The office has been closed for the past 2 days after the toilets flooded and left the main electrical cupboard resembling a cheap waterfall from the garden centre. I was a little surprised on Monday when the security guard asked me to try to turn on the main circuit breaker whilst standing in an inch of water. I’m no electrician but I knew this would be a bad idea. The office is quiet and there are no lights or in fact any power whatsoever. Due to be out until at least Monday.
I have based myself between sitting in the car and sitting in a McDonalds using their wi-fi listening to horrendous and too loud euro pop. The car has this anoying feature to save the battery by switching off all the electrics after about 10mins so not too much fun having to a) be cold and b) have to keep starting the engine.
I gather the reporters have now all clocked off for the holiday so I will shortly be heading back to the south coast for some new year martinis.
Happy new year.

George Hoole, photographer, has decided to hang up his cameras after 34 years. He started his career in the 1960’s and documented life in and around London for various publications before joining the Advertiser. George suffered a serious stroke 30 years ago but continued his career becoming the Croydon Advertiser archivist. George has been offering us his opinions on the news and our photography for many years. Both a friend and a mentor, he spoke to me about some of his memories and favorite images. Happy retirement George.







Photographs by: David Berman

George Hoole Bio. The shoot. from Sitbonzo on Vimeo.

The presents are wrapped and under the tree. The children are excited and behaving remakably well. Mrs Sitbonzo is warming the mulled wine so there is only one last thing for me to do before I don my Santa suit.

I wish you a very merry Christmas.

Letter to Santa.







Photographs by: David Berman

More like barred! OK, so my scientific survey into the correct use of baby Jesus dollies wasn’t strictly speaking all that scientific. I just got bored asking the teachers if it was a boy or a girl doll.

The ‘Are you a good sheep or a baaad sheep?’ gag just started to sound like some cack laden and overplayed advert in my head. A bit like that anoying Des O’Connor advert for Tesco that plagues every TV viewing I make at the moment.

With just 2 more nativities to go, a sub editor asking when I can rush the pics back to make sure they make it into the supplement these kids tomorrow are only going to get one take at ‘away in a manger’ Blimey, its worse than XFactor. if a bit more of a crush at times.

It’s been a production nightmare with two schools discovering that they didn’t have permission for a child to be either in the paper or on the web site. This meant scrapping one show all together and remaking 2, removing said child from the running order. Its all done now touch wood and come Wednesday I can get onto the serious business of worrying about budgets and how to get a gallon out of a pint glass.

Sitbonzo *1 had her Christmas music concert on Saturday. The regular cello club had their 5 mins of fame and followed close behind the frankly strangled cat like violins.

Christmas Cello concert. from Sitbonzo on Vimeo.

There was just a very slight perceptable groan as I delegated this afternoons Nativity play to Danny. He is in fact a charming guy and loves his assignments. Don’t you Dan!

The scores so far.

Female baby Jesus dollies = 6
Male baby Jesus dolly =1
Non specific Jesus dollies =3
wet child =1
Baaaad sheep jokes told = 10
Photographer Kookie meter = I have developed a twitch in my left eye.
Photographer groan meter = miniscule but noticed

On the upside, I do actually quite enjoy the nativities, it really is very local community newspaper. Its also nice to think that the children will have good pictures of themselves in years to come.

Fans wait for tickets to see X Factor band JLS from Sitbonzo on Vimeo.

I really have fixed the RSS settings for anti Nativity filter.

So, we now have a big plastic tree. I suppose the upside is that the dog doesn’t think he needs to pee up it.

Score so far:

Female Baby Jesus dolly = 3
Baaad sheep jokes told = 5
wet children = 1 (a new category since Friday)
photographer kookie brain overload meter 20%

Cool, through my extensive computer programing skills, (>a>b>x>pr><:? )I think I figured out how to take the nativity plays off the RSS feed. One has slipped through though and I apologise if you are easily offended by small children being, er, frankly very sweet. The little 5 year old who sang a solo today was charming and had a really nice voice.

If you do want to see every show then be sure to click onto the sitbonzo nativity08 section for a full dose of crimbo sweetness.

score so far.
1. female baby Jesus dolly

forecast for female baby Jesus dollies: 98%

Baaad sheep jokes told
1
other jokes offered
0

yeah, thanks for your support!