16.28 pm

Anyone who has been to Manchester City Centre in December will recognise this image, photographed millions of times I imagine. He is an abstraction of Santa. The market in Albert Square is still below his feet, but everywhere else it has vanished, and it will be gone here in a day or so too.

I took this half an hour before the winter solstice. From 16.28pm the earth is slowly starting its tilt the other way and the days will very gradually start to lengthen.

It has been a busy working week, around which we are trying to sort out Christmas. One day to go .......