There is still warmth in the late summer sun. Skies remain blue. Tourists cling to what remains of Weymouth’s hectic season.

Merchandise heralding the approaching Hallowe’en, Guy Fawkes and Remembrance Sun-day have yet to see the light of day. The thought of altering the clocks to winter time cannot be further from our minds.

Yet, a friendly town centre store has, I think, broken an all time record – for there before me was row upon row of Christmas paraphernalia.

There, on September 20, lay all this ‘stuff’, all red and glistening, enticing me make a purchase.

Three months away, yes, 12 weeks of this.

In my miserable, old git, bah humbug way, they are taking away the feeling of Christmas being a special time. It is quite unnecessary.

For the staff who work within this environment, it must be a real pain and by the time mid December comes, they must feel less inclined to enjoy the moment.

When I enquired why the ‘stuff’ was out already, I was told it was company policy.

That may be so, but what they have achieved is to create a situation where when I see an aisle of the ‘stuff’, I walk in the opposite direction and I suspect, so do many others.

Do I now enter the realms of the esteemed group of people who are reverently referred to as grumpy old men?

C Hobbs Doncaster Rd Weymouth