Christmas comes but once a year – it just happens to last for two months.

We have all become used to chain stores trailblazing the festive season from some time shortly after the school holidays end, but does the Lord Mayor of Coventry really need to get in on the act?

A huge board bearing a Christmas greeting from our civic leader has already appeared in Broadgate.

Why? We haven’t even had Bonfire Night yet, although the fortnight-long prelude to that, mixed in with Diwali, has been running for some time.

Does Cllr Sheila Collins fear that the good burghers of this city won’t notice her good tidings if they don’t appear until closer to the date?

Or have the pen-pushers at the council done themselves proud by getting a project in ahead of schedule for a change?

Whatever the reason behind this premature festive spirit, it threatens to make a nonsense of the whole reason for Christmas.

No doubt the council will start sending out the huge variety of Christmas cards each department separately orders each year soon.