.

The big wheel has arrived in Bolton, people have been skating on the town centre rink for two weeks, Father Christmas has been checking if the town's youngsters have been naughty or nice and everyone is in a good mood.

My tree (a fake one, I cannot be bothered with the endless vacuuming a real one brings with it, no matter how nice it looks) is up, I have all manner of novelty festive knick knacks strewn about my home in what I hope is an artful fashion (it probably isn't) and the wrapping paper is bought.

I'm feeling particularly smug this year – because I've finished my Christmas present shopping.

This in itself is a minor miracle – I'm not known for being the most organised of souls. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a December 24 buyer, but I don't generally start it until a couple of weeks before Christmas Day.

But this year I decided things would be different. I would get organised so I had plenty of time to properly enjoy the festive fun without worrying about how much I still had left to do.

I wanted time to actually see my friends and enjoy their company (and a couple of glasses of mulled wine), spend time with the little people I buy gifts for rather than chuck the pressie through the door before I'm off to the next house to hand over their present and above all I really wanted to feel “Christmassy”.

The one promise I made to myself was that I would complete all of my festive shopping on the high street – if we don't use it, we'll lose it people.

However, the one thing I didn't factor in when trying to be so organised is that shopping early takes a lot of the fun out of it.

Yes, many shops have had their Christmas goodies on display since some time around mid-August but there were no carols blaring while I tried to decide which Mike The Knight toy was best for my god-son, or which “smellies” my aunty would most appreciate.

Also, that feel good factor that pervades everything as soon as the clock strikes midnight on the last day of November just was not there.

I love this time of year, people hold doors open, smile, chat and above all are full of the Christmas spirit – even if it's brought on by a buying frenzy in a shopping centre.

If only we could experience this all year round.