I WANT to ban Christmas. There now I have said it!

Everything seems to go into Christmas, but it is all so meaningless.

The charity adverts have come out in abundance simply begging for money during this should be festive but also very emotional time.

Big supermarket stores laden with people filling up trolleys full of their joyous cheer whereupon afterwards I witnessed two motorists exchanging very hostile expletives over their parking arrangements.

I have just purchased the two-week Christmas 'Bumper TV Magazine'.

On all channels, including Sky, nothing to write home about unless you are into 'Celebrity TV'.

Not even one decent modern film to be shown, but just old hat or repeats we have seen time and time again.

Parents with young children I feel most sorry for. Today's technology toys come to at least £100 pounds or more and kids today expect more than one gift around their tree. The children and parents face strong scrutiny when they go back to school and other kids ask 'What did you get for Christmas?'

In my day it wasn't so difficult: a colouring book, lots of sweets, a doll, some small cars and soldiers, an apple and orange and the list goes simply on. Today's kids get expensive gifts all year, so Christmas must be so meaningless to them.

We have many people living rough on our streets, freezing cold whilst we tuck into our Christmas dinner and sob over hard-luck Christmas films on our TV.

We vastly add to the dereliction of our environment whilst we indulge on such wastage as Christmas trees, greetings cards, decorations and wrapping paper that is all thrown out long before New Year.

Christmas has not only lost all meaning and become far too commercialised, it is also bringing out the most self-indulgent or worst of us all. We need to set another date other than Christmas, to sincerely care for all.

CHRISTINE PETERS

Wellington Road, Bournemouth